By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
When the city of Glenarden, located about 10 miles east of Washington, D.C., in Prince George’s County, was granted a charter in 1939, it became the third predominantly Black incorporated town in the State of Maryland.
Since its founding, it has emerged as a suburban enclave popular to both small retail establishments and those who want to secure residential roots, particularly seniors.
However, its youth population cannot be overlooked, as children under the age of 18 living at home make up a sizable amount of the city’s 6,000 residents at 44.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census.
And as many parents and caregivers admit, even sleepy suburban communities like theirs are finding it harder to protect their children from what some erroneously believed was a “big city problem” – drugs.
Now, thanks to a drug-free community grant funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the White House Office of Drug Control Policy, a new organization has taken root in Glenarden: the Teen & Youth Alliance Coalition (TAYAC). The non-profit organization, led by Executive Director Jon Quinton, was formed to create a safe space for youth and teens and shift current and favorable attitudes that condone marijuana and cannabis use among youth.
On Jan. 19, a group of parents, politicians, business owners and religious leaders gathered for TAYAC’s inaugural MLK Day “Prayer 4 Prevention” brunch, hosted by the American Legion Post 275 and held at their Glenarden facility.
Quinton, along with several members of his staff and a local pastor, spoke with the AFRO about this historic “first” and why they believe TAYAC will make a positive difference to the Glenarden community.
“The coalition’s primary focus is early age marijuana use and the abuse of non-prescription drugs like fentanyl among teens and youth,” Quinton said. “But we don’t want to lecture youth. We want to facilitate conversation and hope to accomplish our goals by distributing prevention messages through community events and popular youth culture.
“We believe the best outreach strategy and the most effective way to reach our constituents is to present information in a laidback atmosphere, in a simple, engaging way, like teaching a third-grade lesson to adults.”
Quinton noted that the event, which was scheduled on the MLK Holiday in commemoration of Dr. King’s birthday, featured several guest speakers, including Dr. Cashenna A. Cross, Glenarden mayor; the Rev. Curtis Thomas III, pastor of Stonehouse Ministry and leader of gospel go-go band, Body of Evidence; and Psalmist Lady K, member of a community-oriented go-go band, Positive Vybz Band.
However, while most of TAYAC’s future sessions will focus on maximizing youth participation, Quinton said the meeting in January was geared toward parents, community members, elected officials and police, rather than youth.
Breaking down barriers to communication
TAYAC Project Manager Stephanie Waller said to really connect and communicate with youth, organization staff members have set their sights on securing more fluid access to the six elementary, two middle and two high schools, which serve portions of Glenarden as part of the Prince George’s County Public Schools.
“The major challenge for the coalition is improving our ability to get into the public schools,” said Waller, who added that significant progress has been made. “The interest in our coalition’s goals, based on those who attended our inaugural event and [feedback] from the community, confirm that people support our goals and recognize their shared responsibility to our youth.”
Pastor Thomas is a former gang member of Washington, D.C.-based Simple City crew, who grew up in a single-parent home and fought and armed himself to survive on the streets. He said he connected with TAYAC because of their similar objectives.
“Under the platform of my ministry and essential to the message of my go-go band is reaching youth and adults who want to live a positive, drug-free life,” said Thomas, whose church also supports a hip-hop group that often accompanies the minister during youth outreach initiatives.
“When I look back at my youth, I know that many of us became sexually active in elementary school – that shocks a lot of parents today,” he said. “But that’s reality – my reality in the past and reality today.”
He continued, “Our kids are already exposed to a lot of mature topics, especially through music. But counter to the prevailing rhetoric – based on my own conversations and interactions with youth – more teens do not use drugs and are committed to doing the right thing.”
Keli Goldsborough, a single parent and a member of TAYAC, said she supports the way Thomas and the coalition are creatively connecting with youth.
“If we’re serious about getting our children to listen to prevention messages and then follow our advice, then we need to approach youth on their level,” Goldsborough said. “Parents sometimes find it difficult to connect and communicate with our own children, maybe because we’re too far removed from our own adolescence.
“That’s why I’m a volunteer with TAYAC. I need to learn new strategies that I can use to better communicate with my daughter, who’s a fifth-grader. But I also need to learn how to value her opinion more. I need to learn how to listen.”
For more information visit www.teenandyouthalliance.org.
