Latest / Rise and Thrive with Dr. J. Nicole Podcast / From Crisis to Purpose: LB's Journey of Faith, Leadership, and Impact

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From Crisis to Purpose: LB's Journey of Faith, Leadership, and Impact · Rise and Thrive with Dr. J. Nicole Podcast

• 0:33
  Welcome to Rise and Thrive with Doctor J Nicole, where we
• 0:35
  explore the stories that shape us, the faith that sustains us,
• 0:39
  and the purpose that calls us forward.
• 0:41
  There are seasons in life that don't feel fear, seasons that
• 0:45
  stress you, seasons that test you, seasons that quietly ask
• 0:49
  more of you than you've ever expected to give.
• 0:52
  But what if those seasons aren't here to break you?
• 0:56
  What if they're preparing you? And today's guest is someone who
• 1:00
  has lived that question in real time.
• 1:03
  LB Towns junior. He's a senior at Howard
• 1:06
  University and the founder of Save the Youth Foundation, an
• 1:10
  organization rooted and pouring into the next generation.
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  Before the leadership, before the impact, there was a young
• 1:18
  man growing up in Columbus, OH, learning what it means to carry
• 1:22
  responsibility early and to keep moving forward even in the face
• 1:26
  of adversity. LB welcome to Rise and Thrive.
• 1:29
  Thank you. Thank you.
• 1:30
  Yeah, glad you could be here today.
• 1:32
  So, LB, I want to start with the beginning of your story before
• 1:36
  we get to Howard or anything that you're building right now.
• 1:39
  Take us back to Columbus. What was life like for you
• 1:43
  growing up? Yes, I grew up in Columbus, OH
• 1:47
  and the Linden area. Pretty underprivileged community
• 1:52
  I would say. We grew up with eighteen
• 1:54
  siblings. There was 16 of us that grew up
• 1:57
  together in one household. We are just about a year apart
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  and one set of twins. So we had a pretty, we have a
• 2:03
  pretty structured and faith-based family.
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  Growing up in a church or we're not in different activities and
• 2:10
  sports was pretty active, pretty busy.
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  It was a lot going on, I would say throughout our experiences
• 2:18
  growing up, but I would definitely say it's definitely
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  been a unique experience as a one of the older siblings and
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  just being able to be a role model and build those skills for
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  my siblings, to be someone for my siblings to look up to
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  definitely is a blessing, I would say.
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  So just being able to pour into my younger siblings in my
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  community as well, just growing up and having a sort of a
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  success that I had in my community for someone to really
• 2:46
  be a role model for someone to look up to.
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  Yeah, eighteen siblings. You don't hear that anymore that
• 2:53
  often today. Like you really don't.
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  So where do you fall in that birth order?
• 2:58
  So I have. So my dad had 19 children in
• 3:01
  total. I'm the 5th oldest and you have
• 3:04
  16 by my mother and I'm her second oldest, her oldest boy.
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  So yeah. OK, that sounds like a lot to
• 3:13
  carry, right? Eighteen siblings and that's the
• 3:17
  oldest son that comes with a certain weight.
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  What did you that experience teach you about responsibility
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  or even leadership early on? I just growing up with a as a
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  older sibling, it definitely taught me a lot.
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  I just being responsible and leading by an example and at a
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  very early age, just being someone that my know my
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  siblings, my younger siblings look up to and they're following
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  my every step and watching everything that I do holds me
• 3:45
  accountable for sure and lets me know that someone is always
• 3:49
  watching. So there's something to look
• 3:52
  forward to and something keeping in mind that just being a leader
• 3:56
  and doing what's right don't just go out the door.
• 3:58
  It is. It does mean something more than
• 4:00
  just myself. Yeah.
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  Did that ever feel like pressure for you?
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  Not necessarily, but if it is pressure, I would say like good
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  pressure, like I think holding, just having people around you
• 4:12
  and things around you that hold you accountable is a good thing
• 4:15
  rather than bad or like people. I would definitely say people
• 4:18
  holding you, holding you to a higher standard is definitely a
• 4:20
  good thing as well because they they expect greatness from you.
