R&B superstar Usher promotes importance of after-school programs in Detroit visit

As a child growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, R&B superstar Usher realized his dream of becoming an entertainer thanks to a counselor at the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club.

Now, he’s working to return that favor.

The singer stopped by the Dick and Sandy Dauch location of the Boys & Girls Club on Detroit’s west side ahead of concerts Thursday and Friday at Little Caesars Arena as part of Usher’s Club Takeover.

The two-day event at the facility is aimed at spreading awareness about a critical issue affecting youth nationwide: lack of access to quality after-school programming, the youth organization said in a news release.

“I can remember something that my counselor said to me,” Usher told a group of about 250 kids in a gym that had been transformed into a skating rink. “‘Seeing is believing, and once you see it, then you have to say it in order for it to be a reality.’ The next part is making it happen.”

The Club Takeover is a part of a national partnership between Usher’s nonprofit New Look, the Afterschool Alliance, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, and the Michigan Afterschool Partnership to drive awareness of the need to expand after-school programs. About 25 million youth across the country do not have access to high-quality after-school programs, including 750,000 children in Michigan, according to the Boys and Girls Club.

Club Takeover also includes activities kids can participate in, such as roller skating, learning how to fly a drone, how to administer CPR, and even how to perform a mock tonsillectomy.

As part of the Past, Present, Future Tour, Usher’s Club Takeover is traveling to cities across the country to raise awareness about the need for afterschool programs.

The tour has already made stops in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Boston; and Brooklyn. Upcoming stops include Atlanta; Inglewood, California; Denver; Oakland, California; Dallas; Miami; St. Louis; Minneapolis; Seattle; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Houston; and Baltimore.

During his speech to the teens, the iconic artist shared his story of working with that counselor in his hometown and how it inspired him.

“You may not know that you’re passionate about music, you may not know that you’re passionate about fashion, you may not know that you’re passionate about technology. You may not know what it is that you want to do in your life, but it’s a beautiful thing to come to the Boys and Girls Club to be influenced in a way that you could create a career, create a business and be a contributor to your community, as well as be creative in any industry.”

It was also announced Thursday that Usher will be the honorary chair of Lights on Afterschool , a national initiative promoting the importance of after-school programs.

“I’m happy to be able to share my experience with you, but it started a long time ago. This is part of the reason that I do what I do, and I’m so happy for the past 25 years to have been able to connect to things that I think are going to be helpful,” he said.

D’antae H. had the opportunity to talk to Usher for a few minutes about the content creation room he’s helping to design for the club. He said it was a “cool” experience. The 14-year-old student at Detroit Leadership Academy just joined the organization in July and is enjoying being a part of the BGCSM’s Design Industry Club, where teens receive paid workforce experience.

“It’s been a nice experience,” said D’antae, whose full name was withheld by the BGCSM to protect his privacy. “I’m playing football right now, but I might be interested in doing more design, too.”

BGCSM President and CEO Shawn Wilson said he has known Usher for a couple of decades and helped the singer start New Looks, a youth mentorship and leadership organization in Atlanta. He said the idea for the Usher Takeover came together about six months ago when Wilson found out Usher was making a stop in Detroit for his tour.

Wilson said over the two-day event, BGCSM will serve between 1,600 to 1,800 kids. The majority of them will be from Detroit, with others coming from cities like Highland Park, Hamtramck, Inkster and Eastpointe.

“He understands the power of giving back,” Wilson said about Usher. “He understands that we’re blessed not to be a blessing to ourselves, but to actually be a blessing to others. And so, this is consistent with the man that I’ve come to know over the last 20 years.”

Logan also had the chance to talk to Usher, showing off some of the outfits made by the Design Industry Cub. The senior at University Prep Art and Design High School has been a part of BGCSM since her freshman year. During her time in the organization, Logan has experienced opportunities like visiting the headquarters of New Look and appearing in New York Fashion Week earlier this year.

“The Boys and Girls Club has taught me that you need to speak up for yourself and that when you want something, you need to go out and get it,” she said. “The Boys and Girls Club will throw so many opportunities at you, but it’s all on you to take those opportunities. It’s on you to make sure that you’re taking advantage of all the exposure or networking that you get into.”

Micah Walker is a reporter for BridgeDetroit. You can reach her at mwalker@bridgedetroit.com .