Official Founder’s Proclamation — April 18, 2026

OFFICIAL FOUNDER’S PROCLAMATION

Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College, Inc.

Founded in Charlotte. Built for the Nation.

Let it be known that April 18, 2026 is hereby declared “Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College Day” in the City of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Whereas, the inaugural Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College Skills and Trade Career Expo was held on February 29, 2020, at Camp North End in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was attended by more than 350 people — planting the seed of a movement that dared to say out loud what so many families had been quietly feeling: that there is more than one road to a successful life;

Whereas, Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College, Inc. was founded to dismantle the false hierarchy that places a four-year college above all other pathways — and to declare boldly that skilled trades, certifications, apprenticeships, community colleges, vocational programs, and nontraditional careers are not alternatives to success, but equal and direct roads to purpose, financial security, and a life well-lived;

Whereas, this organization was also founded because while it has never been difficult to find a university to attend — with college fairs, school counselors, billboards, mailers, and recruiters reaching families at every turn — it was nearly impossible for a family to find information about skilled trades, apprenticeships, certifications, and nontraditional career pathways; and that the invisibility of these options was not a reflection of their value, but a failure of the systems and institutions responsible for preparing young people for all of life’s possibilities;

Whereas, this initiative was born from a mother’s love — from witnessing her own daughter experience the weight of limited options, and choosing to turn that pain into purpose for an entire generation;

Whereas, there is no hierarchy of pathways — a four-year university, a community college, a trade apprenticeship, a certification program, and a vocational education all stand side by side as equally valid, equally powerful, and equally worthy roads; each one capable of leading a person to purpose, to financial security, and to a life of dignity — and every option is an amazing option;

Whereas, a family can achieve thrivable wages, financial stability, and generational wealth without a four-year degree and without the burden of crippling debt — and that the skilled trades and nontraditional pathways are not lesser roads but proven routes to economic freedom, homeownership, and the ability to provide for generations to come;

Whereas, a student’s GPA does not determine their worth, their potential, or their access — that a 4.0 student and a 2.0 student both deserve to know that every pathway is open to them, that no number on a transcript closes a door, and that the measure of a person’s future is never found in a grade point average;

Whereas, no person should have to be arrested, incarcerated, or supervised by a probation or parole officer before they are introduced to the skilled trades, career certifications, and workforce opportunities that were always rightfully theirs — that it is a profound failure of our schools, our systems, and our communities when a young person first learns of these pathways inside a jail cell or through a court-ordered program; and that the mission of this organization is to ensure that every young person receives this information freely, early, and without condition — before the system ever gets involved;

Whereas, access to skilled trades and career opportunities should never require a college degree, a spotless record, or the absence of a difficult past — that every person, regardless of background, deserves access to the skills, tools, and opportunities that lead to economic independence; and that the trades open doors that other systems have closed, offering a path forward to anyone willing to walk it;

Whereas, every person in this community deserves full and equal access to workforce development opportunities — and that too many agencies, organizations, and institutions are in possession of workforce development funds, programs, and resources that could transform lives in this community, yet those resources remain hidden, inaccessible, and unknown to the very people they were designed to serve; and that Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College, Inc. commits to going into every room, sitting at every table, and bringing that information back into the community — because access should never depend on who you know, where you live, or whether anyone thought to tell you;

Whereas, the organization stands on four unwavering pillars: workforce development, crime prevention, economic mobility, and addressing the harmful pressure placed on young people to pursue only one path — pillars that speak directly to the school-to-prison pipeline and the belief that connection to opportunity is one of the most powerful tools of crime prevention that exists;

Whereas, the 6th Annual Skills and Trade Career Expo — held this day at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center — stands as a testament to six years of relentless work, community trust, and national recognition, including the United Negro College Fund traveling from California for two consecutive years to partner with this one-of-a-kind program;

Whereas, every young person, every returning citizen, every adult in career transition, and every family who walks through these doors today deserves to know that all roads — walked with intention and purpose — lead to a destination worth reaching;

Now, therefore, I, Layla F. Bluefort, MSW, Founder and Executive Director of Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College, Inc., by the authority vested in me as the founder of this movement, do hereby officially proclaim April 18, 2026 to be “Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College Day” — and call upon all who are present — educators, elected officials, community leaders, employers, and families — to commit to placing opportunity in the hands of every young person before the system does it for them; to open the doors of every agency, every program, and every resource that was funded in the name of this community; and to honor this day by choosing to see every pathway as worthy, every young person as capable, and every dream — no matter what road it travels — as worth pursuing.

Layla F. Bluefort, MSW

Founder & Executive Director

Momma I Don’t Want to Go to College, Inc.

Charlotte, North Carolina | April 18, 2026