• 4:23
  They expect you to do certain things and as a in a certain
• 4:27
  way. And I always think that's a
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  blessing as well, that people will look up to you and and hold
• 4:32
  you at a highlight. OK, it sounds like you were able
• 4:35
  to rise to the expectation for sure.
• 4:39
  So every family has moments that shift everything.
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  Can you take us into a season when your family lost your home
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  and what that experience was like for you personally?
• 4:51
  Yeah, so I was in the middle of a a basketball game on a Sunday
• 4:57
  and my family is at home getting ready for church.
• 4:59
  And my parents was actually at my game and they like get a
• 5:03
  phone call from my from my younger siblings.
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  And this is the summer 2021, once in my summer year right
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  before my Senior High School. And I don't hear about it till
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  after my game because this is the middle of the game.
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  And my sister had texted me that that the my house actually burnt
• 5:23
  down and they had to evacuate everyone out the house.
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  So we're fortunate enough to nothing that happened to my
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  family like everyone was safe. But that was definitely a
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  humbling experience as we were. We had to move out of our house
• 5:39
  and move into the hotel for about 5 to 6 months.
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  So it was all of us in the hotel.
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  I would like I said, it was a humbling experience just being a
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  family, a very big family and a lot of people knowing us in the
• 5:51
  community. It received like a lot of
• 5:54
  publicity. It was all over the news and
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  everything. But we definitely was able to
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  receive a lot of support from our community and know that
• 6:02
  people had our back. A lot of people reached out and
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  that was a blessing. But we also was able to get
• 6:08
  closer with ourselves like this being in life, most of us all in
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  like 1 room, it was like only 2-3 rooms and we definitely got
• 6:19
  closer together and was able to get closer to God as well.
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  I also think it was, it was for us to, to persevere through
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  adversity honestly and know that that we are going to have bumps
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  in our lives and we was able to push through that through a very
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  tough time around COVID as well. So I definitely think that was
• 6:42
  something that my family had to get over and it pushed everyone
• 6:46
  to be better and better themselves and learn more about
• 6:49
  themselves and get a closer relationship with with our
• 6:53
  family and God as well. So I also, I think that was a
• 6:57
  blessing in disguise. Yeah, you know, and we know that
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  all things work together for good to those who love the Lord
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  to them that are the called according to his purpose, right.
• 7:06
  And there's there's a purpose behind everything.
• 7:09
  So what was that like in the hotel?
• 7:11
  Like what were the arrangements with your family being so large?
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  So it was all the boys, which was eight of us.
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  All the boys was in one room, and all the girls was one room.
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  And then my parents were in the room.
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  So yeah, most of us, yeah, it was only so many beds.
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  We was on the couch splitting up and stuff.
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  So yeah, that was definitely very unique experience going
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  into my senior year trying to figure out how I wanted to
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  matriculate. Still trying to focus on sports
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  and everything. And I'm thinking about my next
• 7:49
  steps into college. It would definitely added on
• 7:53
  responsibility in my life is trying to figure out how we was
• 7:57
  going to like what we were going to eat, like how certain people
• 8:02
  were getting back and home because our discord that that I
• 8:07
  was going to at least was near my house.
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  So the hotel wasn't as close to my house.
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  So I was rather than like taking a stroll or a walk, I was having
• 8:18
  to get like rides around and stuff and that was a lot that
• 8:23
  was more put on that I wanted to add to like my parents plate as
• 8:29
  well. So I would definitely say just a
• 8:31
  little stuff like that, just kind of like all my siblings
• 8:34
  trying to get from and to hear different practice and different
• 8:38
  activities. We was going to like different
• 8:41
  schools as well. So between elementary, middle
• 8:45
  and high school and yeah, God wasn't able to make a way.
• 8:50
  So it's pretty cool. Yeah.
