People are born into a world of unexpected possibilities. Young innocent babies are like small miniature suns that want to become novas one day. Little children go through elementary with all these possibilities to become a track star, a business owner, a novelist, etc. Some people let their solar energy grow and create their life like a solar system when they are young. But others have to go through life with problems.

It is amazing how at one time most people were young curious kids who always had questions -- willing to learn. Later some of those same people just collapse like four-legged tables that only have two legs.

One person who experienced a collapse but now is rising again is Andrew Hebert, an 18-year-old who spent three years in the juvenile jail. While in jail, one way he found his solar energy again was by writing poetry.

Before I met Andrew, I had already experienced working with young people caught up in the juvenile justice system. I myself had even been in jail five times before -- though each time was only briefly. Through this background and my participation in Students at the Center, I had the opportunity to lead a writing workshop with teens on parole. This form of helping someone else motivated me to continue doing well.

I encourage people looking to help youth to find ways to help incarcerated teenagers. In these jails you will find good minds, like Andrew Hebert, who want to explore their talents and their world. Most young people in jail are not all bad. They may have just done a couple of stupid things or had poor judgement. That does not mean we should just lock them away and never think about them or communicate with them.

In fact, often the youth that seem like role models are not doing as much as the ones who are in trouble of some kind. For example, I was at the Xavier Journalism workshop with 17 high school journalists this spring. I asked all 17 to submit articles to Our Voice, even articles that they had already written for their school newspaper. I never received the articles, but two of my fellow workshop members did come to one meeting.

Where is their solar energy? They must be keeping it for themselves. Are these district school students? The ones we always hear about as being poorly educated and unmotivated? No, I was the district school student -- the only one there. The workshop members from magnet and private schools would not contribute. They are the "motivated" magnet school students.

Andrew Hebert spent the last three years in a place that is nothing like a magnet school. The closest thing to magnet he experienced was probably all the metal detectors. Yet he has shown a great motivation to write and to share his writings and his story with other people. In the future, when I start new organizations or am looking for help, I'm going to jail instead of a magnet school.

Hebert went through three years of prison. They didn't. There's a lot of inequality still in our society. Some young people from certain neighborhoods or families smoke drugs in the privacy of their "ok" lives, while others have to turn their head and deal with security checking them when they go to school. I always thought that magnet school was this great place where a lot of motivated people go. Come to find out they can be just as lazy as those same kids who cannot get a high score on the test. I learned that from the Xavier Journalism workshops.

Picture if those same students, who obviously have it easier than the average black kid in New Orleans, would put their all into community action. Imagine the impact on the community. They could be helping people like Andrew Hebert. That's when I knew I had to go find people I can connect with, people like Andrew. I am now moving to connect with people who are out there drinking and smoking weed every day of their life -- just like I was. I need to connect with people who lived on the streets like I did, who stole cars and are running from police and watching their backs every day.

Every last one of these youth hanging on the streets are not looking for a change. But these youth who look like trouble now might make a difference one day -- just like I'm doing. Shouldn't we keep hope in them?

See people can have great amounts of solar energy (talents and gifts), but that does not mean it's rising strong. Thank god for brothers like Andrew Hebert. Keep shining brother, and help other people shine too.

It's important to see the mind of a young man who's been in prison for three years and to see the rebirth of who he always was. Andrew shows that any brother who is poor, struggling on the street, or in a school whose test scores are low can be just as great as any person who did not experience these things. These things may even make him stronger than you.

The Determination of a Young Man While away, locked up, trying to make a change within myself, because I can't hold the truth away from my    self, because my shadow speaks with auspicious signs that are favorable. Looking back on my childhood as an infant to a toddler and when things just got wild for me, I can't blame anyone for my own stupidity. But this is the determination of a young man, to change for the better, because I'm not happy with this life I live. I have to stay strong, because the weak can never advance, while holding on to faith, because it's a will that will never fail. And I can always rely on it and courage to stand up for what I feel is right within my heart. But I have to keep things real with my heavenly father, because he's my creator and the overseer of my life.                                  -- Andrew Hebert

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written in 1965, relates still to what is going on in the year 2000 and beyond. Many high school students today come from difficult backgrounds, ranging from abuse at home and drug use to low-wage jobs and neglect of public education.

