Three Ways to Help Break Generational Cycles, Create Healthy Legacies

"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." — Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa.

Though the United States offers freedoms that run the gamut, the privileges and opportunities granted to every community are unequal. Many Americans have worked tirelessly and ultimately obtained the "American Dream." However, it is crucial to remember that intergenerational poverty cycles, trauma and limited opportunities still deeply impact many communities, making this feat increasingly tricky. 

With each generation often passing down the struggles of the last, this hardship can compound, paralyzing communities and imparting a feeling of hopelessness.

One prominent individual who faced this adversity head-on is the queen of daytime television, Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey was born to an unwed teenage mother and spent her youth living with her grandmother on her primitive farm in Mississippi. Once her mother secured work as a housemaid in Milwaukee, she was sent to live with her mother in her inner-city apartment, where she experienced physical abuse from male relatives. In her teens, after giving birth to a baby boy who died in infancy, Winfrey moved to Nashville, Tenn., to live with her father.

Though her father was strict and held her to a high standard, Winfrey began to find success. At age 17, Winfrey won a local beauty pageant and was offered an on-air job at WVOL, a station serving Nashville's African American community, and a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. She seized the opportunity, majored in speech communications and performing arts, signed on with a Nashville-based broadcast station and the rest is history. She became the first woman to own and produce her talk show and now has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion.

Winfrey's story is one of overcoming, dedication and mentorship, and it speaks to the larger struggles of many Americans.

According to Common Wealth Institute, "The SPM child poverty rate continued to rise from historic lows in 2021, with increases from 2022 to 2023 seen for Hispanic (19.5 percent to 22 percent), Black (17.8 percent to 20.3 percent) and Asian (9.9 percent to 14 percent) children."

As these numbers continue to rise, so does the need for impactful interventions. While there are several financial and economic routes to reducing child and intergenerational poverty, there is also power in advocating for everyday necessities such as mentorship, nutrition and health education and accessible resources and opportunities.

These three daunting yet approachable assistance methods are crucial to explore as we seek to eradicate child poverty, break down generational cycles and empower young people to craft healthy legacies. 

Mentorship

In Winfrey's case, her father's guidance and mentorship were catalysts. Whether it's a parent, family friend, teacher, after-school program advisor or otherwise, providing underprivileged youth with a mentor and role model can help them build a bridge of opportunities from poverty to success.

Urbana Youth Center (UYC), a nonprofit organization in Urbana, Ohio, whose mission is to provide comprehensive youth services to reach, restore and revive the local community, is an organization that helps build these partnerships. With the motto, "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors." UYC believes that with open hearts and open minds, Urbana can rally community resources to uplift students and set them on a path toward success. 

For disadvantaged youth in rural areas like Urbana, connecting them with mentors who can provide guidance and advice and teach valuable life skills means the potential to discover skills that might otherwise remain hidden.

Nutrition and health education

Above all else, every child must have access to healthy foods and nutritional education. Laying the foundation for a better future begins with acknowledging and addressing the links between nutrition and success. 

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, "We have decades of research, both in public health and economics, that show how poverty is associated with poor health throughout children's lives. For example, pregnant women living in poverty have less access to health care, healthy food and other key health influences. Research tells us that when their children are born, they become less nutritious.

After birth, kids who are living in poverty are more likely to endure less safe, less clean neighborhoods and lack access to high-quality health care and nutrition."

These deficits directly impact a child's ability to learn, grow and thrive, making it even more difficult to excel in school, secure good jobs and establish long-term stability. Whether through provided meals, health and nutrition programs—like Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign—or partnerships with local agriculture, retail and food banks, it's possible to provide all children with the nutrients they need to grow physically and mentally.

Accessible resources and opportunities

In addition to nutrition and health-oriented programs, young people must have ample access to education, tutoring, after-school programs and other resources needed for academic excellence. Children may fall behind without reliable access to these resources and critical study materials.

Though this may seem outdated, many communities struggle in this area. In Urbana, Ohio, 47 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, and 23 percent of students do not graduate from Urbana High School, the only high school in the area, ranked #8,518 in the National Rankings.

If empowering, effective, respectful, honest and open-minded programming and comprehensive youth services are unavailable locally, the pathways available to young people to build a better life and develop healthy, fulfilling legacies are greatly restricted. 

There are many ways to benefit children in this space, such as partnering with regional businesses or higher education institutions to offer financial assistance or professional development and establishing local resource centers that provide after-school tutoring, college preparation workshops and well-rounded programming options.

Providing these valuable opportunities and real-world experiences that local children may not have otherwise experienced ultimately helps ensure that members of the next generation are aptly prepared for their futures.

Breaking generational cycles, whether financial, mental, emotional, physical or otherwise, is intensive work that requires dedication and access to support; however, it is possible and will benefit community members for generations, making this social and moral work imperative. 

By providing mentorship, nutrition programs and educational and development opportunities, children can be equipped to thrive—not simply survive—in the future.