The Water Boys...My Thoughts.

What I know...

There were two young men in Atlanta - both under twelve years old - unauthorized, un-permitted, illegal street salesmen - that changed our city FOREVER.

One got his start at the age of 8 selling Coca Colas door to door and on sidewalks on hot summer days. Illegally.

While the other over in Summerhill, at age 12 was shining shoes and selling cold Cokes to passers by on their way to and from work. Illegally.

These boys grew up to become the business icons and legendary community servants we know as - Truett Cathy and Herman Russell.

For those that will respond “Well they weren’t running out in front of cars, littering the street corners, accosting, robbing, and hurting people...”

You are absolutely correct...because they had their family’s love and their community’s support - to guide them, direct them, encourage them, ensure that they perused their young entrepreneurial ventures in a positive, productive and profitable manner - to show them the way.

We lose the soul of this city - if images of young black men with the entrepreneurial spirit and very few options - being pulled off street corners, detained and sent to juvenile detention centers becomes our new normal.

We owe it to these young men to show them a better way, a more productive way, a positive way.

Who knows what brilliant business mind is waking up this morning, icing down his bottles of water, getting ready to make a way for himself and his family, a brilliant mind, with all the capacity and talent to change our city for the better - if we only cared enough, to find a way - to help him find his.

We must find middle ground - and the same old regular programs will not work - taking a kid off the street making $150-$300 on a good day - to a workforce training program making $300 a month at a good job - just will not cut it.

I don’t really know what an Atlanta looks like without the contributions of Truett and Herman - in fact - I don’t even want to.

We owe it to these young men - to take the time to develop a plan - that reaches them - connects with them - and gives them what they never had...options.

That’s the true Atlanta Way.