Page 56 - The Voice_Fall 2017

Top Teens in the News

Indianapolis Chapter

I
Top Teen Kynton E. Grays Selected to Testify before the Environmental Protection Agency
Charleston, West Virginia!
As the Indianapolis Chair and Area V Chair of the NAACP Program, and local Chair for ACT-
SO, I am very proud of our Top Teen NAACP local Chair, Teen Kynton E. Grays. Teen
Kynton recently testified before Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) committee during the
hearings held in coal mining country, Charleston, West Virginia, on his opposition of the
proposal to appeal the Clean Power Plan, which was put in place by President Barack Obama in
2015.
Was it because Teen Kynton spearheaded one initiative and helped with another (collecting
over 300 hats, gloves and coats and over 100 books for local Indianapolis Public Schools)? Or
was it because of his attendance at the local NAACP meetings? Or was it because he was one
of the few youths to attend the State NAACP meeting? Or was it the fact that in 2016, he
received the President’s award at the local Freedom Fund Banquet that State President Barbara
Bolling-Williams reached out to our Indianapolis NAACP President Chrystal Ratcliffe about the
possibility of this young man representing the State of Indiana at the EPA hearings? In short, he
not only represented, he was invited to testify as well and was the youngest to address the
committee. Teen Kynton represented his state, his city, his parent organization, Top Ladies of
Distinction, Inc., his family and church family, Trinity C.M.E. Church.
Teen Kynton was recently selected to be a participant in the 2017-2018 Beautillion Militaire Program and currently serves as an
Ambassador for the Center for Leadership Development in Indianapolis. In addition to the wonderful things he is doing for the
community, Teen Kynton loves sports. He is a member of the Cardinal Ritter Track and the Indy Storm Winter Travel Track
Teams. You can learn all about Teen Kynton, his contributions and most importantly, view his presentation before the EPA via his
website at http://beaukynton.com/about-kynton.
Keep your eyes on this young man. He is truly making an impact now and intends to do so in the future. He dreams of becoming
a Pharmacist and loves studying the field of science. He mentioned his community, which he loves, is ranked in the top ten for
carbon emission. In his testimony, Teen Kynton states in his closing:
“Therefore, I humbly urge you to please reconsider the repeal of the Clean Power Plan. I humbly urge you to think about people
like my brother (who suffers from asthma), to think about your children and your children’s children who are all impacted in some
way by carbon emission into our atmosphere without restrictions. If you are to do anything, I asked that you put political
differences aside, work together and think about our future, think about our humanity and the well-being of it. I ask that instead of
repealing, think about further restrictions in an effort to reduce the number of illnesses, deaths and climate changes caused by air
pollution. In closing, you have the power to make it right! You have the power to save our future. I urge you please use your power
wisely- free from bias--- and I leave you with this quote from Washington State governor Jay Inslee, “We are the first generation to feel the
sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it.”
This is a young man, who recently turned 16, has learned at an early age what making an impact truly means. His proud parents are
Lady Kimberly Grays and Lord Roderick Grays.

56