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  So if you're open to sharing, what did growing closer to God
• 8:58
  look like for you and your siblings during that time?
• 9:02
  So yeah, first we was we was definitely praying a lot more if
• 9:07
  we were just relying on faith because we didn't know what what
• 9:10
  that may look like. If we was going to have to move
• 9:12
  out, how we was going to pay for like the hotel and everything
• 9:16
  because everything is expensive, everything costs like we wasn't
• 9:21
  staying there for free and then trying to what were we going to,
• 9:24
  what were the next steps looking like?
• 9:25
  So we really just had to rely on our faith in God.
• 9:29
  We have still to this day we picked up fasting, so we fast
• 9:36
  every Wednesday. We've been doing that since that
• 9:38
  situation, so about five years now.
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  So we fast every Wednesday from 12:00 AM to 12:00 PM and we fast
• 9:47
  and pray. So we languish like our food and
• 9:50
  everything to really just focus. And then we've been doing that
• 9:54
  since that situation. That's what I would definitely
• 9:58
  say that and just like reading in our word and making sure we
• 10:01
  just work waking up, reading the Bible, saying our scriptures
• 10:05
  each and every day and still trying to remain on our our
• 10:11
  schedule like nothing really changed.
• 10:13
  Like it was like versing everything that was going on.
• 10:16
  We were still waking up in the morning and running like per
• 10:19
  usual. We were still having prayer and
• 10:21
  Bible study in the morning before we went to school and
• 10:25
  every, everything stayed the same.
• 10:27
  So it wasn't too difficult because our schedule remained
• 10:31
  very structured. But yeah, it was definitely a
• 10:34
  lot more praying that it was none for sure.
• 10:37
  And I could tell other people around this other family
• 10:40
  definitely was. We were definitely in our
• 10:42
  prayers of will. I don't know if I've read
• 10:44
  somewhere or if I saw somewhere. Your father is a pastor, right?
• 10:49
  Yeah, correct. OK, 'cause I'm like this
• 10:52
  structure and the fasting and the praying, like that's
• 10:56
  remarkable in a different level of discipline.
• 10:58
  So how have you been able to maintain that?
• 11:00
  Being away from your family, being at Howard, being in DC,
• 11:05
  there's food everywhere, all types of cuisines and cultures
• 11:08
  and different things like that. And even just navigating that
• 11:11
  socially with friends. Yeah.
• 11:14
  So I would definitely say just growing up, making sure what,
• 11:19
  what was it still with me still doesn't change when I go off
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  anywhere else. It don't matter where I may be.
• 11:25
  Just know like what I've been like trained to do and like what
• 11:28
  was instilled in my in my structured family.
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  Just growing up, making sure that that that stays the same
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  wherever I'm at, don't matter the environment, that I'm just
• 11:41
  staying true to myself and what I believe in.
• 11:44
  So that's more so the main thing I, I definitely make sure when
• 11:48
  I'm here at school that I'm still working out, waking up,
• 11:51
  running, praying, talking to God, going to church when I can.
• 11:55
  So just making sure I'm I'm still staying disciplined and
• 11:59
  living that balanced life as well.
• 12:03
  OK. And was your dad also an
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  athlete? Because I heard you say that we
• 12:06
  will wake up and run. That sounds like an athletic
• 12:08
  father's program. Yeah.
• 12:09
  So yeah, my, my pops, he definitely still that, and
• 12:13
  that's at an early age. He probably started running like
• 12:15
  four or five years old, playing multiple sports.
• 12:18
  Really. But.
• 12:19
  Yeah, he actually ran cross country in college and then
• 12:24
  ended up boxing and I actually qualified for Olympics.
• 12:28
  He's. Oh wow.
• 12:30
  He was undefeated 2 time boxing champ in college, so yeah.
• 12:34
  Inspired with Muhammad Ali actually.
• 12:36
  So yeah, he's a top boxer. OK, senior.
• 12:40
  Yeah, he's like that. OK, awesome.
