He's modeling, making music, and making waves abroad, but last week
Andujar Bradley, the son of the late Alger Bradley was just a grieving son who
came to Belize for his father's funeral. But being a youth activist the 21 year
old has taken time out to give something back to his country of origin. For
the past two days he's been at the YMCA helping both staff and young people
at the organization. We caught up with Bradley today and he says it's all about
creating your own future:
Alfonso Noble Reporting
Seen on the cover of a magazine, New York based community activist and Ralph
Lauren Model, Belizean Andujar Bradley, or Divine as he is known, is the source
of infatuation and inspiration to many. Trying to harness some of this star
power, the YMCA today brought in the 21 year old to their headquarters to tell
Belizean youths that anything is possible.
Andujar Bradley - Youth Activist
"My quote is the best way to predict the future is to create it you
know. A lot of young people they don't see ahead into their own future. So I'm
here to give them some type of tool to make them see into their future, create
it for themselves."
"It's easier for a young person to talk to a young person than it
is for an older person to talk to a young person you know. And plus I'm a role
model because I'm doing it. I'm young, I'm 21 years old and I'm accomplishing
things so I'm an actual tangible figure for them to actually see you know."
But seeing is not being especially easy when you live in Belize City's most
deprived areas, the Southside. To that Bradley says never mind. While he agrees
that his opportunities in the U.S. are far greater than those available here,
the principle still applies. You need to create it for yourself.
Andujar Bradley
"Like I did for myself in the states I create a possibility. Wherever
I see myself in, that's what we are going to talk about today, wherever I see
for myself if it doesn't exist I will create it for myself. I will create the
possibilities you know I will lead them to that direction. If I have to go out
of my way to make connections outside of Belize I will do so. If I was living
here."
Hopefully that message and the proof that he showed these youngsters today
will be that spark to start them on the path to creating a better future for
themselves.
Andujar Bradley runs a youth program in Brooklyn New York called Team
Revolution which receives some funding from Ralph Lauren which contributes a
portion of its profits.
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