A curious flier recently made its way to the office of The Pitch. "Say Yes To Peace," it proclaims. "Pull Up Your Pants."
The man behind the flier is Ozell Lincoln, a 42-year-old computer programmer who was inspired to take action against violence in the urban core after a friend was killed in 2002. He's working on getting 501(c)(3) status for his new organization, Say Yes to Peace, which aims to help young people find housing, gain a GED or college tuition, and afford better clothing and transportation.
The "Pull up your pants" campaign, Lincoln says, is a message he takes directly to younger people. As one might expect, most aren't eager to hear it at first. "They look at it as a direct attack on them," Lincoln says.
According to Lincoln, the initial conversation usually goes something like this:
Lincoln: Why do you sag your pants?
Sagger: It's just fashion. It's more comfortable.
Lincoln: Well, if it's not so important really, why is it so offensive for older people to ask you to pull up your pants?
Sagger: They're trying to tell me I can't be me.
Lincoln: Do you see how it might be offensive to others when you're showing your underwear outside your pants?
Sagger: Other people shouldn't care what I do.
"I try not to preach at 'em, that doesn't work," Lincoln says. "Usually, we get to the point of them saying, 'Well, I guess it doesn't make a big difference to me, so I'll
try (not sagging)."
Lincoln met the five young men currently in his program while distributing a community newspaper called What If News.
He provides them with a "uniform," something more
proper than street clothes, and asks them to interact with people and
try to raise money for the organization. At
the end of the day, they meet as a group to discuss whether people
reacted to them differently while in "uniform," as opposed to street
clothes.
But
now that it's getting too cold to expect kids to raise money
door-to-door and in public places, Lincoln's in the process of taking
the program indoors. He's looking for mentors who have grown up in the
urban core to help teach about coping skills while being positive role
models. "I'd
like to expose young people to someone who's been where they're at, but
who's doing something different," Lincoln says. "They think you make
one mistake and
that's it, it's over. It's good to show them someone who's gone to
college,
or started a business, someone who is successful. Not super rich, just
living a normal
life."
Lincoln says he's updating his Web site, SayYesToPeace.com, so that people can donate to the program.
"In society, you never hear anything anymore about decency," he says. "We don't talk
about that, and that's why it's hard for young people to understand why adults see (sagging) as so
offensive. It's just a foreign concept."
If you want to to help Lincoln's hoisting campaign, call 816-337-1275.
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