ATLANTA — Before he takes the stage Monday night at State Farm Arena, Grammy Award-winning artist and Atlanta resident Usher Raymond is empowering young people to find their dreams and follow them--
Channel 2’s Karyn Greer was there Monday afternoon for the ribbon cutting of the new content studios at the Whitehead Boys and Girls Club.
With his donation of mics, soundboards, and computers, Usher was on hand to open the new state-of-the-art content studio for the young people here to enjoy.
“For me in Chattanooga, Tennessee, being raised by an entire village, mother, my mother and my grandmother, grandfather -- my father wasn’t there. The Boys and Girls Club welcomed me with open arms and was a motivational place for me,” Usher said.
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The head of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta and the national president were on hand with the head of Usher’s New Look Foundation to cut the ribbon.
Empowering youth through career exploration is an important part of Usher’s mission.
“Look up here at this lab, the Spark Lab, and it is partnerships like what we have here today represented in this room with Usher’s New Look that allows us to spark the creativity in young people, to ignite their passion and to ignite their potential. And we’ve been doing that in metro Atlanta for nearly nine decades now,” said David Jernigan, President and CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta.
This milestone event celebrates Usher’s commitment as part of his role as ambassador for the Afterschool Alliance’s “Lights On” campaign and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
“This is the idea of what we’re investing in because we’re investing in our future. We’re investing in the youth. And I’m an example,” Usher said.
“I’m grateful for what he does for us, what he did for us,” said Dorais Fenny, who goes to the Boys and Girls Club.
The national president of the Boys and Girls Club said this is just one of many studios they hope to open around the country.