0:06 [Applause]
0:09 when I almost failed at a school someone
0:13 told me I mattered when I had suicidal
0:17 thoughts someone told me I mattered when
0:20 I struggled to believe in myself someone
0:25 told me I mattered I am Who I am today
0:27 because of everyone who made it their
0:30 social responsibility to help me paint
0:33 the world I wish to live in I believe
0:36 that every young person is an artist an
0:39 artist is anyone who has an imagination
0:42 see you may be wondering or asking
0:44 yourself what does viewing a young
0:46 person as an artist have to do with
0:48 social responsibility we'll let me tell
0:52 you my poem paintbrushes is they call to
0:55 action which I will recite in a moment
0:59 more so it is a challenge to every adult
1:01 to make it their social responsibility
1:05 to help a young person to mentor a young
1:07 person and help them choose the right
1:13 colors their colors how did I get here
1:17 and where did it begin as a young boy
1:21 growing up and in Atlantic City sports
1:24 occupied my time I was subpar
1:26 academically I skated through high
1:28 school only doing the bare minimum
1:32 College was an afterthought if I thought
1:35 at all my confidence was low but there
1:39 was a teacher my English teacher mr.
1:43 Kearney who would never allow me to just
1:46 be average no see when I had him in the
1:50 8th grade his standards were high and I
1:54 struggled and after I graduated I pray
1:57 that I would never see him again but
1:58 when I walked into my tenth grade
2:04 classroom there he was damn
2:09 I thought his standards were high and I
2:12 struggled and after 10th grade I prayed
2:15 that I would never see him again but lo
2:17 and behold when I walked into my twelfth
2:19 grade English class there he was once
2:21 more I should have changed my language
2:28 tho but I'm happy that I didn't
2:32 because mr. Kearney continued to
2:34 challenge me to be the best version of
2:37 myself his standards were high and
2:40 although I struggled he made it his
2:42 social responsibility to help me paint
2:47 the world I wish to live in as a young
2:50 person I can't honestly say that going
2:52 to an opera was on my list of fun things
2:56 to do but mr. Kearney thought otherwise
3:00 he took my best friend and I to an opera
3:02 during our senior year and and I can't
3:04 tell you much about the Opera because I
3:07 sat there wondering how could this man
3:11 use the last five years of his life to
3:14 make it his social responsibility to
3:16 help me stay on the right track how
3:19 could this man use the last five years
3:22 of his life to make it his social
3:24 responsibility to bring out the best
3:27 version of me I looked at him on our way
3:30 home and said mr. Kearney I don't know
3:33 how I will ever be able to repay you and
3:37 he looked at me and said when you had
3:39 the opportunity to do for others what I
3:44 have done for you just doing silence
3:48 took over the car i sat there not truly
3:50 understanding the words that he uttered
3:52 but never forgetting the seed was
3:56 planted a social responsibility to never
3:59 forget who I was where I am from and to
4:01 remember the people who have invested in
4:05 my life's journey and future outcome a
4:08 social responsibility to remember that
4:10 there is a young person who was
4:12 maneuvering throughout their life's
4:15 journey trying to be where you are if
4:23 to help another young person paint the
4:28 world they wish to live in and so I did
4:31 as my grandmother would have wanted me
4:35 to a life of service answered mr.
