Leading the Change

December is the month for looking back on the past year. Good things happened, but also a lot of sad things. Take gun violence. In 2016, gun violence in the U.S. has killed over 6,000 people and injured thousands of others. 16-year-old Chris Suggs decided it was time to fight back.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• heart wrenching - very sad, twisting at your heart
• have/take a toll - have a serious, bad effect on someone
• your peers - people belonging to the same age group or social group as you do
• fed up - very tired of something or angry about something that has gone on for a long time
• affiliated with - closely connected to
• root cause - the very first cause or source of something
• instill - gradually cause someone to have an attitude or feeling,
• found - begin or create something that is meant to last for a long time

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What were Chris Suggs’ personal reasons for founding Kinston Teens?


2. What does Kinston Teens do?


3. What do the police think of Kinston Teens?
   Explain your answer.


4. Why should “young people need to lead the change”, as Chris puts it?