Common Ground Initiative
Melanie Plenda
Am I a patriot? Yes, and you are too.

As football season rolls in, I’m reminded of how strongly people felt, on both sides, when some NFL players took a knee during the national anthem. I remember the feelings and opinions being so intense that it ruined friendships, dominated social media and gave the impression that these highly paid athletes, mostly Black men, were unpatriotic.

I have a different view of that.

Am I a patriot? Yes, and you are too.

MYTURN

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MYTURN, a nonprofit based in Manchester, connects kids and teens with people who have seen the impact of life on the streets

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MYTURN, a nonprofit based in Manchester, connects kids and teens with people who have seen the impact of life on the streets

This interview is Part 1 of an occasional series by The Common Ground Initiative called “Avoiding Prison or an Early Death,” where I will write about my experiences growing up as at-risk youth in Brooklyn, New York, and how decades later, in a different state, communities are facing these same issues.

To kick off the series, I looked at an effective organization in Manchester, MYTURN.

MYTURN gives at-risk and disadvantaged youth the chance to focus on their goals and succeed in life. It provides mentorship and safe spaces for these young men and women to gain the skills and knowledge critical to becoming upwardly mobile members of society. I spoke with MY TURN’s executive director, Allison Joseph, for The Common Ground Initiative’s podcast in August.

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For At-Risk Kids, Seeing Death and Despair Up Close Starts Young; Intervention Must Start Young Too

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For At-Risk Kids, Seeing Death and Despair Up Close Starts Young; Intervention Must Start Young Too

I was 12 years old when I saw my first dead body. “Calvin” wasn’t much older than me, and he lay there with two bullet wounds through his head that slightly protruded from the other side. I can only remember trying to avoid that fate, even though sometimes it felt inevitable. The more gun violence and death I saw and heard about, the more numb I became to it. At that age, in that environment, you don’t appreciate life and death.