4:37 Kearney his call to action and made it
4:41 my social responsibility to do for
4:43 others what he had done for me for
4:48 example in college I mentored first
4:50 generational college students in in grad
4:52 school I mentored first-year
4:53 generational college students that
4:57 opportunity gave me the opportunity to
4:58 work in the beautiful city of
5:00 Philadelphia with an organization called
5:03 City Year where I mentored and I tutored
5:06 and I supported 33 eighth graders from
5:08 the beginning of the school year and to
5:11 the last day of school not as the
5:14 teacher but playing the role as one and
5:17 it was in this moment where I realized
5:19 that this was the call the action that
5:22 mr. Kearney had asked of me this was my
5:26 social responsibility yes I remember the
5:29 first day of school I saw a young man
5:32 who looked just like me sitting in the
5:34 back of the class with his head down I
5:37 watched him for a couple days and for
5:39 the next couple of weeks I realized that
5:42 this young man was just like me see his
5:44 confidence was low academically he
5:47 struggled he had no plans past the
5:50 eighth grade and college was an option
5:56 so he thought I attached myself to this
6:00 young man and decided that he would be
6:03 the same me who would help bring out the
6:05 best in him it was my social
6:07 responsibility like mr. Kearney had acts
6:11 though one day I asked him to me be in
6:15 the cafeteria to study for math he
6:17 walked over he he looked over my
6:20 shoulder he he shook his head no and he
6:22 walked off he he walked off I allowed
6:25 him to walk off and later when the
6:28 students took their math test he was the
6:31 one who struggled when he turned his
6:34 math test I reminded him the opportunity
6:36 he had during lunch to study and the
6:39 next thing he said I was not prepared
6:45 for he said mr. Akeem I am in the 8th
6:48 grade and I have never received anything
6:52 over a 50 in math and he started to cry
6:57 he the toughest of the toughest I
7:00 reminded him that he too is human and
7:02 there is nothing wrong for a young boy
7:05 of color to cry or there was nothing
7:08 wrong for a young boy of color to
7:10 express themselves emotionally young
7:16 King your past is your past do not let
7:18 your masculinity affect how your heart
7:21 feels but if you are willing to work for it
7:21 it
7:24 then your future is yours to create too
7:27 now let's get to work
7:31 the following Monday I asked him to meet
7:33 me in the cafeteria to study for math
7:36 tests when I walked into the room that
7:39 day he was at the table books open and
7:41 ready to learn we did this for four days
7:44 and on that Friday when the students
7:46 took their math test he received a 60
7:49 out of a hundreds this may not be that
7:52 big of a deal for some but to me it was
7:56 everything because I have noticed that
7:59 in my 11 years of youth development and
8:02 working with young people it is highly
8:04 important to acknowledge the small
8:07 victories just as important as it is to
8:09 acknowledge the big ones he came to me
8:13 waving his hands fluttering his body see
8:19 mr. Arky I told you I looked at him and
8:24 I asked him are you serious young king
8:27 you have never received anything over a
8:30 50 and math but today you received over
8:33 a 60 and we we only studied for four
8:36 days just imagine if you studied every
8:39 day just imagine if you studied before
8:41 school during morning programs just
8:43 imagine if you studied after school
8:45 during after-school programs
8:48 imagine if your canvas was filled with
8:57 confidence young king just imagine now
9:01 let's get to work and over the remaining
9:03 months this young man met me in the
9:05 cafeteria and we studied and we studied
9:10 he received 75 s he received 80 s 95 s
9:12 and the hundreds he finished the school
9:16 year averaging in 85 and math and all I
9:21 did was help him choose his colors I
9:23 reminded him when no one else believes
9:27 and you you believe in you young King
9:34 now let's get to work I have continued
9:36 to answer this call to service over the
9:40 last 10 years making it my social
9:42 responsibility to do for others like
9:45 others have done for me I started a
9:49 Youth Center travel program that focuses
9:52 on giving young people ages 13 to 18 the
9:55 opportunity to participate in cultural
9:58 exploration by focusing on cultural
10:01 exchange activities one they strengthen
10:04 a sense of self two they strengthen a
10:07 cultural awareness and three they gain a
10:09 stronger appreciation for cultural
10:17 differences what if this was our view
10:21 into the future the seven generations
10:25 where mentorship meets service and
10:27 everyone made it their social
