TEDx Macatawa 2015 Session 1d: Willie J. Watt Jr., Deliberate Collaboration

• lived in a violent time in Chicago
• in a gang at 11 years old
• wanted to be a lawyer but told he would be dead at age 16
• enjoyed riding ‘L’
• watched best friend get murdered
• shot 3 times by age 13
• kicked out of house by age 17
• moved to Holland
• gangs started showing up in Holland  in 1980s
• 1998 – African American families had been firebombed in Holland
• 2007 lost wife, kids, home, homeless in parking lot of church
• gave life to Christ and learned of a Father that loves him no matter what
• found purpose: to be a servant and give back
• we all come up with wonderful ideas that might change lives and we file them away rather than having the courage to try them out and collaborate with others
• in confusion ideas are grown and people can make good changes when presented with a choice
• Holland Youth Connection – Summer job connection where work would happen for 10 weeks and have kids from rival gangs work together http://www.escape-out.org/- the youth take ownership of the community
• 76% drop in crime rate with implementation of the work program
• 2nd year had 7 different gangs, ethnicities, and schools came together
• “When we give kids an opportunity they can change the community”
• Take the time to get in their lives to help them become who the want to be and who they can be
• “Are you going to go out there and do something and take a step forward and make a difference?”
• “We have to start taking chances on other people”
• “We can change the world”

Categories: Learning · Tags: tedxmac2015 · Originally published on stephen.braunius.org