Why Having "Opps" is Dangerous: Insights from a Youth Summit

“I’ve made many bad choices. I’m just fortunate enough to still be living.”

That is what Kevin Hunt tells a crowd of hundreds of young children who have come to hear him speak at a youth summit held at a community center in Little Rock. Hunt wants to reach young people who might be trapped in a cycle of violence and criminal activity.

He talks to the kids about why having “opps” is dangerous. The term “opps” is short for “opponents” or “opposition” and refers to rivals or enemies. It’s often used to describe individuals or groups that are seen as threats.

“What I am going to do is be respectfully raw with you all so that you truly understand,” Hunt tells the children.

As the founder and president of Lessons Learned, a youth violence prevention and intervention program, Hunt is dedicated to guiding young people away from the pitfalls that once ensnared him. He knows firsthand the struggles that many of these kids face because he lived through them. His journey has taken him from the streets of Little Rock to becoming a mentor and community leader.

Hunt’s formative years were marked by significant challenges. He describes his elementary school experience as tumultuous, often being removed from class and struggling with basic skills like reading and writing. His difficulties in school were compounded by a lack of support and a challenging home environment.

Growing up in a loving but troubled family in Little Rock, Hunt was exposed to drugs, crime, and poverty from a young age. Despite having a supportive family, the lure of quick money and the influence of his peers led him down a dangerous path. By the age of 11, Hunt was already involved in criminal activities.

“It was easy for all of us as friends to get involved with the things we were doing,” Hunt recalled. “When you’re poor, both monetarily and mentally, you make poor decisions. We didn’t see a way out, even though there was one.”

For Hunt, and many others like him, the environment he grew up in made it difficult to envision a different future. The cycle of drug use, dropping out of school, and incarceration was all too common, and it wasn’t long before Hunt found himself on that same trajectory.

He left school in the eighth grade to join a gang. He couldn’t read or write and his family grappled with substance abuse issues. At age 17, Hunt was incarcerated for a firearms-related offense. “I got shot a few times. I shot a few times. I ran from the police multiple times. I can’t tell you how many times I threw guns out of windows to hide them.”

Hunt asked the kids if they were familiar with the 1994 HBO documentary Bangin’ in the Rock, which focused on the significant presence of gangs in Little Rock. “I wasn’t on there, but my people were on there. That was my time.”

Today, young people face a new set of challenges, like social media. Hunt explains that these platforms are used to ignite dangerous conflicts that can sometimes escalate into deadly encounters. Members of violent groups broadcast their activities, taunt rivals, and display weapons. Hunt warns the kids about the risks of even responding to a social media post with a simple “like.”

Related Story:

Hunt also highlights the risks associated with drill music, a subgenre of hip hop that glorifies violent culture. Drill music is characterized by its dark, gritty, and often aggressive lyrics that reflect the harsh realities of urban life, including violence and crime.

A mother whose son was a victim of gun violence spoke to the children at the summit about her son’s killer. “He couldn’t separate fantasy from reality. This music can sometimes turn an otherwise good guy into a bad guy. Kids are forced to do things they don’t want to do.”

Hunt has been working with students from elementary to high school, helping them navigate the complexities of adolescence and avoid the traps that he fell into as a young person.

He also visits juvenile detention centers to share his story. He’s held a position in the governor’s office as a minority affairs liaison and currently serves on the board of the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

He has a strong desire to help younger children succeed academically, particularly in elementary school. He believes that catching children early and helping them build confidence and critical skills could make a significant difference in their later years.

Through Lessons Learned, he continues to provide youth with the guidance and support that he wished he had received. He offers a powerful message to those he mentors: it’s never too late to change and, with the right support, they can break the cycle and create a better future for themselves.

Related Stories: