02-20-2011, 04:20 PM
Another view of Toledo
http://tinyurl.com/67t8wa8
ToledoBlade.com
Printed Sunday, February 20, 2011
Local youths hear message of hope, dreams
Democratic women's club invites young Internet sensation to speak
By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Standing before a room full of elected officials, local educators, and community activists on Saturday, Deonte' Bridges delivered his message of adversity, hope, and dreams.
Although his words were soaked up by members of the community's elite, the 19-year-old University of Georgia freshman wasn't really speaking to them.
Instead, it was the dozens of youths -- from elementary to high school students -- whom he hoped to reach.
Mr. Bridges was the keynote speaker at the Perry Burroughs Democratic Women's Club Seventh Annual Black History Brunch. A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Mr. Bridges was the school's 2010 valedictorian and the first African-American student to achieve the honor in more than a decade.
"Simply stated, I've had my shares of obstacles and heartaches," he said at the event at Gladieux Meadows. "But while adversity can cause some people to break, it can also cause some people to break records…"
Mr. Bridges' valedictory speech last spring became an Internet sensation and caught the eye of local organizers.
Made up of women throughout Lucas County, the Perry Burroughs Democratic Women's Club was established in 1942 to "study, understand, and perpetuate" the party's principles. Although the club works year-round to educate citizens on the power of voting, Saturdayit focused on education of a different sort.
Several schools were represented at the brunch, sponsored by local officials and lawyers.
At one table, sponsored by Mayor Mike Bell, students from a Spring Elementary School sixth-grade class came to hear Mr. Bridges' speech and present him with a handmade book of essays and poems in which each contributed something about Black History Month.
At another table sat several students from Scott High School, who presented a book bag and "Stand Up" T-shirt to Mr. Bridges. TiRhohn Sanders, 18, said Mr. Bridges' educational accomplishments symbolize what so many of his fellow students work hard for each day.
"The negative publicity is what is given the spotlight, but that's just a few," he said of his high school. "The majority have high standards, are on the honor roll, and are pursuing careers and college."
During his talk, Mr. Bridges noted the obstacles he faced in his life -- the death of his brother, his mother's leukemia diagnosis, and the time he was robbed at gunpoint. But he said he refused to use any of the events as excuses not to work hard.
He thanked his parents, his educators, and God for keeping him focused and noted it was his hard work that opened the door to more than $1 million in scholarship offers.
Mayor Bell said he hoped the message resonated with the young people in the audience, adding that encouragement to do well in school probably would reach more deeply if it came from another teenager. "They get enough from adults," he said. "Kids respond better to people who are similarly situated."
Also honored were local teens who embody educational excellence: Johnathon Bush, a senior at Catholic High School and owner of his own company, Not Just Cookies LLC, and St. Francis de Sales High School senior Keon Pearson, the first African-American valedictorian in the school's 55-year history.
Kenneth Brown, a 15-year-old Sylvania Southview High School sophomore, said he attended the event with his grandfather. He said he was encouraged to attend the event by his older brother, who had enjoyed it in the past.
He said that he not only listened to the words of the various speakers but took them to heart. "I thought [Mr. Bridges'] message really spoke to me to do better in school, to strive to do more, and to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me."
Contact Erica Blake at: [email protected] or 419-213-2134.
http://tinyurl.com/67t8wa8
ToledoBlade.com
Printed Sunday, February 20, 2011
Local youths hear message of hope, dreams
Democratic women's club invites young Internet sensation to speak
By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Standing before a room full of elected officials, local educators, and community activists on Saturday, Deonte' Bridges delivered his message of adversity, hope, and dreams.
Although his words were soaked up by members of the community's elite, the 19-year-old University of Georgia freshman wasn't really speaking to them.
Instead, it was the dozens of youths -- from elementary to high school students -- whom he hoped to reach.
Mr. Bridges was the keynote speaker at the Perry Burroughs Democratic Women's Club Seventh Annual Black History Brunch. A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Mr. Bridges was the school's 2010 valedictorian and the first African-American student to achieve the honor in more than a decade.
"Simply stated, I've had my shares of obstacles and heartaches," he said at the event at Gladieux Meadows. "But while adversity can cause some people to break, it can also cause some people to break records…"
Mr. Bridges' valedictory speech last spring became an Internet sensation and caught the eye of local organizers.
Made up of women throughout Lucas County, the Perry Burroughs Democratic Women's Club was established in 1942 to "study, understand, and perpetuate" the party's principles. Although the club works year-round to educate citizens on the power of voting, Saturdayit focused on education of a different sort.
Several schools were represented at the brunch, sponsored by local officials and lawyers.
At one table, sponsored by Mayor Mike Bell, students from a Spring Elementary School sixth-grade class came to hear Mr. Bridges' speech and present him with a handmade book of essays and poems in which each contributed something about Black History Month.
At another table sat several students from Scott High School, who presented a book bag and "Stand Up" T-shirt to Mr. Bridges. TiRhohn Sanders, 18, said Mr. Bridges' educational accomplishments symbolize what so many of his fellow students work hard for each day.
"The negative publicity is what is given the spotlight, but that's just a few," he said of his high school. "The majority have high standards, are on the honor roll, and are pursuing careers and college."
During his talk, Mr. Bridges noted the obstacles he faced in his life -- the death of his brother, his mother's leukemia diagnosis, and the time he was robbed at gunpoint. But he said he refused to use any of the events as excuses not to work hard.
He thanked his parents, his educators, and God for keeping him focused and noted it was his hard work that opened the door to more than $1 million in scholarship offers.
Mayor Bell said he hoped the message resonated with the young people in the audience, adding that encouragement to do well in school probably would reach more deeply if it came from another teenager. "They get enough from adults," he said. "Kids respond better to people who are similarly situated."
Also honored were local teens who embody educational excellence: Johnathon Bush, a senior at Catholic High School and owner of his own company, Not Just Cookies LLC, and St. Francis de Sales High School senior Keon Pearson, the first African-American valedictorian in the school's 55-year history.
Kenneth Brown, a 15-year-old Sylvania Southview High School sophomore, said he attended the event with his grandfather. He said he was encouraged to attend the event by his older brother, who had enjoyed it in the past.
He said that he not only listened to the words of the various speakers but took them to heart. "I thought [Mr. Bridges'] message really spoke to me to do better in school, to strive to do more, and to take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me."
Contact Erica Blake at: [email protected] or 419-213-2134.