Equity Rising S2 : Episode 11
gang intervention and equity for youth with charles williams
From YMCA to United Way, from his own life to the lives of today's youth in Spokane, WA, Charles Williams builds and maintains youth programs and youth community with the intent of creating access to opportunities, access to success, and access to full, rich lives. His current role as a Youth Gang Intervention Project Coordinator is with NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101.
In this very intimate and raw conversation, Charles shares with Trae his own road and his own vulnerability as a Black man in this space, and we learn how true it is that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution.
You can reach out to Charles at his email cwilliams@esd101.net or through his program's website.
Charles's longtime friend Janice Medlock—from his local church community—gives us an intro for this episode, touching on how he shows up musically, as a mentor, and more.
This episode was produced by Julia Drachman, edited by Alex Place, and mastered by Josh Berl. Description was written by Laura Cassidy. Transcribed by Erika Hope.
Transcript
Janice Medlock 00:00
Hello, my name is Janice Medlock. I've known Charles 20 some odd years. Our families have both attended Bethel AME Church in Spokane. Charles has gone from being the drummer in the choir, which he still is today, to being a mentor, and an advisor to the youth of the church. He's worked in that capacity in that ministry for many years. He also was director of the computer center at the Emmanuel Family Life Center, which did an after school program that made sure that the local area youth had a safe place to go after school, and provided them a little after school nourishment, as well as a place to do their homework, to get help with their homework and to just have a generally safe, thriving atmosphere after school. My sons have been affected greatly by this relationship. I have a 19 year old who is coming to his own and he has seen the strength and the determination and what it takes to be a strong young Black man in this community. And that is thanks to Charles.
TraeAnna Holiday 01:14
All right! Welcome, everybody, to another episode of Equity Rising, I am your host, Trae Holiday. And so glad to have Charles Williams with me today of the Spokane area doing some amazing work out there. And honestly, Charles, you're the first guest that we're tapping into out there in the Spokane area. And we so appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule out there being an equity change maker to talk to our audience, and to me about all the work that you're doing. So welcome, Charles.
Charles Williams 01:44
No doubt, no doubt! How're you doing?
TraeAnna Holiday 01:46
I'm doing well, doing well. And you know, we love to start these episodes out with our "First Things First." We gotta ask: how are you taking care of yourself?
Charles Williams 01:55
Man, so COVID hit us hard. So my thing is taking care of myself is making sure that my soul, my mind, and body is straight. So what I'm working on right now is my soul. I mean, I know what I believe in. So I'm making sure that I read what I need to believe in, make sure that uplifted... I can uplift people. I can uplift the job that I'm doing... and that sort. And then my mind will follow. And then my body, you know, I'm - I have started working out again, because I got to make sure that, you know, I get back into shape because I don't want to get stagnant. So I need to make sure that I'm eating better. And I've been eating a lot better now that I know that my intake is now. I'm not eating fast food as much because we aren't going out as much. Oh, and then mental health! I think, especially amongst Black men... I mean, because I will - So I just and I'm gonna be real with you: I got divorced, literally a year ago. So my mental health and then after that, the divorce and the COVID hit, I hid in a dark spot and I didn't know what's going on. And I didn't have nobody to talk to and especially as Black men, we don't know how to talk. Well, most of the Black man, we don't know how to talk. I had to learn how to, you know, get my mindset right, how to talk to somebody, how to make sure that me and my sons are straight... Make sure that that I could be a person that somebody ecc- well not accept - I'll say, I'll be like to make sure that me and my sons are good. Yeah, I hit a dark spot. And it was hard. Because, yeah, not knowing what's going on, not knowing the chemical balances, not knowing... Yeah, all that - all that is just hard because we got to make sure that we're good. And then we're always put in the predicament to where we're supposed to know everything. We got to make sure that everybody is good. But sometimes, especially as a parent, we don't know how to be like, "I'm hurt, I need to talk" or "I need my time. I need to make sure that I'm good." It's just hard to realize and recognize that. So I had to figure that out. And I'm glad that I did because I'm in such a better place than I am- where I'm at right now than where I was. And I just thank God for that. Because that's probably the biggest tool, right, that we need, especially as Black men, to make sure that mentally and physically that we're okay so that we can produce and be the person that we need to be for the community.
