AJC Op-Ed: BBBSMA CEO Kwame Johnson comments on Racial Inequality
By Amari Woods
Recently, the AJC published an Op-Ed featuring Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta President and CEO, Kwame Johnson. In the article titled “You don’t have to fear me”, Johnson addresses the serious issue of police brutality. He began with, “My heart is heavy thinking of all of the black men and women hurt or killed in racially charged incidents with police.” From there, he reflected on his personal experience with police as a teenager. During his time in jail, Johnson was fortunate enough to have his track coach, Mr. Maynord, play a positive role in getting his life back on track. Based on these experiences, Johnson has dedicated his career to defending the potential of youth.
As Johnson points out,97 percent of children served are people of color. Knowing this, he sees mentorshipas a powerful solution to overcoming racism. He stated, “Mentorship can bringtwo people from very different backgrounds together, and the beauty is thatboth benefit from the relationship.” Johnson also elaborated on the role ofBBBS of Metro ATL to have hard discussions to facilitate in-depth training andsupport among families and volunteers. He encourages readers to actively listenand engage with people from different races. By doing this, we can makeAtlanta, and most importantly the U.S., a better place for all- a place wherethe feared can be loved.
If you would like toread the AJC article, then click here to do so!