When there’s a small commotion amongst Black teens Downtown, many people start to move away from the situation.
Flo Taylor, however, moves closer to the situation.
When the situation turns into something more dire, even more potentially dangerous, most people move even further away, maybe even taking cover.
Then there’s Flo Taylor. She’s not deterred. She’s not afraid. She moves even closer.
“We (adults) are afraid to even say a word (to the teenagers). I know people who are very afraid and they’re warning me about it,” Taylor said. “I just let them know what I see, and I’m very straightforward with them.”
Taylor is a 65-year-old Downtown resident. A resident who’s very concerned with the present and future of Black teens in the city, county and overall region.
What Taylor has noticed over the years with today’s young people is twofold—young people don’t know the limits concerning their perceived freedom, while older adults have not done their best to provide an efficient road map for their children. It’s a situation that has kept Taylor up at night, thinking how she can remedy the problem.
“I am so upset at what’s happening to our children, sometimes I can’t even sleep,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s desire to turn perceived negatives into assured positives in today’s African American youngsters began roughly 15 years ago—with the sound of gunfire. Taylor was living Downtown at the time, as she does currently.
“We looked outside, and three young men were running,” Taylor told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “The overall scene disturbed me, that was about as uncultured as it could get. It was our children (running), African American children.”
Soon thereafter, Taylor found herself at Shuman Juvenile Detention Center —volunteering.
“I was one of the very few volunteers, and it’s been a very enlightening experience,” she said. “I love working with teenagers. Those kids educated me. Those kids told me the very first time I went out there (to Shuman) that what has happened to our communities has crippled them. They told me, ‘Flo, y’all dropped the ball. For all the marching and all the singing and all the Kum Ba Yah, y’all dropped the ball. I live in a neighborhood where when I get out of here, I have to have a gun.’”
Thus, for years Taylor was a frequent contributor at Shuman. Her contributions included positive reinforcement, teaching youngsters the importance of respecting others, and being a trusted shoulder to cry on.
Then last September, she expanded her contributions to her own neighborhood— Downtown, due to another unfortunate occurrence— more gunfire. A 17-year-old was shot outside the Wood Street “T” station on Sept. 13.
Taylor began talking to teens who congregate Downtown, preaching the same sermon—respecting others, not letting situations escalate, and lending a helping hand.
“We have to take care of our kids,” she said. “We have a responsibility to them. If I see someone cutting up, I feel like I need to say something to them.”
Taylor said today’s youngsters “don’t understand the limits of freedom. You are not free to do whatever. You have to be civilized, you have to take into account that there are other people involved—you’ve got to be considerate, and that’s not only for the kids, that’s for everybody.”
Taylor was disappointed with the actions leading to the July 4, 2016 shooting Downtown that led to four wounded, and the numerous fights that broke out during the Three Rivers Regatta in August. “It has to do with respect, and that’s a word that’s almost obsolete,” she said.
Summer has arrived in the Steel City. School is no longer, and teens have more free time on their hands. Taylor is determined not to witness the negative events that happened last summer occur this summer. She’ll be Downtown, approaching teens who are showing signs of unruliness. She said parents of teens who hang Downtown need to “hang down there, too.”
Taylor is also looking to raise funds to hold a river cruise on the Gateway Clipper this summer for teens. “I’m going to do it one way or another,” she said.
Taylor is not alone in her desire to help teens Downtown. The “Wild Women” are a group of about 10 that assists Taylor in “patrolling” teen hot spots Downtown such as the Wood Street “T” station. The group lets teens speak their minds and offer solutions, in a manner that’s generally accepted by the teens Downtown. But then, Taylor said, “Sometimes they don’t want to be bothered with me, and try to diss me.”
No problem. Taylor said she’ll continue to stay out of her rocking chair and stay on the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh, assisting teens with their troubles, while never prejudging them.
“If I can just affect what happens in this city with the young people, I would be very happy,” Taylor said. “This is my life’s work.”
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