TraeAnna Holiday 04:56
Yeah, you know, you hit the nail on the head there when you're talking about physical, mental, and spiritual health, because it all is so connected. It's so interconnected. And I find for me that, you know, the spiritual piece really, for me, it fuels the other pieces, right? So if I'm really making sure that my spiritual well-being is being taken care of and is being looked after, like that, for me, is everything. And so, when we talk about this work, oftentimes, as you know, I'm saying equity changemaker, right all season, I've been saying, "Hey, you know, we're interviewing equity - changemakers equity changemakers out here, doing great work and equity." But it's because equity needs to be built into all the things right, it wasn't built into anything. And ultimately, I think that, you know, when you're talking about being sure that you're good, so that you can do what you need to do for community, that's such a key part of all of this, because we're so community facing, and you know that there's people that are looking to you, and want to rest on you and the energy that you're pouring out. So in order for you to even do your work well, you have to make sure you're good, man. And it's great that you were able to take that time to, you know, have that personal time and understand how to identify what your needs were. Because I think, you know, really, one of the things that we don't talk about enough, in Black culture, in particular, is the well-being of our men. And I think that, you know, there's a lot of things that, you know, articles and experts and everything talking about, you know, women being well, women being harmed, all of that. But there's not enough conversation in the general discourse of things, where it's the - the focus is on the men. And so I love being able to talk to some of our men out here in community and find the ways that they are doing that work. And it sounds like you have a really solid, grounding approach and strategy to you being like, yeah, I need to make sure I was good for my kids, make sure I'm good for community. You know, kudos to you for being able to even be transparent with me in this moment and share that because I think that, who knows who may be listening out there, right? And that that needed to hear that from you, right? And so that, to me, is also a part of it, because we're collective beings. And so I want to dive in, because, you know, all of us have, like our own origin story. There's something maybe in your childhood, maybe, you know, when you were younger, that had you really have a certain specific, unique lived experience that makes you capable and able and the one who should be doing the work you're doing now. So I just want to talk a little bit about your beginnings so we can understand more about who Charles is.
Charles Williams 07:53
Okay. So yeah, I grew up in a military home. Those that know, that means we moved around a lot. So I was born in New Mexico, I was raised in Louisiana, and my father's from Chicago. My mom's from Rock Island, Illinois. People that know about Rock Island, that's the Moline area, they know about that area, too. So I grew up in a really good household. I mean - I mean, they're my mom's a pastor, right now. And then my dad, I mean, military so he's always doing what he needs to do for the service. I had to learn a lot of stuff by myself, because my father was gone a lot through the military. I didn't have to go through the things that I went through, but I chose to go through the things that I went through. And I think that's one of the things that you could choose to go through what you go through, or you could be inhabitant of what you're going through. I chose to go through what I went through. I went through - I watched my mom work two... three jobs, just to make sure that we made ends meet. I saw my dad do a lot of stuff. He's a man, and he had to do what he had to do. Me growing up? I wanted more. I always wanted more. So I always made sure that my mom was good and my sister was good. I'm the oldest outta two so the things that I chose was necessarily not the right thing but I chose it. But I'm glad that I went through it because the thing that I went through, I can help the youth that I'm serving now. I am gang affiliated. I wasn't in the gang, but I was affiliated. I've seen a lot of things that I don't know why God put me through that but he put me through it to make sure that I know who I'm helping now, and I'm blessed. I'm blessed because I can - I could talk to those that have similar situations and that been through it, and then actually did it. I could talk to those and be like, "Look what happened is unfortunate. And you can either learn from it, you can adapt. You can adapt it so you can either make it grow, or you can stop it." That's what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to make sure that it stops because... I'm talking as a Black man. Being a Black man, we have to make sure that we look out for each other because it's a mental aspect. We were taught to be divisive amongst each other so that we can't rise. So my thing is to break that curse, that's one of the things that I'm trying to do, especially as a Black man, is make sure that we teach our youth, especially Black men, to rise above where we're at right now. Because we could do so much more than what others think we're capable of. And even though we were put in difficult circumstances, we have to learn, we have to grow, and we have to come as one to stop that cycle.
