From G's To Gallantry

Last Sunday, I was engaged in my usual, sometimes typical, lazy-day sporting event: channel surfing. During this period of relaxation, I came across a program I had been viewing since its premiere.
The program is called From G's to Gents. From G’s to Gents is a MTV reality series conceived by Jamie Foxx that pitches the idea that 14 gangsters would be willing to change their lives and become gentlemen. Hosted by Fonzworth Bentley, the self-styled gentlemen’s gentlemen of hip-hop, From G’s to Gents is in my opinion, an exemplary lesson on meeting the psychosocial needs of urban manhood.
As fate would have it, I watched the final program where the winner was chosen to become a bona fide member of Bentley’s "Gentlemen’s" club. I was beyond amazed to see transformation from such men who called themselves The Truth, Pretty Ricky, D-boy, and J Boogie.
The winner, of the right to join the "Gentlemen’s Club," was Creepa, a roughneck, who came from an unpleasant place called Miami Gardens, Fla. This young “boy from the hood,” dressed in a $1,000 suit, gave a heartfelt speech which testified of his conversion.
Creepa had been completely indoctrinated in the Fonzworth Bentley school of etiquette. Creepa was so committed to secure the title of "Gentleman," he surrendered his braids for a clean-cut look, and threw away his "gold grill,"( gold teeth ), just to show how serious he was about this achievement.

When Fonzworth announced that he was the winner (a guy named Shotta was the other finalist), Thaddeus aka Creepa broke down and cried on the shoulders of his mentor.

I must confess, I cried too.

I cried, because Fonzworth Bentley is a hero. That’s right, a hero. When the male role models of some inner city youth are: gangster’s, ballers, rappers etc, here is a man doing it the right way,making class, manners and proper parlance attractive to young men who are stereotypically not associated with such things.

I cried, because I saw the emptiness of the “gangster lifestyle” in the willingness of a small group of roughnecks willing to leave a life that brings no positive returns.

I cried, because G’s To Gents showed me that anyone can be successful if given the proper mentorship and guidance. And more than anything, inspite of the ongoing diatribe on the state of urban youth in America, mentorship is the key, in my thinking, that can stem the tide of nihilism in the ‘hood.

Finally, I cried, because From G’s To Gents should have been on BET.

In The House,
KJ