https://uncoverdc.com/2021/05/11/king-randall-black-communities-will-only-change-if-we-change-them-ourselves/
King Randall, the inspiring young man whose story we brought you in March, is on a mission to eradicate “all of the excuses our so-called black leaders have used to dupe our people into thinking that we can’t go do for ourselves in our communities.” After securing property for his Life Preparatory School for Boys in March, Randall recently announced the purchase of 40 acres of land on the Southside of Albany, GA, for the boys in his program. In discussing the acquisition, Randall reminisced about his grandad, who impressed upon him how important it is to “own some dirt.”
Declaring that “People just have to see possible,” Randall established ‘The X For Boys‘ when he was nineteen years old after seeing the negative impression left in the spirit of young boys who don’t have positive male role models in their lives. Randall says boys these days are regularly taught they won’t make it and are led to believe they should wallow in their defeat. Instead, Randall thinks it’s more important to teach them to watch the mistakes made by others, be aware of them, and then not follow in those footsteps. The Albany native believes troubled young men want to live better lives; they simply need to be given the opportunity.
The 40 acres of land will be used for multiple aspects of Randall’s Life Preparatory School for Boys, including expanding the community garden where they grow their own food. This summer, the boys will begin building two houses from the ground up. It will also most likely be a spot for the “basic warrior training” commencing at the end of their senior year. Of highest importance to Randall is “ensuring those students who choose not to go to college have other ways to win and have valuable life skills to thrive.” Before graduation, the young men will be appointed the task of enduring as a team on a “wilderness” survival mission using their warrior skills to navigate through challenging situations and on to the other side, opening the doorway into manhood.
With one of the highest crime and poverty rates in the nation, some in the Albany community aren’t accustomed to Randall’s disciplined practice of teaching his boys the importance of doing for themselves. He’s clear to add that he is not saying don’t accept help if it comes your way, but he is saying, “don’t wait!” He believes it is essential that the boys don’t rely on the government to take care of them. Randall purchased his school in Albany to combat being tied up in government-funded programs that aren’t teaching kids what they need to learn. He frustratingly points out that the majority of boys that have been in these schools don’t know how to read and write. He wants to dispel the notion and beat the stereotype that “I am a young black man in America and I can’t do anything because someone is holding me down.”