10:30 responsibility to help a young person
10:33 who was not considered family and helped
10:35 them paint the road that they wishes to
10:42 live in here is my challenge to you and
10:45 to every listener listening when you
10:49 have the opportunity to do for a young
10:53 person what someone has done for you
10:57 just do it I serve because someone told
10:59 me I matter
11:05 if you don't serve who would tell them
11:11 and now my poem paintbrushes Thursday
11:15 March 14th a sat in a classroom filled
11:18 with scientists artists entrepreneurs
11:21 Congress men and women i sat in a
11:24 classroom filled with 33 paintbrushes
11:28 ready to paint this world with ambitious
11:32 colors their canvas there canvas is as
11:35 big as their thoughts and I am simply
11:37 here to help them choose the right color
11:40 they will never be Picasso but they can
11:43 be better and every day I strive to
11:45 bring out the best artist in them the
11:48 the best in them they have yet to see
11:50 but their paint can do it's only a
11:52 matter of time before their best will
11:55 come and I pity the fool who chooses to
11:59 disagree our youth our intellectual time
12:02 bomb was waiting to explode I said our
12:05 youth our intellectual time bomb was
12:08 waiting to explode and I pray that I'm
12:10 there and their confidence goes boom
12:12 kaboom BAM and they start to break down
12:15 every stereotype that has ever labeled
12:20 them as felons criminals and convicts
12:22 and they start to break down every
12:23 barrier that has ever gotten them killed
12:28 Trayvon its mayor and they start to
12:29 break down every barrier that has ever
12:32 gotten them beaten Sandra and they start
12:33 to break down every bird that has ever
12:36 gotten them locked behind bars my
12:38 students will paint themselves into
12:40 history never forgetting their history
12:43 that we use pastel colors because it
12:47 looks better in the Sun yeah brighter in
12:50 the Sun their lives will reflect the
12:52 hard work of Martin Luther King their
12:55 passion will bounce off walls and into
12:57 their communities like Malcolm the
12:59 determination will look a little more
13:05 like Harriet they know we we can change
13:08 this world one paint stroke at a time I
13:10 serve because Frederick Douglass once
13:12 said once you learn how to read
13:15 you will forever be free that is easier
13:17 to build small children than it is to
13:20 repair broken men my students will learn
13:23 not to be no no my students will learn
13:26 not to bend I serve because they have
13:30 built more prisons I serve because they
13:34 are building more prisons and I refuse
13:37 to watch as it grows when I know that we
13:40 can be a part of his downfall and no I'm
13:43 not asking for no sympathy I'm asking
13:45 that we care more because for some
13:50 inside our high is all that they care
13:52 for you'd be surprised by the number of
13:56 artists you meet every day I serve
13:58 students who like me find it hard to
14:01 believe in themselves I serve students
14:04 who find it hard to see themselves I
14:07 serve young people who find it hard just
14:12 to be themselves but we are blueprints
14:14 of positivity I'm a believer in the
14:16 power of our youth the bridge our
14:19 children can believe is stable I am the
14:22 voice that reminds them how great they
14:24 are and you can be the voices that
14:27 remind them how great they are I am
14:31 merely a paintbrush ready to paint this
14:34 world with ambitious colors I am the
14:37 journal they can write in the shoulder
14:39 they can lean on I am just a mentor who
14:43 cares I served with a purpose for a
14:46 purpose to instill self love and self
14:49 worth and our youths and when you ask me
14:52 why I serve and I simply respond because
14:55 I have to I said when you asked me why I
14:58 serve and I simply respond because I
15:01 have to please do not feel offended by
15:04 my short answer but sometimes it is hard
15:06 to relate these words that means so much
15:09 to my identity I identify with students
15:11 who parents have been addicted to drugs
15:16 I serve students who parents have been
15:19 supported or too busy to care I serve
15:22 because someone told me I matter and
15:26 that greatness is a mindset I serve
15:29 because someone told me I matter and
15:39 March 14th i sat in a classroom filled
15:44 with scientists artists entrepreneurs
15:47 congressmen and women i sat in a
15:50 classroom filled with 33 eighth graders
15:53 ready to paint this world with the most
15:55 beautiful colors that they have ever
15:59 known they may never be Picasso but they
16:03 can be better and their canvas is as big
16:10 as their thoughts I serve because
16:15 someone told me I matter if you don't
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