TraeAnna Holiday 10:47
Thank you so much for that and sharing your beginnings. And I think you're just spot on, you know, right? That oftentimes when you're talking about any type of prevention work or intervention work, when it comes to youth, the respect is built into the lived experience. It's not built in, you know, by you thinking, "Oh, I'm coming in. I'm an expert, I got these degrees. I'm going to talk to you young folks." No, what they see and what they really need to see and I think what they respect is somebody who says, "Look! Nah, man, I was out here. You know, I lived through this. And let me tell you... you know, on the other side of this now, being an adult myself, I understand it wasn't the greatest decisions for me then." And so the idea is of them being able to see you and know and learn through your own lived experience, the way that you approach them. That's really key, I think, to this work. How do the young folks respond to you in your role? And we can talk a little bit more too about your role, because you're with the - the public schools out there in Spokane. Let's set the setting so that people know exactly what your your role is. And then I really want to hear how these young people are responding to you.
Charles Williams 12:01
Right. So my position is a Youth Gang Intervention Program Coordinator. So what we do is the kids that are already in the school system, but are not necessarily being pushed out - they're not being pushed out. But the kids that are not doing well, in the school system, we have another alternative program, to where they can still be successful in their life. My thing is to make sure - and I know this. I know that school isn't for everybody. And that's okay. Just to make sure that you get your education is key. Because in order to make it, you have to have that key aspect, which is education. So the most powerful thing, I believe is knowledge and wisdom. So what we're doing is making sure that they obtain the knowledge and the wisdom so that they can become successful for not just themselves, but their families. My biggest thing, especially as a Black man, is my legacy. No longer am I just living for myself, I'm living for my my sons. I have two sons that I'm raising by myself. So if I'm a Black man raising young Black men, I need to make sure that they're good... not just they're good, that their kids are good. And their kid's kids are good. So what I'm trying to teach our kids, the kids that I'm representing and that I'm helping, and it's - the thing is, it's not just Black men that I'm serving. I'm serving all youth. But I'm my heart is especially to the Black youth, especially to the Black men. But going back to what I was saying is we have a GED program to where they can obtain their GED, which is just as equivalent to a high school diploma. And then that they are getting that and then they're also getting job training services. They're also getting, you know, just resources that they need to make sure that they get to the higher level that they want. So yeah.
TraeAnna Holiday 14:01
Yeah, you know, that that's important. And I think in every school district needs these kinds of alternative programs. School is a business, right? And so every student comes in and brings that school money, period point blank. That's just the way that it is when you're talking about public schools. I mean, clearly even private schools have adopted this model, right? Because they got parents paying a tuition. Every child that's in their school means more money for the school. But the ideas of understanding that you have to meet students where they are... I think it's so crucial and key to this kind of work. So I mean, your lived experience says a lot and, you know, how the kids see you I think is really important. So how has that experience been in terms of you being able to build relationships with the young folks that you're working with?
Charles Williams 15:00
So my relationship that I'm building - so even before the job that I was at, I was doing after school programs. I was doing before school programs. I was doing summer programs. And I think that it's so prevalent to what we're doing, because... It's a need because a lot of these kids need these programs just to stay busy - not just to stay busy, but also to help them grow. And the thing about my programs, I made sure that they were free. The reason why I made sure that they were free is because I wanted to make sure that even the parents - and that's the biggest thing that I recognize - I know. And then how I grew up as well. A lot of parents can't pay for these programs that they need to make sure that their kids are going to excel in because the funds, the situations that they're in, whatever... they have to make sure that is good. So what I want to do is - my whole purpose was - and my purpose still is now - is to make sure that the family, the whole family in the whole, is okay. And that's how we stop a lot of things that are going on right now is making sure that the whole family is okay. If it's something as simple as making sure that it's free, and that their kids are going to be safe, and then they're going to be okay... then that's what I want to make sure that I can create, so that our community becomes safer - safer and then also it just becomes better.
TraeAnna Holiday 16:32
Well free is part of that "connecting with people where they are." I mean, it just is. You have to be able to reduce or eliminate the barriers that families may face in terms of accessibility. That is so key to this work. You know, and there's a lot going on in the spectrum of what you're working in specifically. I think as a state, we're seeing a real rise in gun violence. And over here on, you know, on the Seattle side and King County side, we're really feeling it, man. And you know, I just want to get your perspective on how things are kind of moving out there in Spokane. And does that mean that, you know, your work is more prevalent now than ever?
