Editor’s Note: On September 6, 2008 at the Equal Voices for America’s Families National Family Convention in Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles, more than 15,000 families called on the country, lawmakers and the next president of the United States to adopt a national family platform that comprehensively address the issues and challenges that families face. Young people were encouraged to blog and vlog about many of the issues directly affecting them and their community.

Left Behind by No Child Left Behind

My name is Carla Gladness. I am 21 years old and I am from Greenwood MS. Down my way we don’t have jobs. We need better healthcare and housing because we have families that are homeless we have kids that live on the streets.

I came to Alabama from the Batesville Job Corps where some kids are getting a second changes in life. We are having problems trying to find jobs in locations that are paying more than minimum wages and we are have problems with the No Child Left behind policy because instead of helping kids it is making us drop out school or make us just stop go to school.

I Expect More From Me

Hi, my name is Sarshae and I’m from Terrell County. I’m a senior at Terrell High School. I graduate in May 2009. I expect more from me and all my peers.

For example, a high school diploma is not good enough for me. I must go to college. Don’t get me wrong because college is not for everyone, so I’m just addressing myself. I just want to talk about a issues of what I think can be prevented in Terrell county.

The main thing is the school system: the lunch is terrible, the majority of the teachers are not certified, and they worry more about the unnecessary problems than our education.

For example, they’re quick to suspend you for any and everything, but don’t try to get you any supplementary services, like you need help in one of your academic classes.

They have this type of attitude where if you get it or you don’t. But don’t get me wrong now because it’s just a few teachers out there that expect high expectations out of us. I think if the teachers, Principal, and staff that were more worried about our education, then maybe more students wouldn’t drop out and pass most of their classes.

Football Beats Out Violence

My name is Chris Coley I live in Wilcox County. One of the things in my city that most affect me is the gang banging.

The problem is getting serious, and violence is on the rise. I would like to create an outdoor basketball park for the youth. This would give the youth something positive to do besides negative things. My community is not big at all, but in it we have a great number of hard working people who know the value of working.

Football is a big thing in Wilcox. Our mascot is the Patriots. In the last three year our record is 31-9. Football is the most positive thing to do in my community, but on the other hand where there is good there is also evil.

Yes We Can!

Hey our names are Stephanie Hillsman and Jasmine Hall we are from Dawson, GA. Right now we are in Birmingham, AL. We are attending a convention for the Equal Voices for American Families. In this convention we are discussing issues that face Americans across the nation. Such as poverty, healthcare, and affordable housing. It is such a privilege to be here amongst our fellow Americans who share the same concerns as we do. In our community we would like to see more things done to help the people and children that live in Dawson. In our community we would like to see more activities available for teenagers. Dawson (which is in Terrell County) was rated to have the 2nd highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Georgia. We would like there to be programs to help this problem, such as the Young Sisterhood Inc. that was established by our advisor Mrs. Allison Harvey. We feel that if we had more activities for teenagers to participate in, it would lessen the chances of them getting into trouble. We hope that our voices and concerns are heard so that we can help make our community a better place.

Mexicans should be treated the same!

Hi my name is Vanessa, I’m 13 years old, I live in Fellsmere FL and I attend Sebatian River Middle School. There is some days that when I go to school and mostly white people make fun of me and my friends because where Mexicans and supposedly we don’t be long here, we should go back to Mexico. That’s why in my opinion that should stop that everyone should be treated the same no matter what they are or where they come from.

Teen Pregnancy

Hi I’m Rayquesha and I’m from Greenville,Ms. the group I’m here with is Y.A.P.S. (Youth As Public Speakers) the reason we are here is to let our young children voices be heard as well as other beings from our city. There are so many things going on that should be changed. The thing that affects me most is TEEN PREGNANCY because all of my friends are getting pregnant. It affects me because my mother gets harder on me every time one of them gets pregnant. So it gets harder on me every time she hears about it. Another is how my grandmother’s house and different neighborhoods got flooded out

Life in the Southeast

Hello, I’m Adonnis Cody and I live in Crossroads of Fort Gaines, GA. In the south we really don’t have much of a government system. Now some people are trying to take the land that we live on. Every time I go down the road my bike get stole. I can’t even go in the store without someone accusing me of stealing. That’s what it is like living in the south.