An Open Letter to Our Young Princes & Princesses

Dear Black Youth,

I hope this letter finds you in good health, high spirits, and in a place where you feel loved and valued. Even if you don’t feel that right now, I want you to know that you are deeply important, uniquely gifted, and infinitely worthy. You may not hear that enough. You may not see it reflected around you. But let me be clear — your life matters, your potential is boundless, and your voice deserves to be heard.

I’m writing you not just as a mentor, a big brother, or a caring elder, but as someone who has walked paths littered with traps, temptations, and trials that sought to derail my destiny. I see what you face daily — the images on TV screens, the messages in the music you listen to, the people in your neighborhood chasing fast money, glorifying street life, or idolizing those who perpetuate self-destructive narratives. And it pains me, because while you were born into a system designed to limit you, your mind and spirit are too powerful to be caged.

Entertainment Is Not Education

One of the first truths I need you to grasp is this: entertainment is not education. The images you see in movies, music videos, and on social media — of wealth without work, violence without consequence, and fame without purpose — are illusions. They are designed to sell products, distract minds, and distort values. Rap music, while an art form that has birthed poets, prophets, and revolutionaries, has also been manipulated to promote materialism, misogyny, and mindless rebellion.

Understand this: the streets don’t love you. The fast life doesn’t retire you. And very few escape unscathed. I’ve seen too many talented young Kings and Queens trade their future for a fleeting moment of status or a quick dollar. The price is always higher than what you’re paid — whether it’s your freedom, your integrity, or your life. Your journey is one where you must come to Know Thyself.

You Are More Than An Athlete, More Than an Entertainer

Pursuing dreams of becoming a professional athlete or entertainer is not wrong. In fact, excellence in any craft is to be admired. But it cannot be your only vision. Less than 1% of aspiring athletes make it to the professional level. If you love the game, play it. If you love music, make it. But understand that your mind is your greatest asset. You are capable of being a doctor, an engineer, a business owner, a scientist, a teacher, an inventor, a counselor, a creator of solutions for the world’s greatest problems.

Our ancestors built pyramids before there were cranes. They charted stars without telescopes. They healed without hospitals. Greatness is in your DNA. Don’t limit yourself to the few professions society tells you are acceptable for young Black people. Be bold enough to imagine yourself in boardrooms, courtrooms, laboratories, classrooms, and studios where you own the masters, not just perform for them.

The Risks Are Not Worth It

I know why the streets call out. Poverty is oppressive. Watching your mother struggle to pay bills is heartbreaking. Wearing the same clothes while others floss the latest brands stings. But listen to me — there is no future in crime. None. The system you live in was built to feed on your mistakes. Prisons were privatized not to rehabilitate, but to profit from Black and brown bodies. Every time you pick up a pack to sell, a gun to carry, or a scheme to run, you’re playing Russian roulette with your life.

Your freedom is priceless. Your future family needs you. The people who depend on you, whether you know it or not, need you alive and present. You might think no one cares now, but one day you’ll see how many lives you could have impacted. Stay free. Stay smart. Stay alive.

The World Owes You Nothing — and That’s Okay

Life is not fair. You were born into an unforgiving world that too often judges you before you speak, criminalizes you before you act, and devalues you before it knows you. The injustices you face are real. But don’t let them break you. Let them build you. You are not a victim — you are a survivor, a warrior, and an architect of your own destiny.

The sooner you understand that the world owes you nothing, the sooner you’ll stop waiting for a handout or an apology and start taking control of your path. It’s not your fault where you start, but it’s your responsibility where you finish. The cards may be stacked against you, but the game isn’t over. Play your hand wisely.

The Seven Jewels of Onassis Krown

In my book Wear Your Krown, I talk about seven jewels — seven essential principles that can help you build yourself into the King or Queen you were born to be. Let me share them with you, because they aren’t just words. They’re a blueprint for rising above circumstances and claiming your rightful place in this world.

1. Financial Wellness Learn how money works. Not just how to spend it, but how to save it, invest it, and multiply it. Financial literacy is your shield against exploitation. Don’t let the lack of money force you into bad decisions. Build wealth legally and smartly. Study credit, ownership, and passive income. Own your future.

2. Asset Ownership Own something. Property, a business, your brand, your ideas. When you own, you control. When you rent, borrow, or beg, you’re at someone else’s mercy. Even if it’s a small hustle now, build it. Your future depends on it.

3. Spiritual Growth Know yourself beyond your flesh. There is a spirit within you connected to something greater. Whether you call it God, the Universe, or Ancestors, stay grounded. In the darkest times, faith will be your anchor. Meditation, prayer, reflection — these aren’t just old people’s habits. They’re survival tools.

4. Holistic Living Take care of your body, mind, and soul. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Exercise. Rest. Feed your mind with wisdom. Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Your health is your wealth.

5. Family Work-Life Balance Value your relationships. Friends come and go, but family — whether by blood or bond — is your tribe. Learn to balance work and love. Don’t chase money so hard you lose the people who matter.

6. Strategic Education Learn beyond the classroom. Study what the schools won’t teach you — about Black history, financial systems, mental health, technology, and world affairs. Education is a lifelong mission. And in a world that counts you out, knowledge is your secret weapon.

7. Paying It Forward Once you rise, reach back. Success means nothing if you don’t lift others. Mentor, teach, donate, speak. Your community’s survival depends on each generation pulling the next one up.

You Are Royalty

Never forget, you descend from Kings and Queens. Not in a fairytale sense, but in a historical, tangible reality. The blood of warriors, inventors, scholars, and leaders flows in you. They built nations, led revolts, healed villages, and created art that still inspires. That power didn’t disappear — it lives in you.

Wear your crown. Not a physical one, but the invisible crown of dignity, wisdom, and purpose. Walk tall. Speak truth. Demand respect without disrespecting yourself. You don’t have to conform to anyone’s stereotype of what a young Black man or woman should be. Redefine it.

Final Words: A Letter To All Youth

As you read this, know that every struggle you endure now can either be a chain or a chisel. It can bind you or shape you. Choose to let it shape you into someone wiser, stronger, and braver.

Life is hard. It will test you. People will doubt you. Doors will close. But never, ever let anyone or anything convince you that you are less than magnificent. You may be born into a battle, but you were built for victory.

And when you feel lost, remember the seven jewels. They will guide you back to your path. THIS is our return to royalty renaissance. You are Kings & Queens. Build your kingdom. Protect your crown. And when you rise, shine so bright that those still in darkness can see their way out. 

With all my love, belief, and respect,

Lateef Warnick
Founder, Onassis Krown
Author of Wear Your Krown

Lateef Warnick is the founder of Onassis Krown. He currently serves as a Senior Healthcare Consultant in the Jacksonville FL area and is a Certified Life Coach, Marriage Counselor, Keynote Speaker and Author of "Know Thyself," "The Golden Egg" and "Wear Your Krown." He is also a former Naval Officer, Licensed Financial Advisor, Insurance Agent, Realtor, Serial Entrepreneur and musical artist A.L.I.A.S.