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When programs are culturally relevant or you see someone that looks like you, so you know that they understand what you're going through versus telling you how to make your life better, that it's received better.
So specifically for the Lincoln Center, we want programing that not only helps with the basic needs, but also taps into some of those more specific needs as it relates to being an African-American

We're a family. We're family. We all we all like these guys here. How long you guys been here? About a year? A year and a half? Almost two?
See how fast that goes, man?
Pena's is a mainstay in our community and they've produced some world champions. They have.
But at the same time, I think what they offer the kids in our community is hope and stability.
My dad started it as a promise to my oldest brother in 19 and we've been going out for 54 years and it's for the kids.
He would always say it's for the kids. And now I understand what he means.

I think Pat, being in the Lincoln Center being here for the kids, being here longer than we've been here 0even is really a statement on what he means to our community and what he means to the kids that are here in our community.
You know, we have a lot of things going on in the black community as far as trouble. It provides a place for black children or younger
black youth to come and get away, give them something to look forward to instead of being in the streets.
I think what more importantly they're getting is the comfort of knowing that there's someone that cares about them.

That's one of the big things I like to see is that we're a big family. That's one of the main things that I like to see.
Everybody takes time to work with each other, make sure we're all we're all up to par for our fights.
Make sure everybody's in shape. Mainly because we're like a family. So it's a good connection. It's all love in here. All love here. 

I can tell you a lot about Cops and Kids. I love Cops and Kids. I'm so excited about the program.
I ride around with books in my car. So anytime I have the opportunity to interact with kids this past summer, anytime I'd see a lemonade stand or some kids playing basketball or something especially younger ones,
I'd go out with them and I just I'd offer them a book instead of the lemonade and just create that positive environment, a positive interaction with with the community, with the kids specifically.

We're accomplishing two goals. The first goal was positive interaction with law enforcement so that it's not always them coming to the house on a negative mission, but to have positive interaction and talk with them.
But then the second one was promoting literacy. I think that we have to put the conversation about literacy in with the same conversation we have where we say kids need stable housing.
Kids need food. Kids need to know how to read. It's an awesome concept, and I'm glad we're doing something like this.
I think it's definitely needed. Just being intentional.
In our community, specifically in the Quad Cities pre-pandemic, the numbers of black third graders reading at third grade reading proficiency was at 42%.
So over half of our kids weren't reading at third grade reading proficiency.
Post-pandemic, I just saw the numbers, this dropped all the way to 11%, are only reading at Third-Grade reading level.
And so bringing a program like cops and kids here, we accomplish not just the goal of positive interaction with police, but putting a focus on literacy.

There's a lot that we do, whether it's chasing the bad guys or investigating the heinous crimes.
But at the end of the day, when I get to interact with the kids at community events and see the smiles on their faces interacting with me positively, it's it's it's what I look for.