Charles Williams 17:20
Yes, it is. Because although we've had a uprising in youth violence, we still need to make the programs and make sure that the youth are heard - so not hurt, but we just need to make sure that they are wanted and loved. So I think we have had a lot, unfortunately, uprising and violence. But if we don't make these programs to where they could come and have an outlet, then we're gonna have even more. So my thing is, why not have or make sure that our communities are coming together and make sure that we have as many programs as we need, so that the kids have something to do. I think that's one of my biggest things that I'm advocating for is like, we don't need to be a divisive community. We need to become a conclusive community to where we can come together. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. But we need to make sure that if our program doesn't work, that's okay. Then somebody - I'm gonna advocate for somebody else's program to make sure that their program works for the youth, so that we don't have as much violence that we're having right now. I think it's key to make sure that we're all on board as one, so that we don't see an uprising.
TraeAnna Holiday 18:47
Yeah. Yeah, you know, I mean, that really brings me into that the sense of community that's necessary when we're talking about caring for our people, you know. And I love how you were talking earlier about having the resources for the families, because ultimately, like my mom was a family support worker out here in Seattle Public Schools. So when I hear you say that I'm just remembering, you know, her approach to the work and it was so much more than a job. You know, we take on a lot of these things - and no matter where we're working or how we're moving - your job is rooted in this school system out there. But, you know, if something needs to pop off on the weekend, it's not like you're not you're gonna be like, "Oh, you know, that's outside of my office hours." You know, we just don't have that opportunity to say, you know, to shut it off at the end of the day, because it's a part of, you know, our community building piece, right? And I think that that's one of the greatest attributes that I've seen in so many of the guests of this podcast, is that it doesn't matter where you actually work - like what pays you. But, ultimately, you have a sense of duty to the people that you're serving. And for me, that's one of the greatest gifts of what what I'm saying equity changemaker. It doesn't matter if your a organizer, like you - if your intervention specialists and gangs - it doesn't matter where people are working. But the idea is that, "Hey, I really got to be here for my people, I got to be here for community. I'm going to do it in this way. But if I see a need over here, I'm going to try to figure that out." And then what you said there to around the connectivity of programs is key. Because if something's not working for a family, but you know that they need this over here - to have that insight. I used to watch my mom move like that. And she was one of those people that never, ever said, "Oh, that's not my job." And I think that's up to you. I can already see for you that it's not something that you have the luxury of saying, right? Yeah. I mean, so tell us a little bit about the environment of the school district out there. You know, I'm excited because I did just come to Spokane recently this year. It was my first time out there. So I got to see the big red wagon in the park. You know, I went through - Yeah, I had a good tour guide who took me through an area. I think it's the East Side where that was like our Central District, right? It used to be - Yeah, really Black. And you sound like you were raised all over. So I got a couple things here around the environment. First off, you know, as an Army kid, you know, what had you settle in Spokane? Oh, Air Force. Yeah. What had you settled in in Spokane? Yeah, like what, what brought you to Spokane?
Charles Williams 21:49
So what brought us to Spokane was the military. So my dad was in the Air Force and he was stationed to Fairchild Air Force Base. So yeah, from there he retired and we settled here.
TraeAnna Holiday 22:04
And were - How old were you when you came to Spokane?
Charles Williams 22:08
We were we were about... what? 13? Around 13.
TraeAnna Holiday 22:14
Wow. So you were still young. So you still got to - you got to be involved in the schools there. It wasn't like you went there and you were already like a young adult. So you really kind of grew up there in Spokane as well. Yeah. And so the environment, man. I mean, gentrification hits everywhere. And you know, one of the folks I was talking to out there in Spokane was talking about how, you know, the Eastside it was very Black. And, you know, it's not so much anymore. It took me through the gentrified areas. And then I went through to the, to the older kind of neighborhood, and it's something that is so unfortunate that is hitting our country the way that it is. But you know, tell us a little bit about your experience growing up there and the waves that you've kind of seen of money flowing in and out of Spokane.
