e that inevitably determines whether we will live in a mansion or a shack. It is my role as a sociologist to give society the tools to help its inhabitants build mansions. By offering research, discourse and possible solutions to the social issues facing this society I am able to illuminate the multiple experiences of those people who have for too long been silenced by the hegemonic ideas of the dominant group. It should the role of all Black sociologist to offer a perspective that is inclusive of all people simply because we share the experience of at some time, not being heard. Not only is it my responsibility to enlighten society about social issues, it is also my duty to help change the world I live in for the better. Discussion yields no results if no one takes the words and puts action behind them. Regardless of whether or not we want to be, each of us is a participant in life. I once read an anonymous quote that stated that there are three types of people in the world. There are those people who things happen to, those who make things happen, and those who wonder what happened. If I have the desire to live in a better world then I must be about the business of creating that better world. Teenage pregnancy and teen sexuality have always been very important issues to me. Consequently, when I was seventeen I became peer educator with Family Health Councils Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program in Pittsburgh, PA. I facilitated groups and spoke with teens about abstinence, safer sex, and sexually transmitted diseases. As this program grew, we went to various schools and communities and discovered that sexuality was related to self-esteem, decision making and communication skills. With this knowledge, we expanded our program to include workshops on these issues. Soon we began training other teens on how to start programs of their own. Eventually, this program began reaching teens all over the state and teen pregnancy rates began to fall....
