ONONDAGA - Kwame Kilpatrick isn’t just the state House Minority Leader, he also is a motivator.
Kilpatrick, D-Detroit, used this quality as he spoke to 48 residents at Highfields Youth Opportunity Camp, 5123 Old Plank Road, about his upbringing, his experience playing college football at Florida A&M and work in government as a part of the Black History Month program.
“Essentially the theme is that being successful is a choice,” Kilpatrick said. “Every individual has the power of choice. They can choose to be successful.”
The camp provides a home to teens statewide, many of whom were placed by Family Independence Agencies. The program includes drug abuse counseling, problem-solving skills, anger control, interpersonal skills, schooling and family reunification.
Kilpatrick’s speech Tuesday was part of series of programs for the month, which included the Rev. Lester Stone from Friendship Baptist Church, 925 W. Main St. in Lansing. State Rep. Michael Murphy,D-Lansing, was scheduled to speak Wednesday, but now plans to reschedule.
“It is good for them to see a person who did ordinary things, went to ordinary public schools, lived in ordinary neighborhoods and still achieved some extraordinary things,” Kilpatrick said.
“That was always helpful for me when I was young. Seeing people who came from similar backgrounds than I did, and that they did successful things and they made mistakes along the way and kept going forward.”
Some students said they would use Kilpatrick’s message in their own lives.
“I can use some of his techniques that he shared,” a 15-year-old from Detroit said. “It really got to me. It will change some things that I do.”
Yusuf Abdullah, director of the camp’s residential services, said Kilpatrick brought up issues that are important to Black History Month. But his message was for all students.
“He didn’t break it down to just for African American kids, because it was for all the kids and to get them into focus,” he said.
Antonio Trice, a residential counselor at the camp, said Kilpatrick used positive stories to encourage the students to focus on their potential, rather than setbacks.
“I think it will impact them in a way that they see someone from the inner city of Detroit who wasn’t an ‘A’ student and wasn’t the kind of student that loved school,” Trice said. “But he pushed through it and became a success. He beat the odds.”
