YouTube Transcript: Social responsibility | Akeem Lloyd | TEDxURI
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[Applause]
when I almost failed at a school someone
told me I mattered when I had suicidal
thoughts someone told me I mattered when
I struggled to believe in myself someone
told me I mattered I am Who I am today
because of everyone who made it their
social responsibility to help me paint
the world I wish to live in I believe
that every young person is an artist an
artist is anyone who has an imagination
see you may be wondering or asking
yourself what does viewing a young
person as an artist have to do with
social responsibility we'll let me tell
you my poem paintbrushes is they call to
action which I will recite in a moment
more so it is a challenge to every adult
to make it their social responsibility
to help a young person to mentor a young
person and help them choose the right
colors their colors how did I get here
and where did it begin as a young boy
growing up and in Atlantic City sports
occupied my time I was subpar
academically I skated through high
school only doing the bare minimum
College was an afterthought if I thought
at all my confidence was low but there
was a teacher my English teacher mr.
Kearney who would never allow me to just
be average no see when I had him in the
8th grade his standards were high and I
struggled and after I graduated I pray
that I would never see him again but
when I walked into my tenth grade
classroom there he was damn
I thought his standards were high and I
struggled and after 10th grade I prayed
that I would never see him again but lo
and behold when I walked into my twelfth
grade English class there he was once
more I should have changed my language
tho but I'm happy that I didn't
because mr. Kearney continued to
challenge me to be the best version of
myself his standards were high and
although I struggled he made it his
social responsibility to help me paint
the world I wish to live in as a young
person I can't honestly say that going
to an opera was on my list of fun things
to do but mr. Kearney thought otherwise
he took my best friend and I to an opera
during our senior year and and I can't
tell you much about the Opera because I
sat there wondering how could this man
use the last five years of his life to
make it his social responsibility to
help me stay on the right track how
could this man use the last five years
of his life to make it his social
responsibility to bring out the best
version of me I looked at him on our way
home and said mr. Kearney I don't know
how I will ever be able to repay you and
he looked at me and said when you had
the opportunity to do for others what I
have done for you just doing silence
took over the car i sat there not truly
understanding the words that he uttered
but never forgetting the seed was
planted a social responsibility to never
forget who I was where I am from and to
remember the people who have invested in
my life's journey and future outcome a
social responsibility to remember that
there is a young person who was
maneuvering throughout their life's
journey trying to be where you are if
to help another young person paint the
world they wish to live in and so I did
as my grandmother would have wanted me
to a life of service answered mr.
Kearney his call to action and made it
my social responsibility to do for
others what he had done for me for
example in college I mentored first
generational college students in in grad
school I mentored first-year
generational college students that
opportunity gave me the opportunity to
work in the beautiful city of
Philadelphia with an organization called
City Year where I mentored and I tutored
and I supported 33 eighth graders from
the beginning of the school year and to
the last day of school not as the
teacher but playing the role as one and
it was in this moment where I realized
that this was the call the action that
mr. Kearney had asked of me this was my
social responsibility yes I remember the
first day of school I saw a young man
who looked just like me sitting in the
back of the class with his head down I
watched him for a couple days and for
the next couple of weeks I realized that
this young man was just like me see his
confidence was low academically he
struggled he had no plans past the
eighth grade and college was an option
so he thought I attached myself to this
young man and decided that he would be
the same me who would help bring out the
best in him it was my social
responsibility like mr. Kearney had acts
though one day I asked him to me be in
the cafeteria to study for math he
walked over he he looked over my
shoulder he he shook his head no and he
walked off he he walked off I allowed
him to walk off and later when the
students took their math test he was the
one who struggled when he turned his
math test I reminded him the opportunity
he had during lunch to study and the
next thing he said I was not prepared
for he said mr. Akeem I am in the 8th
grade and I have never received anything
over a 50 in math and he started to cry
he the toughest of the toughest I
reminded him that he too is human and
there is nothing wrong for a young boy
of color to cry or there was nothing
wrong for a young boy of color to
express themselves emotionally young
King your past is your past do not let
your masculinity affect how your heart
feels but if you are willing to work for it
it
then your future is yours to create too
now let's get to work
the following Monday I asked him to meet
me in the cafeteria to study for math
tests when I walked into the room that
day he was at the table books open and
ready to learn we did this for four days
and on that Friday when the students
took their math test he received a 60
out of a hundreds this may not be that
big of a deal for some but to me it was
everything because I have noticed that
