Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys: My Black Boy Narrative | Jamal Johnson | TEDxTCNJ

Growing up the narrative about black boys was not impressive at all. You would be dead or in prison before your 18th birthday if you made it that far. There was a book I found in my father’s library, A Conspiracy to Kill Black Boys. I wondered why everything seemed so negative? There were two teachers in elementary school who reinforced another narrative for my life. One understood how I learned and the other told me I would be the first Black president! Their inspiration and motivation along with a familial spiritual foundation propelled me to dispel the negative talk I heard where I grew up. I was determined to be a success story and create my own narrative full of hope, resilience, and positivity. As Nas said, “I know I can be what I want to be, If I work hard at it, I’ll be where I want to be!”
To be updated This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx