FCA Community: Teaching Boys to Break Free From the Hashtag and Take Action

The old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

Unfortunately, Carlton Honey did not have a village growing up. His father worked four jobs and his mother was quite ill, and he made some poor decisions.

A pastor and father to three now, Carlton spends his spare time building a village around boys who have behavioral issues. As a leader in Beyond Hashtags, an afterschool program designed to inspire, motivate and change the lives of young men, Carlton works to equip them with strong life skills through transparent leadership.

“Children often model misguided behaviors with acts of defiance, rebellion or anger on social media and it is preventing them from seeing their full potential in real life,” said Carlton, Jefferson North Assembly Plant launch team member at FCA US. “We must begin to move beyond the hashtags and the status updates we cling to and begin a movement of action by actually doing something. We have to show the children love and guide them to an actionable path forward.”

Together with Beyond Hashtags founder Michael Hale Jr., Carlton now touches the lives of more than 160 boys across three southeastern Michigan schools who struggle with behavior issues, low grades or low attendance. He visits each school once a week focusing on one of the four pillars of the program: belief, clarity, focus and emotions.

Beyond Hashtag participants work to develop a self-identity while learning how to think critically. With these skills they can make personal changes that translate into positive behaviors at school and at home. Carlton also solicits outside speakers, many of whom are from the area, and have come from similar backgrounds to inspire and make connections for jobs or internships.

To learn more about Beyond Hashtags, visit www.beyondhashtagsllc.com. 

About FCA Community Stories:

FCA Community explores the efforts of FCA US employees who see a need beyond the walls of their work sites and devote energy outside their daily job to be a source of comfort and a force for change.

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