in my 11 years of youth development and
working with young people it is highly
important to acknowledge the small
victories just as important as it is to
acknowledge the big ones he came to me
waving his hands fluttering his body see
mr. Arky I told you I looked at him and
I asked him are you serious young king
you have never received anything over a
50 and math but today you received over
a 60 and we we only studied for four
days just imagine if you studied every
day just imagine if you studied before
school during morning programs just
imagine if you studied after school
during after-school programs
imagine if your canvas was filled with
confidence young king just imagine now
let's get to work and over the remaining
months this young man met me in the
cafeteria and we studied and we studied
he received 75 s he received 80 s 95 s
and the hundreds he finished the school
year averaging in 85 and math and all I
did was help him choose his colors I
reminded him when no one else believes
and you you believe in you young King
now let's get to work I have continued
to answer this call to service over the
last 10 years making it my social
responsibility to do for others like
others have done for me I started a
Youth Center travel program that focuses
on giving young people ages 13 to 18 the
opportunity to participate in cultural
exploration by focusing on cultural
exchange activities one they strengthen
a sense of self two they strengthen a
cultural awareness and three they gain a
stronger appreciation for cultural
differences what if this was our view
into the future the seven generations
where mentorship meets service and
everyone made it their social
responsibility to help a young person
who was not considered family and helped
them paint the road that they wishes to
live in here is my challenge to you and
to every listener listening when you
have the opportunity to do for a young
person what someone has done for you
just do it I serve because someone told
me I matter
if you don't serve who would tell them
and now my poem paintbrushes Thursday
March 14th a sat in a classroom filled
with scientists artists entrepreneurs
Congress men and women i sat in a
classroom filled with 33 paintbrushes
ready to paint this world with ambitious
colors their canvas there canvas is as
big as their thoughts and I am simply
here to help them choose the right color
they will never be Picasso but they can
be better and every day I strive to
bring out the best artist in them the
the best in them they have yet to see
but their paint can do it's only a
matter of time before their best will
come and I pity the fool who chooses to
disagree our youth our intellectual time
bomb was waiting to explode I said our
youth our intellectual time bomb was
waiting to explode and I pray that I'm
there and their confidence goes boom
kaboom BAM and they start to break down
every stereotype that has ever labeled
them as felons criminals and convicts
and they start to break down every
barrier that has ever gotten them killed
Trayvon its mayor and they start to
break down every barrier that has ever
gotten them beaten Sandra and they start
to break down every bird that has ever
gotten them locked behind bars my
students will paint themselves into
history never forgetting their history
that we use pastel colors because it
looks better in the Sun yeah brighter in
the Sun their lives will reflect the
hard work of Martin Luther King their
passion will bounce off walls and into
their communities like Malcolm the
determination will look a little more
like Harriet they know we we can change
this world one paint stroke at a time I
serve because Frederick Douglass once
said once you learn how to read
you will forever be free that is easier
to build small children than it is to
repair broken men my students will learn
not to be no no my students will learn
not to bend I serve because they have
built more prisons I serve because they
are building more prisons and I refuse
to watch as it grows when I know that we
can be a part of his downfall and no I'm
not asking for no sympathy I'm asking
that we care more because for some
inside our high is all that they care
for you'd be surprised by the number of
artists you meet every day I serve
students who like me find it hard to
believe in themselves I serve students
who find it hard to see themselves I
serve young people who find it hard just
to be themselves but we are blueprints
of positivity I'm a believer in the
power of our youth the bridge our
children can believe is stable I am the
voice that reminds them how great they
are and you can be the voices that
remind them how great they are I am
merely a paintbrush ready to paint this
world with ambitious colors I am the
journal they can write in the shoulder
they can lean on I am just a mentor who
cares I served with a purpose for a
purpose to instill self love and self
worth and our youths and when you ask me
why I serve and I simply respond because
I have to I said when you asked me why I
serve and I simply respond because I
have to please do not feel offended by
my short answer but sometimes it is hard
to relate these words that means so much
to my identity I identify with students
who parents have been addicted to drugs
I serve students who parents have been
supported or too busy to care I serve
because someone told me I matter and
that greatness is a mindset I serve
because someone told me I matter and
March 14th i sat in a classroom filled
with scientists artists entrepreneurs
congressmen and women i sat in a
classroom filled with 33 eighth graders
ready to paint this world with the most
beautiful colors that they have ever
known they may never be Picasso but they
can be better and their canvas is as big
as their thoughts I serve because
someone told me I matter if you don't
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