Advice for young men in the hood

Khalid Elahi knows some of the myths swirling in Richmond's hard neighborhoods, mottos that get young people to adopt the lifestyle they see around them. But he wants these young men to think first about their future and a world beyond the block. "Young people, if you get a chance to leave the hood — not by ambulance or coroner’s car but by education or occupation — then leave. Leave to gain experience and success. If later you want to, then come back and help strengthen your hood." Elahi delivers his advice to young men in poetic prose, on Richmond Pulse.