Charles Williams 23:02
Growing up in Spokane, it was definitely different. Of course, everybody didn't look like you. So you had to adapt. And that's another thing where you have to adapt is because everybody's not gonna look like you. It wasn't blatant racism; it was more hidden racism. So we had to make sure that we we knew that. I think definitely, with the money influx, we had a central part to where we had a - on especially on the history of the east side - where a lot of Black owned businesses we made sure, like there was a barber shop - Larry's Barber Shop. We made sure that we put in that. We had Libby Teen Center. We had a couple other places where we made sure that - I mean, it was made for us. So we could go there to relate; we can go there to see people like us. We had barbecues, everything. But then, of course, like anywhere, like you said, we do have gentrification, and then where we had to make sure that - or not made sure. We had to adapt. So right now, I mean, the biggest thing that we're looking at right now is making sure that everybody is equal. Because a lot of places they're calling - especially the east side, where a lot of people are homeless, a lot of people are not getting the education that they should get. They're not getting the the same capabilities as everybody else because of where they're at. So that - I think that's one of the biggest things that we're trying to make sure that - especially the Eastside - they're getting the same capabilities as everybody, especially in the education system. We want to make sure that the schools systems are up to date. We want to make sure that they had the same books. We want to make sure that they had the same technology, all that. And I think that's the biggest thing that we're trying to fight for is we want to make sure that we had those same resources as everybody else. So yeah.
TraeAnna Holiday 25:04
Yeah, you know, that's - it's just important because I think that there's areas where they don't get the intention unless somebody is really being very intentional to say, "Nah, man, you're not gonna leave this neighborhood out. You're not gonna leave this community out." Right? As things kind of come in - as money comes in - resources, all of that is so important. For me, I find that, you know, that's where it was for me too. I was drawn back to the area where I grew up in, you know, the Central District and it didn't matter that, you know, white money kind of came in and tried to, like, flood out our Black culture to a certain degree, and some of it intentional, some of it unintentional. Whatever - wherever they hit on the spectrum, the end result is is that, you know, our, our people are getting pushed out and that the culture and community that we built, it was getting flushed out. And so now there's this complete kind of resurgence of Black business and enterprise and culture and vibrancy that's happening, and it's so beautiful to witness. Because I think for a while there, people were just almost writing the area off, like, "Oh, you know, big tech companies came in. You know, white folks moving in, or other people with much more money moving and pushing other folks out." And so the ideas of it being, you know, kind of a target for that was real. And there was people that were just kind of writing it off, like, "Oh, man, you know, it's never gonna be the same." But you know, really, folks are getting that understanding that "Hey. Nah, man, you know, it's here to stay!" The ideas of the fabric of what made the Central District what it's always been is still here. And so that's really beautiful. I'm happy to hear that happening over there, too, that you guys are being like, "Nah, you're not gonna leave the East Side out. We're gonna make sure we got these resources, too." And it's amazing, because I saw the infrastructure out there. And you know, it's clear. I mean, there's a real Black culture and community out there in Spokane talk a little bit more about, you know, how you've experienced Black culture, because I think a lot of people really don't know that Spokane has a real thriving Black community there.
Charles Williams 27:21
So, like I said, I came from a military family, we came into Spokane, from Louisiana. So you have a lot of families, especially Black, that are coming in, because of the military... because of jobs... because of all that. And the East Side, I mean, is is a key place, especially for Black people because I mean, you have one of the first barber shops there. Now you have a Carl Maxey Center there, which is one of the first Black - he was the first Black lawyer. And a lot of - I can't speak on on everything - but yeah, he was one of the first Black lawyers in Spokane Then you have the Martin Luther King Center, that's over there. And then I mean, all of us combined, I mean, we're doing a lot of things over there on the East Side, but they're also making it to seem that the East Side is probably not the worst side, but it is the - there's a lot of crime and there's a lot of stuff like that. So they're just painting a bad description of it, which isn't true because there's a lot of good things that are coming out of the East Side, as well. And I think what we need to - Well, what I want to do is make sure that yeah, the East Side is a place where even though there's a lot of poverty, there's a lot of beautiful things that are happening out of that as well. I mean, there's a lot of beautiful - especially the youth: the youth are upcoming and they're they're doing a lot of things. We had a couple of my kids that are going to college. We have kids - we have so many different programs that are out there, but they're not funded as well as other programs, because some programs get more funding than others. And I think that's one of the biggest things like some programs are getting funded as other because I'll know if is the district that we're in, but we need to acknowledge that those programs even though they are where they're at, they should get funded.
