hi

I am desperate to get constructive feedback (I am over 25, but working with under 25 year olds) I have found it frustrating working with organisations who say they care about young black people and their mental health and substance misuse but continue to show no real commitment to make the help they offer culturally appropriate for Black young people. Now, my job is to change this situation for Black young people, recently an organisation revamped their website, without seeking advice from Black young people-and their is a significant number. I would welcome feeback (support) regarding their website if it is something young black people would really want to access if they need advice re: drugs. (Maybe it's fine-but let me hear what you think). If you would like to give your comments please contact me and I will give you the link. I appreciate your help.

''Us'' black youths are a difficult bunch, live too fast grow too quick. .lol.

Groups like yours are going to end up taking a page out of the Brazilians book, need community workers who actually live and work on the estates as a group not some foreign fresh faced people they can't relate to. People underestimate ''ghetto life'' and how tight communities are.

Iam so pissed off with the ‘yuff’ using the word ‘ghetto’ to describe the environment that they find them selves in…there are no ghetto’s ( i.e. areas in which there is only one ethnic group in London ) ….I live in the heart of the infamous north Peckham and it’s not a ghetto. There are Chinese, Vietnamese, south Americans and whites here too. The ‘yuff’ only think it’s some extension of an American ghetto because that’s the only ‘culture; they’re exposed to. London ‘aint’ L.A. The ‘yuff’ on my street ( when they can string two words together in a coherent sentence WITHOUT using the word ye-get-me, use the ‘thug-life’ bravado as a shield to disguise the real misery of their lives; single or in many cases no parents who are themselves children, still the feelings of alienation within a country that still thinks of them as the ‘other’. And of course the glass ceiling.

The government has just within the last few years started pumping millions within these areas that desperately needed the money 15 years ago…you forget that the teenagers of today come form the parents of the early nineties and late eighties…

MN I will not repeat the posts I wrote on another thread and I cannot even remember the name but it is by Marcus Garvey Lives where he blames a similar scheme for contributing to a death of a youngster. Sure someone will remember, gone blank at the minute..

This is tired what you describe and taking place across the country and time does not allow me to get deep. Suffice it to say this notion of being able to relate to the youths means what actually because to be crude don't take much to bitfch and hoes i a conversation and in fact some of these programmes make shit even worse.. Relate to take where or relate to keep stagnant..Just poltics of desperation.

We got programes where thugs are running them and in my manor one of our guys volunteered for one which ran in our old school and when he got there could not believe what he saw lunatic running the assylum and worse still these thugs and ex cons going on like they were representing something with their macho shit. In other words these so called mentors were glorifying the fact they were bone fide not facilitating any change given they themselves were literally one step removed from gutter shit and in may cases my man said he would bet his life they were still 'at it to us the phrase'.

About breaking cycles not glorifying them..Travel is crucial for removing young people from that culture and not only abroad just out of their damn neighbourhoods would be a start. We have heard stories which if they weren't so true and sad would be funny. Some young bloods on a session we were taking who was running down this youth culture said. Area codes what area codes? because on his ends they divide streets so that four houses is like a area and the other four a different crew. The whole think is comedy ..'About area. Most of them aint been out of their area or as it now transpires even the other end of their street.

FB

what this so called yoffs need is a good beating to be honest all these softly softly approach to potential criminals dont work never will, i mean these small rugrats acting tough actually get paid to go to school

remembered when i was in year 10, after complaining about having nothing to do in my 'hood apart from going to the library, some 'elder' advised me to go to the 'yuff club, lo and behold they are having 'graffiti lessons , Dj ing workshop , smoking all over the place harassing girls playing pool, planning how to beat up some guys from the other school and what not

those centres are a mess, total waste of money, those in charge most of the time cant do their work, they just get bullied by these thugs

DG True