On September 21, 2016 inside classroom I4-311, the Umoja Community Mesa Academy Program presented a panel called “Real Talk”. Professor, Academic advisor and Umoja Academy coordinator, Michael Temple was the man in charge of this powerful panel, alongside four African American, male students who helped put this panel together to bring awareness to the African American male experience. This experience that they speak on is not only in the classroom setting, but in their everyday lives as well. They may not all share the exact same background, but they are African American, they are young men, and their common goal is success.
For those who don’t know, The Umoja Community is a learning community specifically created with African American students in mind, here at Mesa College. This community specifically utilizes African American material, such as readings and materials from the African American perspective to teach the students in the Umoja Community. “We as a community college are here to help them make those connections, and to help them to understand how they’re supported” Professor Temple explains.
The Umoja community has helped many students, like myself, decide which classes were needed, the order in which they need to be completed, and the tools they will need to succeed in those classes. Out of all his wise words of wisdom, the one thing I remember Professor Temple advising me to do was to sit at the front of every one of my classes. He told me that the professors would know that I am here to learn, and that I would produce better work by being front row and center.
During the opening of this event, Professor Temple was explaining to the audience how the panel came to be. “Our African American students, especially our males, have come in and have experienced many traumas. They come in having experienced many losses. They come in with heavy hearts—“*He needs a moment* “–Excuse me. Our African American men, umm its personal for me. They come in already down on themselves. Beat up. Then they walk into a system where they don’t feel supported. Where they don’t sense connection. No connectivity. No community. No one here to listen to their story. No one here to share their experiences with. No one to turn to and talk to about a lot of the trauma they experience. Talking about friends who may have been shot and killed or things of that nature. So they come into our college and come to the realization that they’ve made it. I’m here. I’m here in college. How I got here is pretty miraculous.”
One could feel the hurt and the pain that Professor Temple endured in his own life, as he choked up while speaking. There was nothing but raw emotion as he and those students share their own personal experiences with the injustices they have faced in the past and continuously face today, not just as African Americans, but as African American men.
Jubba McCLay Jr. was the first speaker. Jubba was born in 1998, and admits that he didn’t have as bad of a life as the rest, but went through things that he felt was unfair. He once lived with his father in Lakeside near Santee in the Eastern part of San Diego. He shares an experience about his father going through a situation with 3 other guys where they were talking about the color of him and his family’s skin. At that time, his father was dating a white woman so when the woman came to tell Jubba’s father what people were saying about him they got in a confrontation and next thing you know, his father is imprisoned for a couple of years. He shares that it was hard to live in certain places because of the color of their skin, but his overall focus is not to be another statistic. “I don’t want to be that guy who doesn’t make it and not do anything with my life. I want to finish school and get a job that’s going to help me for the rest of my life.” No one in his family went to college and he wants to do it for the ones who didn’t get to do it, but mainly for his mom. His mom was going through life being treated poorly, but realizes he had the luxuries of being treated okay, for the most part. So he wants to graduate and in turn, make his mom proud.

