Five year, $20M project counters negative media role models

A Los Angeles-based financial literacy group launched a five-year, $20 million national effort to keep teenagers in school by combining lessons in personal finance and life skills. KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez has the story.

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez: Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and music producer Quincy Jones attended the launch of the Five Million Kids initiative at Bret Harte Middle School in South L.A. Jones’ son, also named Quincy Jones and also a high-profile music producer, showed up, too. He talked to eighth graders in the school’s Introduction to Media Arts class about the way his youthful break dancing led to work with rap artists such as Tupac Shakur.

Quincy Jones III: Once I started producing and started getting checks, I had to learn how to do my own accounting. Through hip-hop I learned all these different things. And I know some parents may not think that would happen but that’s how it was for me. I learned a lot of business through what I love, which was hip-hop.

Guzman-Lopez: Jones didn’t discuss whether his famous name opened any doors to success. Still, 13-year-old Shiara Latchman said she’s added Jones to her list of role models.

Shiara Latchman: I just like the fact that he just doesn’t do it for the money and that he knows that he wanted to chase his dream and that he went for it no matter what anyone said about him.

Guzan-Lopez: Volunteers for the Five Million Kids project hope to reach students at community centers in 10 large cities. Organizers say many teens from working-class and poor families don’t know anyone in the professions. Supporters hope the program will pull the curtain back and demonstrate how hard work in school can open doors to careers and financial stability.