Job training is the best way for Black Kansas City to work toward the future | Opinion

Black History Month gives us space to reflect on the journey of Black Americans in this country. This type of reflection is critical for every one of us to develop shared understanding, promote racial healing and move forward as an interconnected society in a meaningful manner.

However, reflecting on the past is only a start. We must focus equally on the future of this country’s Black citizens, who are imprisoned staggeringly disproportionately to the general population, even when adjusted by racial and ethnic breakdown.

So what does focusing on Black Americans’ future mean? It starts with fulfilling job opportunities that break cycles of poverty and lift up individuals and families who have previously been left behind, or who have lived on the margins of society.

I was incarcerated in Missouri for 31 years. During that time, my history haunted me on a daily basis.

However, I’m living, breathing proof that where we begin in life, and the twists and turns we take on the road of that life, do not have to impact where we end, or what we can contribute to society.

After my incarceration, I didn’t know what I was going to do to support myself, but I knew that I didn’t want a handout. I just wanted an opportunity and some hope.

I was able to participate in Goodwill Industries’ Certified Manufacturing Associate program, where I was exposed to manufacturing fundamentals, Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, robotics, technical skills and jobsite expectations. Now I can combine those technical skills with the life skills that I learned from Goodwill to move forward.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of vocational instruction to help people reenter society after long prison sentences. Some correctional facilities offer career education, but these opportunities aren’t available to all inmates, and the types of instruction are limited.

To call this experience a job training endeavor is selling it short. I consider it more of a lifeline. It’s given me skills, confidence and the ability to support myself. It’s also given me purpose and direction. It’s helped me overcome my history and I’ve received the tools I need to control my own future.

You may not think of Goodwill Industries as a workforce development tool, but it definitely has been for me and others in our region like me. When you take your clothes, books, and coffee cups to Goodwill, 88 cents of every dollar made from them are used to train individuals in our community who are looking for hope.

I’m all for celebrating Black History Month. But let’s also focus on Black Kansas Citians’ futures. In particular, previously incarcerated individuals can be valuable members of the workforce and members of society in general. A career pathway isn’t a handout. Skill development isn’t a charity. On the contrary, these things are important parts of our shared humanity.

This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 6:30 AM.