As I was trying to figure out what to write for this column news started trickling in about the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and I thought about writing something along the lines of how America could institute a program to identify mental health concerns at a young age, similar to how students receive vision and hearing tests at school.
But I don’t want to focus on another sinister chapter in our country’s history. I want to focus on something that is making a positive difference in communities, and I stumbled across a video online that was too good to pass up.
New York resident Kevin Livingston, who started 100 Suits for 100 Men in 2012 and is currently CEO, is featured in the short, reaching out to adolescent men and giving them an opportunity to be successful. It all started at his previous job where he would look out of his office window and see young men without a future.
“There was an active gang site around the corner from where I was working, and I would see people walk around them, not engage them (and) ostracize them versus talking to them,” he said.
Seeing that happen day after day sparked an idea in Livingston’s mind. He went around to local business people and asked them to donate business attire. He in turn began approaching young men, talking to them and offering them free suits.
It sounds simple enough, but the impact is beyond profound. Anybody who has ever conducted a job interview would surely tell you they are much more likely to offer a job to a man who shows up in a suit and tie rather than jeans and a T-shirt. First impressions matter.
Since Livingston began his adventure he has received a ton of support from celebrities and normal folk alike. From high-profile people like Snoop Dogg and Colin Kaepernick to district attorneys, lawyers and judges, it has become a large community coming together for the greater good. No matter your feelings toward people like Snoop or Kaepernick one can only applaud their generosity.
Livingston doesn’t just walk into high-crime areas and hand out suits, though. He takes the time to talk to them, understand them and offer advice on how to act professional. 100 Suits even follows up with every single individual it helps as well, remaining in touch and continuing to offer any guidance it can to help these young men have a chance to become successful. The humanitarian venture has even branched out recently and is collecting and distributing business attire for young women as well.
It goes without saying there has been a large uproar in recent years over race relations in the United States, but too often everyone is focused on the negatives rather than what is being done to make things better. The NFL, for example, has received the brunt of criticism as players kneeled during the National Anthem the past two seasons.
But the good some of these players do gets brushed over. Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long is one who took on a big initiative by himself, donating every single paycheck he received last season toward underserved youth in Charlottesville — his hometown — and the three cities he has played in: St. Louis, Boston and Philadelphia. His teammate, Malcom Jenkins, awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors, held events and initiatives to bring change to underserved communities and held a meeting between law enforcement in Philadelphia and community leaders in an effort to build trust and understanding between the two parties.
These are the type of things that need to be covered on a national level and not just brushed over in favor of political talking points.
Building a better future for the youth in this country shouldn’t be left for the government to worry about. It should be all of our concern. n
Joshua Campbell is sports editor of The Columbian-Progress. Reach him at joshuacampbell@columbianprogress.com.