• 12:44
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• 13:00
  So what was the response like of your community after your family
• 13:05
  was displaced and losing the home to the fire?
• 13:08
  Yeah, so like I was saying my community was very like
• 13:13
  supportive. It was reaching out when they
• 13:15
  heard the news offering the support.
• 13:18
  My teacher actually had came to the hotel and offer support was
• 13:24
  a lot of different people and people from the community
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  community and family was definitely came to a hotel fetus
• 13:31
  brought food people like bought clothes, just different stuff.
• 13:34
  It was a lot of definitely support.
• 13:36
  A go Fund me was up and we probably been able to get about
• 13:39
  forty $45,000. So it was it was a lot of
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  support overall. I would definitely see.
• 13:44
  Yeah, that's that's a beautiful thing.
• 13:47
  And that's a lot to carry. And especially at that stage in
• 13:50
  life for you, right? Like you're trying to figure out
• 13:52
  your next steps. And a big part of your
• 13:54
  foundation was, you know, up in the air, if you will, and for
• 13:59
  you to be able to stay grounded during that time and not lose
• 14:04
  sight 'cause there's a lot of people that would have handled
• 14:06
  that differently and maybe would have turned to some maybe
• 14:11
  unhealthy or unsavory ways to cope.
• 14:15
  So during that time, like what helped you to really stay
• 14:19
  grounded? Just being very close to my
• 14:21
  family. We're very like tight knit
• 14:23
  family, being close to them and like, you know, like our faith
• 14:27
  in God and knowing that he he going to have us at the end of
• 14:31
  the day, he really will put you in position to to rely on him
• 14:35
  and like have faith in him. Like when you got your Lewis as
• 14:38
  when not only the time when you should rely on him, but that's
• 14:43
  going to be a time where like you're very like most vulnerable
• 14:47
  and no one can help you but God. So that was definitely my
• 14:52
  position we was in because a lot of people like we're trying to
• 14:55
  help and it just we're kind of like out of people's control,
• 15:00
  especially the situation we was in.
• 15:02
  So it was nobody but God. Yeah, God is so amazing.
• 15:06
  Like you're right, like he meets us and our most vulnerable and
• 15:10
  even in our lowest places. So you've also spoken about the
• 15:15
  role your father has played and the role of shaping who you are.
• 15:19
  How did his journey from athletics to ministry shape the
• 15:22
  way that you understand purpose and faith today?
• 15:27
  I would definitely say just the way we were just brought up and
• 15:32
  how we we were taught main thing was already structured and
• 15:36
  having things in order with was God family, academics and
• 15:39
  athletics was always like that structure and they're part
• 15:44
  priorities just growing up and something that was definitely
• 15:47
  expected. And yeah, my pops always wanted
• 15:53
  us to make sure we was we were strong, that we was tight
• 15:57
  mentally, physically and spiritually.
• 15:59
  And that was something that was always kept in mind.
• 16:03
  Quote, he will always say is is I'm somebody, I'm going to make
• 16:07
  it. You can't stop me.
• 16:08
  I'm going to get all these and I'll see you at the top.
• 16:10
  And that's something here. And still it does since growing
• 16:14
  up as well. And that we can do all things.
• 16:16
  We can do all things to Christ who gives us strength.
• 16:18
  Philippines 4 and 13. And so I I love that and the
• 16:21
  power of words. Yeah, he went to he went to
• 16:26
  school for acting. But yeah, it's funny you ask.
• 16:30
  He he's a he's a pastor, a retired teacher.
• 16:35
  So he's a teacher, tutor, a trainer.
• 16:38
  Obviously he goes out to churches and do pre ject
• 16:44
  funerals, visit nursing homes, training coach, really a life
• 16:49
  coach and counselor. He just someone, if you need the
• 16:53
  call, he's he would be there, but he goes to the juvenile
• 16:57
  centers as well. And yeah, he's really do it all.
• 17:01
  Wow, those are big shoes that your dad has there.
• 17:06
  And I love what you said about the way your dad basically
• 17:10
  taught you the importance of mind, body, and spirit.
