Allow Us to Reintroduce Ourselves
Who are we?
A little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, and a lot of ownership. At Only Thoughts of Ownership, we intentionally and radically focus on dismantling systemic issues in historically disenfranchised communities, starting with our own. The word ownership is defined as the act, state, or right of possessing something. So while we are an organization that purposefully focuses on education reform and social justice, our bottom line is ownership. Our CEO, Oliver Petty, states that dependency, lack of self-awareness, and low strategic planning stems from a lack of ownership. Collectively at OTO, we know that ownership is only the beginning. Ownership includes the acceptance of responsibility and is the true catalyst of change and autonomy. Nothing will stop you if you are intentional and take ownership of your part in your education, your career, and your dreams. Or stop us. Here we know that ownership requires accountability - and we are holding everyone to it - from state legislators to your school district to you and your community. We own our dream, and it will always be for you to find and own yours.
How we do Education Reform.
OG’s like Montell Jordan said it best “This is how we do it,” particularly on the Westside; we approach education from the lens of foundational human connection and inspiration. The concepts of ownership, self-awareness, imagination and the success iceberg are immersed in our It’s Okay to Dream (OK2D) tour and our Best Version of You mentorship programs (BVO-YOU). Through hosting student-wide assemblies and mentor programs, Oliver’s delivery, story, and the OTO team meet students where they are. By meeting students where they are, Oliver is able to provide an authentic example of achieving a dream under the greatest of adversity. While we inspire students to begin to accept the need for self-awareness, accountability, and self-regulation skills, we are also the advocates and intercessors between the youth and educational institutions. While working with the student body, we simultaneously work with administration and leadership teams. We address their motivational needs by training them on fundamental concepts like relationships are foundational to learning, how to meet students where they are specifically, unconscious biases, community, and societal issues. We get to do this work authentically whether we show up in a bandana and J’s with a DJ or business casual while code-switching to match the statistical data to support necessary goals. We intentionally own who we were and who we are to provide future generations what we, as a people, have collectively always needed - which is someone to fill in the gaps in educational inequities so that dreamers do not feel like their dreams are out of reach.
So is it Social Justice or Just us?
While on the social justice front, it can feel, for lack of other words, lonely. This loneliness is interesting because social justice has become a trend on some level, but as a team, this has been a collective initiative since 2013. Social justice is “justice in terms of distributing wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.” We focus on ownership within social justice as both a purpose and a principle. As we work in education, we see the desire for change. We also know the weight of responsibility that change requires. Here is where we find our greater purpose in bridging and expanding. How do we make sure that those that feel the spark of purpose do more than show up, but take charge, own their portion of the fight for your community, and your schools by demanding the changes that we all know are long overdue? We hear a lot about what is broken from those that are couch coachin’, but are you really about this life, or are you just over there foldin’ (bars). Look around; what in your life do you need to take ownership of? Is it a dream? Because that is what we specialize in - but understand it does not have to look like what we do. Owning YOUR dream and keeping your word to it is only the beginning. So figure it out and choose-up. The streets need you.
Signed An Owner
“If you look at the people in your circle and you don’t get inspired, you don’t have a circle; you have a cage.” - Nipsey Hussle.