Juan Williams: On Point for Young People

Today we’re shining a light on Fox News analyst Juan Williams and On Point Executor Director Lesley Scearce for their commitment to raising healthy, productive young people.

Juan Williams

(CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.) - Most of us know a little something about Mr. Williams because we’ve either seen him on television or read about him in the papers. Mr. Williams has served as a Senior Correspondent for NPR, he’s authored multiple histories about the civil rights movement and he currently serves as a political analyst for Fox News. While Juan’s views on the war and a government shut-down may be center stage right now, it’s his views on raising healthy teens that have given us cause for pause.

In Mr. Williams’ new book “Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America--and What We Can Do About It,” we see Juan’s passion for strengthening young people. We see a man that has seen “enough” destruction. We see the heart of a man ready for America to say “no” to low expectations, “no” to failure, and “yes” to family and community.

We are grateful for Mr. Williams’ passion for young people and we are grateful to On Point for inviting him to give a key-note address on this specific topic! This key-note address will take place Thursday, April 28, at On Point’s 20th Anniversary Banquet in Chattanooga, Tenn.

If you are not that familiar with On Point, On Point is a non-profit youth development program dedicated to building healthy teens. When asked why they invited Mr. Williams to speak, Lesley Scearce, Executive Director of On Point, stated “Juan’s insight into what is necessary to grow healthy, thriving kids is a perfect fit for our mission. We are firm believers that kids need a strong, positive support network to help them navigate adolescence and move towards a successful future. Mr. Williams will help our community understand the devastating outcome of fractured communities and what we can practically do to change the odds for our kids.”

We are grateful to Ms. Scearce and On Point because they have been “changing the odds for our kids” for years. In its 20 years, On Point has revolutionized the conversation about impacting teens. On Point has been a leader in shifting the paradigm from looking solely at the avoidance of risky behaviors to looking at the total health of the young person. Ms. Scearce’s vision has been at the heart of this change and her implementation of “The 40 Building Blocks” for healthy youth has spurred On Point’s growth by leaps and bounds.

On Point is now impacting kids in 40 states and 13 foreign countries. Indeed, they have much to celebrate at this year’s 20th Anniversary Banquet! But … if your desire to join them in helping kids has been spurned, please let them know! On Point has a lot more room for support because this year the program learned that the Federal government cut funding for their program from $600,000 to $0 dollars. This type of budget cut would end most non-profits, but Ms. Scearce reports that, “because of the generosity of community leaders during this time and because of the hard work begun years ago to put On Point on a path towards self-sustainability, On Point continues to reach out to all the kids and schools we met with before the budget cuts.” Ms. Scearce states she is extremely grateful for all those saying “yes” to healthy teens.

A special thanks to Juan Williams and Lesley Scearce … for your courage and unwavering commitment to our kids and our communities. May we each find a way to join you in raising happy, healthy and productive young people!

Join the conversation & find extra info about today’s Good Stuff article on the BLOG at www.COCOMCCAIN.com.  Share “your story” with me & help me “shine a light” on the good things you see every day at COCO@COCOMCCAIN.com. I hope to hear from you soon — but between now and then may you LIVE…GIVE...and...GROW with all the good in life!   

CoCo McCain grew up in central Florida and attended the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. After graduating in 1995, she moved onto the Cumberland School of Law in 1998. In addition to her role as an attorney and writer, CoCo works with a translator so that her articles can also be enjoyed by a Spanish speaking audience.

CoCo presently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee with her husband and a roost of beautiful children. She says she is your ordinary girl-next-door … but on that one November day in 2009, CoCo was given an extraordinary dream: "A dream to shine a light on all the good things that happen every single day! Everyday acts of love, bravery and generosity. Everyday acts of determination, kindness and triumph in the face of tragedy. The simple things that make life so rich and rewarding! The zest and marrow of life."

She says from the very beginning, the vision for her column The Good Stuff has been crystal clear: shine a bright light on the good in life because sharing the good has the power to touch lives around the world.

You can write to CoCo McCain at this address: TheGoodStuffDesk@cocomccain.com