If you think that innercity teens are "someone else's problem", think again. While some label them as "gangbangers". "Street thugs" and " hip hoppers", marketers know better. Innercity teens are the coolest creatures on the planet, and they set the trends and values for teens everywhere. So, if we reach the innercity teen, they can change the world. But here are a few things to know about these creatures of cool.

They're cool The urban youth market is significant because it is driven by trendsetters who have a major impact on the consumer preferences of teens and young adults in the general market in the United States and world-wide.

There are 9 million "leaders" in the urban market (75% are from multi-cultural demo segments, and nearly 40% are non-Hispanic blacks).

They're broken Almost one in three Hispanic youth, more than half black youth live in single parent/guardian household

They're kids having kids One in five Afro-American teens and one in six Latino teens become pregnant each year

About 40 percent of American women become pregnant before the age of 20.Each year, approximately 19 percent of black women, 13 percent of Hispanic women, and eight percent of white women aged 15-19 become pregnant

They're having unprotected sex The Afro- American rate for HIV/AIDs is SIX times higher than for Caucasians

They're smoking Adolescents living in disadvantaged urban areas suffer from many of the stresses shown to increase tobacco use. In addition to experiencing the health problems associated with tobacco use, young smokers are at greater risk for trying alcohol and other drugs.

They're behind bars Only 50 percent of black male high school dropouts have jobs, and over 40 percent are in prison, on parole, or on probation.

More than 6 in 10 juveniles in residential placement were minority youth. In 1997, two-thirds of all juveniles in custody in public facilities were minorities as were just over half of all juveniles in private facilities.

They're multi-cultural Urban Ministry can not be defined by race, color or nationality. There are over 83 languages spoken in LA county alone.

They're NOT a minority! There are 40.5 million individuals between the ages of 12 and 24 who live in metro areas. The multi-cultural population will increase nearly 40% of the youth population in metro areas between 2000 and 2005.

They're victims of violence By the age of 21, 98% of all gang bangers are either dead, in prison or will be maimed for life by a wound from their gang-banging.

They're dropping out Over 70% of the residents of Chicago's Cabrini Green Housing Projects do not have a high school diploma The lack of education is the number one perpetuator of the cycle of poverty. A high school drop out is:

2x as likely to be unemployed

7x more likely to be on government assistance

6x more likely to be an unwed single parent

3.5x more likely to get arrested.

They're resilent to a lot of the above With the hope of Jesus Christ, the inner-city teen can turn these very problems into stepping stones to get closer to God. With Jesus Christ, there is nothing the inner-city teen cannot do!