A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville’s first Leadership Week last year dealt with at-risk young men. This year, the initiative will be expanded to include at-risk young women, city leaders revealed Friday.
Leadership week will extend from Aug. 1 to Aug. 5 this year, and Friday Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams, Bishop John Guns, Councilman Sam Newby, and Daniel Davis of the Jax Chamber convened to message ahead of the event.
Guns noted that the concept was “birthed in a conversation with the mayor and the sheriff” after their inaugurations, and it was clear Friday the buy-in was still there.
Leadership Week, said Guns, allows leaders in the political, spiritual, and community realms to address “tension” among at-risk young men and women, which can be alleviated by the investment of “quality time” and a willingness to transcend the “polarized nature” of discourse.
“While we talk about it in utopia,” Guns added, there rarely is “execution.”
The first week in August will see that execution, with “no warring with law enforcement, no disrespect [of] the mayor.”
This year, Guns added, will kick off a “year of working with young people.”
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Guns gave a rousing speech at Curry’s and Williams’ joint inauguration last July, a speech Curry has listened to more than once since, the mayor said Friday.
“It’s a statement about our better selves,” Curry said, an ideal he’s “striving for every single day.”
“Young people need mentoring,” Curry said, and “not every child has access” to such mentors.
The idea: to provide access to them.
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Sheriff Williams, in office for a year after replacing John Rutherford, cited his office’s desire to “build relationships,” adding that “partnering with [John Guns’ organization] ‘Save Our Sons’ is a great way to do that.”
Williams added the ultimate benefit of these initiatives is long-term crime prevention, and offering stable role models to youth by “planting seeds.”
Councilman Newby affirmed the legislative branch “definitely supports this” initiative, while Daniel Davis said the initiative spoke to Curry’s commitment to “trust and unity.”
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Last year’s Leadership Week saw Curry speaking to a group of Leadership Academy graduates at City Hall, offering some real talk they might not have expected from the mayor.
They also had a closed-door meeting with Curry about the issues they faced.
Last year, in an interview, Guns explained the urgency of this initiative.
“As we look at academic performance and behavior, we see that they are companions,” said Guns.
“Once they get to this grade level, we begin to see some real behavioral challenges. We’re starting to see alternative schools become a permanent place for some of these kids. So the opportunity to create an environment where for a week they’re challenged in understanding, how do you succeed in school? It’s almost a boot camp to prepare these kids to be successful in school, but more importantly to be successful in life.”
Participants last year were referred by organizations including the State Attorney’s Office, Teen Court, and Communities in Schools.