We do have serious struggles in these times, but we also have serious examples of people rising from difficult backgrounds to become powerful leaders. One young man, Andrew Hebert, recently finished serving three years in the juvenile jail system. Now he has published his writings in a journal out of San Francisco and is working hard to earn his G. E. D. Andrew recently talked to a group of SAC students, showing that he wants to share his experience to help others become followers of the positive, not the negative.

If anyone wants to become a follower follow Malcolm X. Many young Americans are doing drugs, stealing, drug dealing, and just doing everything besides being a positive leader. Believe it or not Malcolm X can relate. Before he became a dynamic leader of the Black Revolution, he was a hoodlum, thief, dope peddler, and pimp.

The reason why a person should read The Autobiography of Malcolm X is because there is a lot of truth to the history of what he's done and been through. There are many stories of difficult backgrounds to relate to in this book. There are many stories of difficult backgrounds to relate to in this book. Some of those difficulties are the type you don't notice until you get wiser. For instance, Malcolm used to go to clubs dancing every night. He was so busy partying that he ignored a nice young lady who worked in a store near his house. He did not return her interest and instead gave an example of a party animal. Later in life, he learned that she herself turned to drugs to deal with her depression.

Malcolm's difficult background also took the familiar forms of racism and self-hatred. Once when he was the only black student in an all-white school, one of his teachers said he would just be a plumber. This teacher gave him this negative self-image, even though Malcolm was at the top of his elementary school class. Malcolm's self-hatred included things such as straightening his hair, ignoring his education by dropping out, and seeking status by dating white women.

But like Andrew Hebert, his story does not end with the difficult background. Malcolm X struggled to improve his reading and his knowledge of black history when he found himself serving a long prison sentence. Here he received guidance from members of the Nation of Islam, a religion to which he became a devoted minister and leader.

The book shows the strength of organizations run exclusively by black people. During those times, many black organizations were helped and even led by white politicians who gave money and direction. The Nation of Islam and Malcolm X show that true liberation comes from developing and leading your own organizations.

At that time, Black Muslims were taught that the white man is the devil. Nut history shows that the white man has done many things to be perceived as a devil, including slavery and economic exploitation of poor foreign countries. When Malcolm X went to Mecca, he saw that people of all races could and did work together. So even though the white race has done devilish things, they can also become partners if their minds and hearts are in the right place.

At this time in his life, as he begins to change his views about race and to promote global cooperation among poor people rather than corporations and governments, Malcolm X had his life cut short.

His autobiography can motivate youth in so many ways. Many young brothers and sisters in this world are having the same difficulties he had as a youth. Malcolm X's autobiography shows us that we can rise above God's earth like the solar energy in the dark universe. We can follow his example of dedication to education, history, and leadership. Anyone who reads this book will find lessons to help in that journey through the long, hard road of life.

When we follow his example, we can set examples for other people. Even after his death, people chose to continue his legacy. One such group is the Last Poets. This poetry performance group took inspiration from Malcolm X's revolutionary ideas. The Last Poets were born on May 19, 1968, in Marcus Garvey Park (aka Mt. Morris Park) at a celebration for Malcolm X's birthday. That was the same year the Black Panther Party came into effect. Who will inspire us to be or not to be?

For every positive thing a person does, others are affected by it. If it was not for Malcolm X, would The Last Poets or the Black Panther Party ever have existed? People after these two groups might continue, and it goes on and on. Andrew Hebert came from his struggle, and now he is positive. Chances are someone will be inspired by him. Let Malcolm X live in our hearts and minds forever-infinity.

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