• 17:13
  Because I was thinking, how is he doing all of this, right?
• 17:16
  And then it came back to me, mind, body, and spirit.
• 17:19
  He's taking care of himself holistically.
• 17:22
  And so when you're doing that and you're really relying on God
• 17:25
  and not trying to do things to your own strength, you know,
• 17:28
  you, you have time. And when you put God first, he
• 17:31
  like expands time for you. Yes.
• 17:33
  Yeah. Exactly.
• 17:34
  OK, So now your journey or is there anything else before we
• 17:38
  shift to Howard that you think is important to share?
• 17:42
  OK. And now I do have a question
• 17:43
  about your siblings. How old is your youngest sibling
• 17:46
  today? Blessing is 7 and Blessing Towns
• 17:52
  is 7. Yeah.
• 17:54
  OK, So what did it mean to you to step onto a campus like
• 18:01
  Howard University and, you know, with the legacy that comes with
• 18:05
  Howard? Honestly, means a lot.
• 18:09
  It means a lot to be able to step on a canvas where there's a
• 18:12
  lot of rich history, a lot of notable black influential people
• 18:18
  was at the same university that I attend.
• 18:21
  And I'm definitely honored to, to be here.
• 18:23
  When I was applying and I accepted to go to Howard
• 18:26
  University, I didn't know too much about, I just know it was a
• 18:28
  HBCU in DC. And now I started doing research
• 18:32
  and I was telling people that I they got accepted to Howard.
• 18:35
  It was more so telling me like, oh, you got accepted to Howard.
• 18:37
  That's a big thing. Go to Howard, go to Howard.
• 18:39
  I was doing research, you know, I was the number one HBCU and
• 18:43
  it's a very prominent place in the in the middle of DC.
• 18:47
  They got very good programs and they offer a lot of support.
• 18:52
  And you're going to be surrounded by a lot of people
• 18:55
  that that want you to be great and that that aspire to be
• 18:58
  successful as well. OK, so you came for academics
• 19:02
  and athletics, so tell us about your involvement on campus and
• 19:06
  your studies. Yeah.
• 19:07
  So I'm a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Return Incorporated Beta
• 19:12
  chapter, our aims remaining the scholarship and love for our man
• 19:17
  Kai. And through that I've been able
• 19:19
  to influential influence and impact a lot of a lot of people
• 19:24
  here on campus in many ways, whether it's community service,
• 19:28
  social activities, etcetera. And yeah, I'm also a part of I'm
• 19:34
  also a a fellow for the Music Warner Center or learning the
• 19:40
  insurance and outs of the music industry and being able to
• 19:43
  connect and plethora raise amongst that as well.
• 19:47
  And been able to start my nonprofit, Save Youth Foundation
• 19:53
  and been able to impact a lot, a lot of people on a greater scale
• 20:01
  through my nonprofit as well as we tend to impact.
• 20:06
  Underprivileged students and youth to help them overcome
• 20:10
  systematic challenges to be successful.
• 20:12
  So yeah, I've been very pretty involved here on Howard's
• 20:15
  campus. Also walked on to Howard's men's
• 20:18
  basketball team last year. So yeah, that's been a blessing.
• 20:23
  Definitely been experienced and definitely said everything I was
• 20:29
  looking for it to get out of Howard.
• 20:31
  I definitely received that and and more so, definitely blessed
• 20:35
  to experience this here at Howard University, not the
• 20:38
  Mecca. Yeah, Howard's a very special
• 20:40
  place. So I didn't go to Howard for
• 20:41
  undergrad, but after I pledged Delta, I made it my business to
• 20:45
  come back for the very first homecoming after I crossed over
• 20:49
  and had to find my way to Howard some kind of way, right.
• 20:53
  Howard is a really, really special place.
• 20:56
  You know, when we're, we're walking the same halls and
• 21:00
  pathways as giants, right, if you will, when you think about
• 21:04
  the impact so many of our alum have had globally, right?
