With all that is going in the world at this time, I would like to share the story of two inspirational leaders who are making a significant positive impact on their community. I first want to note that protests coupled with open, honest and passionate dialogue are always healthy and necessary ways to drive change, however, to really make a difference we must eventually transition from conversation to action. A dear friend of mine always says “hope is not a strategy, and expounding on that strategy is useless without action.” This is why I want to take a moment to share with you a story of how a good idea put into action has had an amazing impact on young lives.
This is the inspirational story of John & Tammy Martin the Co-Founders of the Young Black Leadership Alliance (YBLA) in Charlotte, NC. John and Tammy followed God’s calling and created the YBLA, an amazing organization that focuses on developing young black leaders to impact and inspire underserved and at-risk students in their families, schools and communities. Students that join the YBLA receive focused attention, mentoring and education that sets them up to be role models to their peers and achieve successful outcomes in adulthood. CBI and the Live Love Serve Foundation became supporters of the YBLA after meeting John a few years ago. Today, the YBLA has joined CBI on our corporate campus as they operate their organization out of offices on the CBI grounds and use the facilities to host many of their outstanding events.
This weekend, my wife Chris and I had the opportunity to attend Scholar’s Day, which is a graduation awards event that the YBLA hosts for their graduating seniors. At this event, John, Tammy and the rest of the YBLA staff celebrate each of these teens and their accomplishments. The seniors are given an opportunity to speak, and one after another each individual inspired us to the point that we have no doubt that all of these teenagers will go on to achieve greatness.
The impact this organization has on the lives of these young black men and women is nothing short of amazing. The magic of the YBLA is that these students learn to exemplify all that is good in mankind. Their confidence, passion, energy, enthusiasm, poise and pride is contagious. Attending this event was a highlight of our year.
If you are looking for some way you can play a role in impacting the future you have to look no further than YBLA. I urge you to visit their website and their facebook page and I urge you to place your financial support behind them. It is organizations like these that are making a true difference in our community, and it’s time that we stop talking and take action to support them. Let your actions speak louder than your words.
