LONG BEACH, CA — On a beautiful sunny day in the city by the sea, one young man is determined to make a positive change in his community while emphasizing the importance of fatherhood in communities of color.
Born Reganold Norwood, Young Sagg is known throughout the music world as an artist, producer and connected with Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle Records brand. The ‘Father’s Day Walk’ he organized took placed on Saturday June 19 at Cherry Beach Park in his hometown of Long Beach, California. The goal he set out several years ago continues to fuel him today, that is unity in the community and bringing fathers closer together with their children.
“I really wanted to bring unity to Long Beach with all fathers from all races,” Young Sagg said. “It’s so much miscommunication and we have to start with communication, so I felt lets get together and start communication so we can weed out some of the necessary things in the streets.”
As committed as he is to music, he is just as committed to the community if not more, but not more than being a father to his children, especially his 10 year old son Anthony whom his raises by himself. Anthony attended the Father’s Day Walk and Sagg is not speaking with his voices but showing with his efforts that the key to the city is through effective communication, love and fatherhood.
“I want us to communicate, bond and build (with each other), our children are our future and they are images of us,” he said. “We have to be better In order to do better for them.
“We’re building and we’re going to get there one way or another, we just keep trusting and pushing and communicating with each other.“
Many fathers were in attendance with their children playing at the beach, grilling on the BBQ pit and enjoying the day. One father in particular had an incredible story of tragedy, triumph and ultimate selfless sacrifice in order to raise his children effectively.
Victor Rivera a real estate manager in Huntington Beach who made a sound decision to chose his family over himself and environment of Long Beach where he was raised.
“I was in a bad place I was a rolling stone bouncing from place to place, and I got shot in Long Beach across the street from the Pacific Coast Campus (Long Beach City College),” he said. “Soon after I started school and eventually moved up to the High Desert to be closer to my daughter. I met a teacher who was teaching a property management course who happened to own his own property management company and blessed me with my first property management gig.“
That opportunity changed Rivera’s life for the positive so much that he was able to get custody of his daughter which not easy to obtain in the state of California. Rivera also said that the environment he was raising his kids had to change immediately if he were to have a better chance in life to have success for him and his children.
“A third grader robbed a fourth grader at gun point and that point and time I have to give her a chance. So we moved around a lot and settled into Huntington Beach. Life doesn’t always start off like a story book, but now my daughter has the freedom to walk to middle school and back home. She gets to ride her skateboard under the pier and we want better for our kids than we do ourselves. My job is to get them ready for tomorrow.”
Another member of the community that has done great work and continues those efforts is Duke Givens, a former photographer for Snoop Dogg in the early days of his career. All while he created a calendar and later a documentary on the effects of gang violence in his city. Givens focuses on giving hope and opportunity to those who need it around the city of Long Beach.
“My father was active my and my entire community’s life and that helped me have an umbrella of protection during one of the tumultuous times of 80’s and ’90’s, when we experienced genocide where we basically murdered one another. Because I had that love and support, he taught me to love our brothers and sisters in the community of all races. From that it translated into me to exemplify that type of work in our community.”
Givens also shared how he had many help him clean trash alongside the 710 freeway adjacent to the Los Angeles River from Anaheim Street to near Willow Street. He’s also given free haircuts to the homeless, paid rent for those in the community who needed it.
“Events like these are footsteps to show that this is the direction that walk, then we run before we fly,” Givens said regarding the Father’s Day Walk event.
Young Sagg also made sure not only were they kids fed but had a good time and brought out a mobile video game truck that displayed six televisions and several video game systems that include X Box Series X, PS5 and the latest games.
Family owned and operated by Kristen Parker who ironically started the company just before the pandemic began in 2020.
“What he (Young Sagg) is doing is a great thing bringing the people out, bringing the fathers out who aren’t always represented well in general (by society) Black fathers specifically. It’s about bringing everyone out, bringing the kids out for a good time.”
Parker has a unique employment hiring process with potential employees that she feels will impact and uplift the youth in her community of Long Beach. She had an epiphany one day that she desired to do more for her community and the youth that are in it.
“I come from 15 years of Human Resources management and I just went a totally different direction. I wanted to make a difference with our youth and giving them an opportunity. And it’s great… I get to go to work and play video games for a living.“
Young Sagg is focused on doing more events around the city for the community and is scheduled to have a family event in August to celebrate and highlight families coming together for a better future. The father of 15 children is destine to be a better man, better father and server of the community, something that truly needs to be embraced, celebrated, and supported.
The longtime Lakers fan truly has the Mamba mentality and in the words of the late great Kobe Bryant, “job’s not done… job’s not finished.”