TraeAnna Holiday 29:25
You know, that's important. And I think it's really on the backs of folks like yourself, who are going to be the advocates for programs like that, to ensure that, honestly, that the resources are getting, you know, balanced out and it's necessary because you never know what program might benefit a young person and really help them change the trajectory of their lives. I mean, that's really at the center of it all. Charles, it just sounds like that's really what your work is about, right? And you come from this lived experience. You know, now you're in the schools. And let's let's talk a little bit about you know, how long you've been doing this work and how you're able to measure some of the goals you may have, right? Is it a numbers game? Is it you know this many kids came into my program this year? This many kids are now, you know, kind of turned around? How do you yourself actually see the success of the program that you're in?
Charles Williams 30:23
It is definitely about just making sure that everybody's okay. I mean, I've been doing the work that I've been doing since I got out of college, which was '07. I've been doing the work since 2007. I have - I was blessed to work for [unknown] from 2007 to 2000... what? 17 or 18? So and then, like I said, I did free after school programs. I've done before school programs. I've done summer programs, especially summer teen programs, because I want to make sure that the kids - that they knew what they were getting into as an adult, so they could go to college. They could go to trade school. They could go to the military, if they choose to go to military. They could go to - there's different avenues they can go to be successful. My whole outcome of this is to keep doing what I'm doing now is make sure that every youth gets the same capabilities - the same opportunities as every other kid. And I think that's the biggest thing that I want to fight for - that I want to make sure that our youth get the same opportunities as every other kid.
TraeAnna Holiday 31:33
Yeah. And to me, I think that that's the key. I mean, even for me, when when I think about some of the beginning of my community work, you know, it was really about, "Hey, my parents were gentrified from the Central District in 2003." You know, I was fueled by that, Charles, you know what I mean? Like, as I went back to school, I had a hiatus where I had my son. So I started off at Howard, I had a hiatus, I was back here. And I was so fired up to learn how this could happen to my neighborhood, right? And so it made me travel the world, do study abroads all over the place, and learn how cities are built globally. Because I said "Something is wrong here." And I think that that's really true in some of what you were talking about. Just being sure that everybody is getting that equal opportunity. And it just felt like my community wasn't getting that, right? Like, you know, now you want to fix the cracks in the street, because you know, white folks are moving in. Now we're going to beautify the parks because these other people are moving in and all of these things that were being done in my community were not being done when my people were there. And so it just felt so - it was like the fuel of my fire, to be honest with you. I was so taken aback by the fact that, you know, it was so stark to me how certain populations of people - maybe it's just about ethnic groups - that get treated in a certain way. And me being fuelled like that had me do all of this work that I'm doing now and then community advocacy, you know, directing some of the media so people can understand these people behind these stories. At the end of the day, that what you're doing should be heralded in your community. And I hope that, you know, through the relationships that you're building with families and with these youth and with your colleagues, that you feel that because it is so necessary. And I am just grateful that you said, "You know what? Nah. After you know, I get out of college, I'm going to be working with the kids." As I got to ask, I mean, what was it that made you really like say, "Nah, I'm going to go straight into, you know, working with youth, I'm going to be doing these programs." What had you thinking that you needed to put your energy into these efforts? You know, maybe throughout your college years, maybe right after - you said you started right after so as maybe seems like you had an idea that, "Hey, this is where I need to bring myself to, I need to bring my brilliance here."
Charles Williams 34:13
Right. It was growing out mentors. I mean, one of the things that I learned, I had to learn things on my own. So if you have somebody that can mentor you, that could teach you, that will actually understand where you're coming from... I think that helps you become the person that you want to be. And I think one of the beautiful things about doing the things that what I'm doing is: if it's not me that can help you, I'm gonna find somebody that's going to make sure that you're okay. And the thing is, we as a community, we have to be acceptable to that we have to make sure like - that we help. That we're in this together to make sure that the youth are okay, and that they have somebody to talk to - that they have these accessible resources, so that they could become our future. I think that's one of the things that I keep saying is, "Our kids are our future." And if we don't have the resources for our future to grow, our future to become the people that they want to be then we're going to fail as a society. Yeah. So I think that's one of the reasons why I chose to do the work right out of college is because I want to make sure that the kids - not even kids - my future is okay.
