An Organization in Harlem Making a Real Difference

"We have failed our children. They live in a world where danger lurks all around them and their playgrounds are filled with broken glass, crack vials, and sudden death. And the stuff of our nightmares when we were children is the common reality for children today. Monsters are out there and claiming children in record numbers. And so we must stand up and be visible heroes, fighting for our children. I want people to understand the crisis that our children face and I want people to act." - Geoffrey Canada

I was introduced to the work of Geoffrey Canada a few months ago through NPR, and what I've learned about him and from him since then has really impressed me. Canada runs the Harlem Children's Zone, which offers a number of programs (including charter schools) to children and parents in order to break the cycles of poverty and improve the quality of life for kids in the inner-city. The website describes their effort as "a holistic system of education, social-service and community-building programs aimed at helping the children and families in a 97-block area of Central Harlem". Amazing.

I admire Canada for thinking big and acting locally - for bringing together the best of the best to serve the most underserved. I think that focusing all your efforts on a particular area is the way to go (Little Lights also does this). I also admire him for his honesty about what the threats are that our children face.

Most of all, I strongly agree with his statement that one of the things that children need most are "visible heroes" - people who they see daily, who serve as reminders of what is possible as well as a reminder that they are loved. Ideally, the first and most important visible heroes a child encounters are his parents. Because of this, HCZ focuses much of its resources and energy on educating and supporting parents - ideally getting involved before the child is even born. If parents do not serve as visible heroes, other members of the community MUST step up and fill this role. I applaud Canada for taking it upon himself - and encouraging many, many others - to do this.