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In the summer of 2024, 15-year-old Corderrion Valentine wanted to give his friends a better way to spend their break. Instead of hanging around the neighborhood, he encouraged four of them to apply for jobs at the Burger King where his mother, Shakayla Dixon, was the general manager. She hired the teens so they could earn money, gain work experience, and stay out of trouble.

Proud of what they had accomplished, Dixon took a photo of the five teenagers in their Burger King uniforms and shared it on social media with a message about giving young people opportunities. The post quickly went viral after it was shared by celebrities and major news outlets, earning widespread praise.

Days later, however, Dixon, her son, and the other teenagers were all fired. Dixon said the company told her the decision was related to nepotism because she had hired her own son, as well as concerns about employment policies involving the teenagers. Burger King did not publicly confirm those reasons.

The story sparked public outrage, with many people arguing that the group should have been celebrated, not punished, for encouraging teenagers to work. Supporters launched a GoFundMe campaign, which quickly raised more than $10,000 to help the family and the teens after they lost their jobs.

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