C.J. Walker (left) on the set of WTVR-CBS 6's "Virginia This Morning" with Faith Henderson of Henderson Home Crafts and show co-host Jessica Noll (Photo courtesy C.J. Walker)
On the last day of school in June 2017, an 18-year-old girl was shot to death at a North Side apartment complex — the sixth teenage homicide victim in Richmond in a little more than two months. Watching the news the next morning and hearing about the victim, C.J. Walker knew she had to do something to help make a change.
“These teens need something to do,” Walker says. “I said, ‘You know what? I am going to create a page with all kinds of programs and activities so that all teens can find somewhere to go.’ ”
Within two hours of creating a page on Facebook for teens to get involved with positive programs, she launched the Metro RVA Teens website. Metro RVA Teens focuses on youths ages 12 to 19 in the Richmond region. A second Facebook page is dedicated to teens in the Tri-Cities.
“We started off with about 55 followers by the end of the first week and [now have] about 1,000 followers on both pages,” Walker says. A 2003 Virginia Commonwealth University graduate with a degree in business administration, she also runs Walker Business Services.
With majority of the program operating online, Metro RVA Teens serves as a teen resource hub for information on scholarships, job preparedness, college prep and extracurricular activities.
“Our motto is ‘All Things Teen,’ so when we have people come to the website, we want to be able to provide information on everything that’s teen related,” Walker says.
On Saturday, March 10, Metro RVA Teens is partnering with the Acton School of Business to present the first Richmond Children’s Business Fair, at the Science Museum of Virginia from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Youths ages 6 to 17 will have the opportunity to create a product or service and sell it in a one-day marketplace. Forty youth vendors will sell food, clothing, pet products and more; participants include "Chopped Junior" champion Emmy Anne Sumpter and Elijah Tucker of the YouTube channel "Society of Random." Walker says. “It has been really exciting to see all of the entries coming in.”
She hopes that by attending the business fair, youths and teens can get firsthand experience in entrepreneurship, opening the door for a career option.
“I want them to know that they can do anything and that they are able to do just as much as an adult,” Walker says.
Registration was full as of March 2, but young entrepreneurs still hoping for a spot can sign up for the waiting list. There is no charge to attend, but those wanting to tour the museum have to pay admission.
