A powerful narrative unfolds in this video, where the speaker recounts his challenging upbringing in Richmond, Virginia, and the unfortunate path he chose in search of a better life. Raised without adequate parental guidance and facing economic hardship, he turned to the street hustlers, seeking solutions that he believed would elevate his family's situation. His quest led him deeper into the world of crime, entangled in the gangster lifestyle that ultimately brought a series of personal and familial tragedies, providing a poignant reflection on the choices that not only affected his life but also shaped future generations in his community.

The speaker offers a retrospective view on how glamorizing gangster life misled the youth, thereby perpetuating a cycle of hardship. His imprisonment since 1988 serves as a backdrop to this realization, particularly when he lost his 19-year-old son to gun violence in a life-altering moment that opened his eyes to the destructive impact of his past actions. Through this heart-wrenching experience, he highlights the disconnect and misleading influence he and others have created, advocating for acknowledgement and amendment of past mistakes.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. maladies [ˈmæləˌdiz] - (noun) - Unpleasant or serious problems or situations that cause distress or injury. - Synonyms: (ailments, troubles, afflictions)

The raising of a nation because the role played, whether consciously or not, in the lives of our youth by adults maladies.

2. hustlers [ˈhʌslərz] - (noun) - Individuals who engage actively in the street life or illegal activities to make money. - Synonyms: (swindlers, street vendors, con artists)

So, like you, I turned to the hustlers of the hood, who, in my eyes, seemed to not have the problems my family did.

3. convicted [kənˈvɪktɪd] - (adjective) - Found guilty of a criminal offense by a court of law. - Synonyms: (judged, sentenced, condemned)

Serving life plus ten years. convicted of first degree murder and various other crimes.

4. retaliated [rɪˈtæliˌeɪtɪd] - (verb) - Revenge an attack in a similar manner. - Synonyms: (hitting back, revenge, responding)

There was an attempt on my life. I had retaliated.

5. poetic justice [poʊˈɛtɪk ˈdʒʌstɪs] - (noun) - A situation where virtue is ultimately rewarded, or vice punished, often with an ironic twist. - Synonyms: (karmic justice, irony, poetic retribution)

Due to how I'd lived my life, it was like poetic justice for me to go through.

6. preserve [prɪˈzɜrv] - (verb) - Maintain or protect something in its original or existing state. - Synonyms: (conserve, safeguard, uphold)

So that we can preserve this country's most prized resource and treasure.

7. generation [ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən] - (noun) - All of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. - Synonyms: (age group, cohort, period)

Was setting a foundation for generations following me.

8. foundational [faʊnˈdeɪʃənəl] - (adjective) - Forming a basis; fundamental. - Synonyms: (basic, essential, fundamental)

Was setting a foundation for generations following me.

9. trajectory [trəˈdʒɛktəri] - (noun) - The path followed by a moving object, especially in the context of someone's life path or career progression. - Synonyms: (path, course, route)

Turn things around for my family, not then understanding how that choice would take me deep into a darker world.

10. reform [rɪˈfɔrm] - (noun or verb) - Make changes in something in order to improve it. - Synonyms: (amend, improve, rectify)

Returning to those communities and lead them with messages and examples of a better way.

Raising our youth right - Dwayne Bolling - TEDxGreenRockCorrectionalCenter

The raising of a nation because the role played, whether consciously or not, in the lives of our youth by adults maladies. I'm speaking on this new first hand knowledge. I was born in Jackson Ward projects and raised in Blackwell projects in Richmond, Virginia. To all the youngsters who have unloving fathers, I know you, those who witness their mother never buy herself a new pair of shoes or coke, or saw her cry because she couldn't feed you or because she couldn't pay the rent. Y'all got put out the projects, or your little brother and sisters told you they hungry, and it all hurt your heart. I am you because that's my beginning, too.

So, like you, I turned to the hustlers of the hood, who, in my eyes, seemed to not have the problems my family did because I was searching for a way to turn things around for my family, not then understanding how that choice would take me deep into a darker world. Looking back, I see times where I thought I was winning. Now realizing I not only was losing, I was setting a foundation for generations following me. To lose two for being a gangster and hustler to the fullest takes a lot of dedication to the ugliness that controls that world, where cold hardiness is your armor. Because even with it, survival is short lived.

I stand before you to date, incarcerated since January 2, 1988. Serving life plus ten years. convicted of first degree murder and various other crimes. I've come a very long way, emotionally and mentally, since entering prison as an uneducated 28 year old. Back then, it was gang. Live by it, died by it. Everyone in it was on it. There was a code that was never to be broken. Then came the 1990s, the cold start advantage, especially loyalty. Snitching and crossing became the new thing, placing the game on life support. Today, youth care more about their image than their character. Everyone should leave it alone. It always comes to an ugly ending.

I try to spread this message because no one who lived it before me told me the whole truth about the gangster lifestyle. I've learned that more than any other element, nations are built through examples by elders, as seen in the eyes of our youth during their formative years of growth. In 1998 at Greensville, I shared a sale with an 18 year old who grew up in black whale projects. Cuz doing life plus 40 years. New law. A very ugly situation. But he handling it well, as a man should. One day he told me, homie, when y'all got locked up, we wanted to be just like y'all. We had the drug game on, lock the guns, the jewels, the caddies with the ragtops sitting on trues and vogues. Then he asked me, you think I'm ever gonna get back out there? His question blew my heart as it forced me to face the reality of my past actions.

Because I was then realizing that the legacy I left in the world was but a source of detriment in the communities I was so proudly announcing I was a part of. Then came March 15, 2001. I was at King Mountainous. My counselor came to the door, told me to come to her office. I was told my 19 year old son was shot and killed instantly. My old instincts telling me to seek some get back. But during a conversation with my favorite aunt, my thinking would change dramatically.

We talked about a conversation I'd had with my mother some years prior. There was an attempt on my life. I had retaliated. Word of it reached my mother. My mother told me that if I were killed, it would kill her. I told my mother then I didn't want to outlive her because she was everything good about people. And my only goodness was the love I had for those I considered to be my people. My aunt then asked me how I really felt about my son's death. It was at that moment I realized it felt like someone had both their hands in my chest and was squeezing my heart. I told my aunt then, due to how I'd lived my life, it was like poetic justice for me to go through.

But I was at that moment ashamed at the thought that I could have caused someone good like my mother to feel as badly as I then and now feel about my son. So now, rather than taking dudes life and kill my son, I'd rather help raise millions of little Dwayne Bollings. Become scholars, business leaders, doctors, politicians who truly care. Just foster greatness in the name of the son I fail to properly raise. Because I know in my heart that the tragedies in the hood will only continue to grow unless those of us with painful legacies there return to those communities and lead them with messages and examples of a better way.

If I'm ever blessed to be released from prison, I'll work on my vision of forming a foundation in the name of my deceased son, Terrell Dominique Goodnight. His goals would be to develop, encourage, promote and support our at risk youth to truly great heights through their natural productivity. I stand before the adults and youth of America today change from facing my past truthfully blessed with a real understanding and wisdom of all my mistakes. I don't have all the required expertise or resources. So I passionately call upon the adult community to prove their resources by joining me so that we can preserve this country's most prized resource and treasure.

Our young people, please join the cause of raising our nation properly. Thank you.

Inspiration, Motivation, Leadership, Community Impact, Gang Reform, Social Justice, Tedx Talks