The next speaker goes by the name of Jalyn Byers. “I didn’t get to enjoy the necessities like everyone else did. I always grew up in a 16:1 household. 1 bedroom, always fighting over who gets the TV first and it was always harder because where I grew up at, it was always police kicking down your door. The first thing they wanna do is take your father. I didn’t get to enjoy getting to know my father because he was always in a jail cell or always on the street trying to hustle for his family.” Had the mentality that he would either be 6 feet under or in that same exact system with his father. In school, teachers didn’t think I was going to make it. They told me I wasn’t going to go anywhere with my life. When one student got in trouble for something, I would be a key target as well. Even as the innocent bystander. Always lived in what was considered the “bad” neighborhood, or a neighborhood unfit for children. Had to run and leave things, friends and family members behind, things that were significant to him, because if you grew up in a neighborhood where you hear “Where you from?” which was a gang-related question, and if you answered wrong, there’s no telling what they would do to you. “at the age of 8, I was able to play outside and enjoy that time I had. But hearing those three words, and running to make it away alive, then turning around to see one of your friends on the floor, shot, with a bullet through his chest, it’s the worst pain ever, that u have to deal with. When you lose a friend that you grew up with, because of gang violence, its horrible and not many people see it that way”.
He went on to share his racial experiences where people view him as being black so he’s probably in a gang. “They sit around judging us from a distance and think that there are only two places in life that they’re gunna make it. But look where I’m at now. I’ve made it to college. I was told I was going to die, by my own teacher in 3rd grade. No one understands how that feels. I sit around and see how people are getting treated better than I am and I’ve done better than they have. I’ve always had to struggle to get where I’m at. I’m always fighting. It’s not easy. I’m tired of having to run. I’m so tired of having to duck, I’m so tired of not being able to make friends because I’m scared that one day I’ll walk outside my house and I’m going to be gone. I don’t even live anymore for the excitement or the future or anything, I lived for the moment”. Jalyn continues to say that when his brothers came into his life, he realized it was about more than just him now. He knew he had to make it because he had two brothers looking up to him now. While their mom and dad were out there hustling, shots were being fired, he was always keeping their heads ducked down, telling them it’s going to be okay. Inside, he didn’t even believe that himself. His 14-year-old brother who was diagnosed with autism told him “Jalyn, I don’t like being black. I’m always seeing black people getting hurt or mistreated”. Jalyn told him “You are going to make it in your own way and don’t feel bad about it”. Jalyn ended his speech saying that once, there was no one cared what he had to say, but was glad that he had this platform to express himself and tell his story.
Brother Desean X. was born and raised in Southeast San Diego. The story he shares is the same as his brother, Detrick, but their outlook on education aren’t too similar. “Education-wise, I dropped out of High School, got locked up, finished school in jail and when I got out of jail didn’t know what to do with myself. I was lost. Friends were dying, going to jail. It’s crazy being young, black and living in San Diego. It seems like every black person doesn’t wanna speak to each other and black people wanna stay away from other black people”. He then adds that when u go to Southeast San Diego, seeing young black people in our age range is rare. He describes his frustration about not being able to call anyone he used to hang out with because they’re all in jail, serving time. He then brings up the ‘182.5 rule’ which is a law that promotes street gang violence. As stated in California Penal Code 182 PC, a criminal conspiracy takes place when one 1. agrees with one or more other people to commit a crime, and 2. one of them commits an overt act in furtherance of that agreement 1Any member of the conspiracy may commit the overt act…which doesn’t need to be criminal in and of itself. But does need to be performed before the commission of the agreed upon offense. “Even if u don’t commit a crime, and even without proof, they can lock you up off of assumptions. 33 of my friends are locked up because of that. They facing life in prison for that”. This then motivates Deasean for his release from prison, as he sets his mind to succeeding after prison. “I can’t be the one that gets the chance to get out and by the grace of God not get caught up in this 182.5”. He says he thinks to himself “What can I do? Really, what can I do?” not to go back and serve time in prison again. Desean then started attending a mosque and that gave him discipline that he needed to really govern his life. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t know what I wanna do. I’m going to school to be a criminal defense lawyer to get my friends off the 182.5 that sent them to prison”. Determined and willing, Desean is focused and ready for the next chapter of his life after being given another chance to make all his wrongs, right.

Brother Detrik X is Brother Desean X’s twin brother. He starts his story off by saying how he lost his father in 2002 due to gang violence which lead him to a path that consequentially led him to the gang life. On top of losing his late father, the traumatic experiences didn’t stop there. He lost friends to murder and prison. He had doubts that he would make it out of high school and never thought college would be in his future, but here he is in the flesh. “I never pictured myself on any type of campus as a student. Never had a plan for my life. As a young black man, I see myself as everybody else sees me. Either you going to be dead or go to prison”. He wasn’t worried about his life. He just wanted to make it to 21. Then he thought his days were numbered. In 2012 he lost four more friends to death and 33 after that to prison within the same year. These weren’t just acquaintances that he met in passing. These were people he was close to. People that he confided in, trusted, built history with. You don’t find that in just anybody, and this is why he mourns. This is why he hurts. “Not being able to see them is traumatic. I am going to school to get the chance that my lost ones never got and the ones behind bars may never get”.

These men were so brave to get up in front of everyone and share their stories. They could’ve kept quiet, they could’ve easily not have shown up, but they did and they were so authentic in sharing their truth with us. For that, I thank each one of them and I am truly grateful to have been a part of that audience and hear their stories.

Works Cited:

California Law: http://www.shouselaw.com/conspiracy.html