On August 31, 2026, I have the honor along with other male community leaders in Berkshire County to greet the students on their first day of school at one of the Pittsfield, MA elementary schools. This is a great honor for me because it is the opportunity to let the young students know in Berkshire County that they matter and that there is hope for you to accomplish your dreams whatever they might be. You might ask how does one morning meet and greet change someone’s life? Well, it doesn’t. It is a start, but it will be the continued work and connections that will keep hope alive among our youth. It is up to us as a community to support, mentor, and teach the children of today that there is hope and opportunity for them no matter what they look like or where they come from.
We have seen an increase in violence in our county. It is much like what we are seeing in cities and towns across America. Unfortunately, many of those victims are young people under the age of thirty. I can quote you the statistics and tell you that the number one reason for the death of young Black men under thirty is homicide, but that is not the reason why I am writing this post today. We could also talk about the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, but again that is not the reason I am bringing this subject forward. Today is about how we commit to our children and give them their dignity back.
If you have ever lost someone close to you to a homicide, it will have an impact on you for the rest of your life. Pain does ease over time but in that moment, you question why were they taken from us? I was 20 years old when we lost our 19-year-old cousin to violence. I remember it like it was yesterday. I came home from work. My mother and brothers were sitting in my mother’s room on her bed and someone said, “Criag is dead.” Not only was it a shock to hear it, but it became even harder as it played out in the TV news and the local Boston newspapers. He was our fourth brother. The person we played football with in our grandparents’ yard and who we played indoor curtain rod hockey with an aluminum foil ball. He was taken from us long before his death as the streets where calling him and there was no one there to redirect him.
As a young man in my twenties, I chose to live my life recklessly and selfishly. I didn’t care at the time. I honestly believed I would never make it to thirty, so I was going to live my best life now. It wasn’t until I accepted the responsibility of being a father, and I had so many mentors that gave me hope that I am here today. I had to learn how to value my own life before I could value the lives of others. It was then I knew I had to give back what was given to me and to let the young people know there is hope. I believe it is why I became a nurse, but I also wanted to use those values my mother taught us long ago. She wanted us to be the storytellers of our lives and that is what I want to do for our young people today. I want to introduce them to a man who did everything to ruin his life but by the Grace of God and some amazing people he was able to change the course of his life.
This is not a movie where we come into an inner-city classroom and save the day. This is about committing to mentoring and supporting our youth so that they can experience a life of hope, success, and dignity.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 