NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — It is rare we are able to know what's really on the mind of a teenager, but a group of young men are working to change that. In this News 3 Follow Through report, we meet a 17-year-old boy who is part of a generational shift.
"People are scared to tell somebody, or talk to somebody, about how they feel," shared TJ Turner. "So, that's really like a big step."
With every step he takes, TJ Turner is breaking a cycle.
"You don't really talk about the way you feel," he said. "You just, like, brush it off and just keep going on about your day."
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The Heritage High Senior is part of a group called My Brother's Keeper. It's a club made up of young men who are learning how to better deal with their emotions.
"It's really like a comfortable space here," he said. "It's a safe space, actually."
Turner says adult mentors give the boys "cheat codes" on life.
"They tell you everything they've been through, how to avoid those situations and how to like, if you do get in a situation, you can get through a situation in a positive and harmless way," Turner explained.
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One of those mentors is Deuene Hickman.
"A lot of times, we have this stereotype that if we're sharing and expressing too much, that we're not being manly," Hickman noted. "However, I think that's the most manly thing that you can do is to share."
Hickman is president of the nonprofit group Quality of Life, Inc. Part of his mission is simply meeting these boys where they are.
"Sometimes I'm planting a seed, sometimes I'm just watering the plant through the veggie stage," Hickman said. "I hope that somebody after me takes it along and they get to see the flowering, the fruits of the labor."
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Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show 4 in 10 high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in a 2023 study. Two in 10 say they seriously considered trying to take their own lives.
In Newport News, Hickman's efforts are paying off.
"We have amazing young men that have come through the program and are now just just better than ever, just being sponges, and are now becoming the leaders of the same kind of initiatives that we're sharing," Hickman said.
"(We're learning) brotherhood, having respect for each other," Turner added. "There's nothing wrong with loving each other as a young male."
Turner said what he's learning in this group has changed him forever. He also knows he's not done.
"I feel like there's a lot more down that road," Turner said. "It's a really big journey, and I hope I make the journey worth it."
The Center for Young Women and Men's Health offers free, anonymous mental health resources. Remember, if you are experiencing a crisis and need immediate help, call or text 988.
