Usher honored at Detroit awards program at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
DETROIT -- Usher Raymond IV has found success in the entertainment industry as an R&B recording star and in business as part owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.
He also gets excited about working with young people.
Usher was honored Thursday in Detroit for his work as an entrepreneur and for the efforts of his youth mentoring New Look Foundation.
He told The Associated Press, "Something inside of me wanted to mentor youth, like myself. Kids who were maybe not as likely to succeed."
The 31-year-old Usher has been named the Ford Freedom Award Scholar and attended the 12th annual Ford Freedom Award program Thursday evening in Detroit.
Ford Motor Co. and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History launched the awards program in 1999.
African Americans once had a lot civil rights giants among us: Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King. They were people who “made things happen.” We miss these heroes.
But we must make and celebrate new ones. How? We must do more than just teach our children about history, but teach them how to be history makers and world changers! We must motivate the next generation to make an impact on the lives of others.
When we inspire youth to dream, to visualize a better world, to be action oriented and to help others – we will all have success. This generation must impart strong values into the next.
It’s good to highlight the achievements and applaud the milestones in Black history month – but it’s time we get serious about training up leaders for the next generation and look at what our legacy will be to them.
Have we done our part? Are we just watching what happens, complaining about what’s happening, or making plans to make some things happen! Make it your mission to be a history maker, world changer and inspire others to do the same.
Bottom Line: “Remember that our cause is one, and that we must help each other, if we would succeed” Frederick Douglas. The millenium version: Teamwork makes the dream work!