• 21:11
  So you can tell us a little bit more about your nonprofit.
• 21:15
  So if folks want to know more, support the efforts that you're
• 21:19
  doing. Yeah.
• 21:20
  So like I said, not my nonprofit is mainly to help support the
• 21:25
  next upcoming generation from underprivileged areas.
• 21:28
  I've more so started to get back to my community back at home and
• 21:31
  my siblings and be able to tell my unique story on a global
• 21:37
  platform. So I've been able to do that to
• 21:39
  save the Youth Foundation, where a couple of events, impactful
• 21:43
  events I've been able to do was my one initiative was the HBCU
• 21:49
  Leisure Legacy initiative where I was able to collaborate with
• 21:54
  Howard University and go out be fortunate enough to go to Miami
• 21:58
  and New York and do a HBCU How recruiting initiative to where
• 22:05
  we talked about our HBCU experience and Howard
• 22:08
  experience, Hawaii, young people like them and how we relate to
• 22:12
  them and why they should also come to Howard University as
• 22:14
  well. And the just the different
• 22:16
  programs that Howard offer and what it's like to be on a Howard
• 22:20
  campus and the the experience that we've been able to get from
• 22:24
  that and the connects and the networking and why it's
• 22:28
  important for for young black people to go to college and
• 22:31
  further the education as well. So that was definitely a
• 22:35
  blessing and very impactful on a greater scale and definitely
• 22:39
  want to be able to do more things like that at different
• 22:41
  high school, middle schools as well.
• 22:43
  Another initiative was the Howard University Men's Summit
• 22:46
  that was curated in February during Black History Month.
• 22:50
  It was a very vibrant experience where Black men on Howard's
• 22:53
  campus, knowing that we only represent 26% of Howard
• 22:58
  University, just to come together and network and really
• 23:03
  connect as Black men, a Space Center for us to be open and
• 23:09
  have build a sense of community. It was very impactful, received
• 23:15
  a lot of great feedback and overall it was just wonderful, a
• 23:19
  wonderful experience. It was a a great outcome just
• 23:22
  being able to bridge that gap between alumni, stabbed
• 23:27
  students, student leaders, student athletes, the LGBTQ plus
• 23:31
  community and yeah, it was just a a great experience with
• 23:35
  amongst all men. So just looking forward to make
• 23:38
  that an annual thing as well. And yeah, just looking, just
• 23:42
  wanted to be able to impact people on a greater level
• 23:45
  through my nonprofit and. OK, so you you've definitely
• 23:49
  left more than an imprint on campus, right?
• 23:53
  Like it sounds like a legacy has been created and you are also
• 23:58
  creating pathways for future scholars to make it to Howard.
• 24:02
  But before all of that, I understand during your freshman
• 24:06
  year there was a very traumatic and deeply incident that
• 24:11
  happened. Would you mind sharing a little
• 24:13
  bit about that? Yeah, what was it again?
• 24:18
  With your father, your freshman. Year.
• 24:21
  Oh yeah, my freshman year. Oh, exactly.
• 24:23
  So my freshman year of college, it was like my 4th semester and
• 24:28
  I'm at school and I received a call from my father and he's
• 24:33
  kind of like talking, but I can't really hear him.
• 24:35
  So I'm just kind of like unsure. Everything is like muffled into
• 24:38
  what he's saying and I'm not sure it was like something wrong
• 24:42
  with his phone, but he's kind of like telling me or like someone
• 24:46
  else was telling me that he wasn't feeling well and he had
• 24:49
  to like go to the hospital and everything.
• 24:50
  I kind of just like broke down crying because I honestly
• 24:54
  couldn't hear or understand nothing he was saying and and
• 24:57
  come to find out that he was experiencing a stroke.