TraeAnna Holiday 35:35
Oh, man, that's put beautifully, Charles. And I couldn't have asked you to answer that any better. And I think that so much of it is because it's clear that, you know, your passion and your love for this work is evident. I mean, you don't do something for 10+ years without having that sense of passion and compassion for your community. And, you know, while I have you, I mean, I've got to ask, because, you know, we're constantly talking about this school to prison pipeline, right? And when you're talking about, you know, you as a gang prevention specialist, right, like, intervention specialists, at the end of the day, so much of it is about getting a real disruption of what that pipeline is. And it's one of those things where it goes back to money, right? Because we're talking, you know, schools get money per head, but so do prisons, right? So the ideas of getting the youth to understand, "Hey, man, if you're going that route, you're just kind of playing into the hands of, you know, what they're hoping you will do anyway, because then now they have you for free labor." There's so many different lessons there that can be plucked out of that. How has that integrated into your approach in connecting with these young folks?
Charles Williams 36:56
So yes, that's a big thing, that the school to prison - it's all about the resources as well, because, I mean, a lot of kids don't have the same resources as everybody else. So the thing is, like - one of the key aspects is the in-school programs. You don't have the arts - you don't have the arts in there anymore. And a lot of our kids relate to the art, because that's what they love. So my thing is to make sure that school is not meant for every kid. And we don't learn the same way. I think, especially if you don't have somebody that looks like you - that you can relate to you or that can relate to you - one of the biggest things is to make sure that the youth has somebody that they can relate to, so that includes the programs that they're going to. So if the kids aren't focusing on the programs that they're going to, if they're not relating to the program that they're going to, then of course they're going to fail and the things that we had to do as a community: we have to make sure that the programs are for the for the youth.
TraeAnna Holiday 37:59
It's clear that you have a real sense of compassion and community mindedness for you to utilize your brilliance with regard to these young people and to bring, again, your lived experience to bear for them. And so much of this is about that one on one connection, that's actually who we are. That that is our axiology. You know, we're member to member type of people. And so I'm just appreciative that you've been able to give us some time and really share, you know, the work you're doing out there. If folks want to connect, you know, there might be other folks out there in Spokane, that are looking to connect maybe with some of these programs. How do they do that, Charles? I mean, how accessible are these programs? You talked about there's a wide variety of them out there making sure that, you know, they're there to connect with families where they are. How do families out there in Spokane - if they have a young person who may be on the fringes, may need an alternative program to, you know, just typical high school or may need that mentorship that you talked about - how do they get connected,
Charles Williams 39:12
So one of the biggest resources is myself, and that they could contact me and my information will definitely be with you guys. And then also, I will make sure that they get anything and everything that they need because we have so many different resources out there that could cater to whatever they need. And if I can't do it, then I'm gonna make sure that I'll get the resource that they need to get whatever they need. And I think that's the biggest thing that I want to do, especially as the man that I am.
TraeAnna Holiday 39:41
Charles, you're a phenomenal man. I gotta say your sons are lucky to have you in their lives. The Spokane community out there on the East Side are lucky to have you as this amazing specialist that you are in the schools. The school district is better off because you're there. And I gotta tell you, I'm just thankful that we struck up a good conversation. You stepped out of your, you know, your comfort zone here with the podcast, and I just so appreciate you for being, you know, authentically you during this episode. I can't thank you enough, man, we'll make sure that, you know, folks have a way to contact you in our description. And really, I think it's important because you're doing the work, man, you're out there being an equity change maker, whether you knew it or not. And the beautiful thing is that it's coming from your heart. And that's what matters the most. So Charles Williams, I cannot thank you enough for joining us on Equity Rising today.
Charles Williams 40:41
Yes, ma'am. Thank you. I appreciate it.
TraeAnna Holiday 40:43
Absolutely. Well, you guys heard it here from Charles. Charles is doing some amazing work out there in Spokane, making sure that young people have the resources they need, families have the resources they need. And he's doing it all while being authentically himself. I'm so glad you guys were here with us today, listening to me be able to chop it up with Charles, I can't wait to come out there and visit you guys and really - you know, you can give me the tour, show me all the spots. I'm trying to come out there. But it's a beautiful thing to connect with folks throughout our state who are just doing the work and so again, thank you guys for listening to this episode of Equity Rising. It's your girl, Trae Holiday, and I can't wait to bring you another episode. Thank you!
