If and Then

Life is all about how you handle the if and then moments. If I do something stupid, then something stupid happens. If I do something great, then something great happens. Lord knows that I did a lot of stupid things as a teenager.

L.E.A.D.’s (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct) mission is to empower an at risk generation to lead and transform their city of Atlanta.

L.E.A.D. is an Atlanta based 501c3 organization that partners with Atlanta Public Schools and exists because Atlanta will never truly be a world class city until hundreds of thousands of black males are living a sustainable life of significance.

One of the effective ways that I develop our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors is by asking them random questions that force them to critically think. The rule is that I will never question what they say but I will question why they said it so that I can make them go deeper. As black males, they are some of the most valuable assets in Atlanta. Why? Because blacks males are dropping out of high school and being incarcerated more than any other race in Atlanta and systematically across America.

Here are two statements that I asked three of our L.E.A.D. Ambassadors to complete to prepare them today to fulfill expectations tomorrow.

1. Complete these two sentences L.E.A.D. Ambassador Vernard Kennedy (New Schools at Carver).

If my freedom was taken away from me, then I would…

If my freedom was taken away from me, then I would fight for it back like my ancestors did. I can’t say that I could go through all that they did but I am willing to go through the trials for my freedom fighting spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

If baseball was taken away from me, then I would…

If baseball was taken away from me, then I honestly would be lost because this game has taught me a lot about life and how to encounter failures and how to work through them.

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Vernard Kennedy with L.E.A.D. Executive Director/Co-founder Kelli Stewart

2. Complete these two sentences L.E.A.D. Ambassador D’Anthony Morrow (Benjamin E. Mays High School).

If my freedom was taken away from me, then I would…

If my freedom was taken away from me, then I would focus on educating myself and learning more about God so that when I regained my freedom I could become a community leader and fight poverty.

If baseball was taken away from me, then I would…

If baseball was taken away from me, then I would continue to use my academics to earn a scholarship into college.

L.E.A.D. Ambassadors left to right: Tyquavious Noland, Jacoby Evans, D’Angelo Julio and D’Anthony Morrow

3. Complete these two sentences L.E.A.D. Ambassador Sean Warren (North Atlanta High School).

If my freedom was taken away from me, then I would…

If my freedom was taken away from me, then I would protect my mind by demolishing all negative thoughts like the slaves were forced to.

If baseball was taken away from me, then I would…

If baseball was taken away from me, then I would not feel free.

L.E.A.D. Ambassador Sean Warren (North Atlanta High School)

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