• 25:00
  So that was very like traumatic that he had like go through that
• 25:04
  and I wasn't like there to like really like physical support
• 25:07
  them because I was all the way in DC and just seeing him have
• 25:11
  to go through that was definitely a hard experience for
• 25:16
  sure. There's no, I'm like, we was
• 25:18
  very, very close. We have the same name,
• 25:21
  obviously. So yeah, that was definitely an
• 25:26
  experience. Definitely something that was
• 25:31
  kind of like just open my mind and I went back home.
• 25:34
  He had to learn how to like walk and like talk again.
• 25:38
  But just knowing like he his faith in God as well and know
• 25:43
  how strong he is that he was able to persevere through that
• 25:47
  personally and be strong for like his family as well.
• 25:51
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• 25:55
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• 26:51
  Yeah, I can definitely resonate with that having my so I was
• 26:55
  raised by my great aunt and her husband where he also had a
• 26:59
  stroke, had to learn to walk and talk and everything all over
• 27:02
  again. So I can resonate with that and
• 27:04
  seeing the, you know, strength of the family in such a
• 27:10
  vulnerable state, but still seeing that strength there and
• 27:14
  regaining those abilities is while it's hard to see them in
• 27:18
  that state, but to see them rise, right?
• 27:22
  That's, that's a that's a whole other experience in of it, in it
• 27:26
  of itself. And you know, I'll be listening
• 27:30
  to you. What stands out is that you
• 27:33
  didn't just go through these experiences.
• 27:35
  It sounds like you grew through them and you stayed the course.
• 27:39
  You stayed connected to your values and you stayed true.
• 27:43
  And that's something that's not easy to do.
• 27:47
  Yeah. And even with everything that
• 27:50
  you were carrying, you still made the decision to give back,
• 27:54
  right? And so you've been involved in
• 27:56
  the Men's summit and focusing on brothership and leadership.
• 28:00
  Why do you think those spaces are so important right now?
• 28:03
  I believe it's very important to want to give back and help the
• 28:07
  next generation. The the next generations are the
• 28:11
  future. These younger people are the
• 28:13
  next leaders, are the next presidents, the future doctors,
• 28:17
  the future nurses, the future lawyers, the future NBA stars.
• 28:22
  Yeah. So the like, we're the future.
• 28:25
  So honestly think we should do whatever we can to just want to
• 28:29
  pour into our community, give back, uplift the next generation
• 28:33
  because they're a reflection of us.
• 28:37
  We're all the same. We're all the same people.
• 28:40
  We are one person. When one person make it out, we
• 28:43
  all make it out. So that's kind of how I think
• 28:46
  about it or look at it holistically because we are we
• 28:52
  also want to see each other when that's just kind of been a
• 28:56
  person that I've always been just helping the next person,
• 28:59
  helping the next brother and the next sister and just being very
• 29:02
  supportive. Yeah, I think that's very
• 29:04
  important and very prominent that we need to be doing that
• 29:07
  more especially in our community, in a black community
• 29:10
  that yeah, we only as strong as as each other.
• 29:15
  Yeah, absolutely. And so you created the Save the
• 29:20
  Youth Foundation. What inspired you to start that
• 29:23
  and what part of your story showed up with making that
• 29:26
  decision to start it? It was.
• 29:28
  We inspired me to start. It was really my family.
• 29:30
  It's a family based organization, so I'm just being
• 29:33
  able to be a part of that keeps or be able to keep my family
• 29:36
  even closer as we matriculate and advance our organization as
• 29:41
  well. The first event I had was called
• 29:44
  the Save the Youth. It's called saved to youth.
• 29:48
  It was in my community and Linda Recreation Center, actually a
• 29:51
  place where I grew up at. I was able to be in a space
• 29:54
  where people pour into me, pour into my community.
• 29:58
  I'm pour into my siblings as well.
• 30:00
  The community, the, the rec center was definitely a space
• 30:05
  for us to be ourselves, be around people that look like us,
• 30:10
  that I wanted to grow and fine like follow our dreams.
• 30:15
  So my first event was there and honestly it was just, I feel
• 30:20
  like after that event, it was a column and all I did was more so
• 30:24
  just talk about my tribulation at Howard University.
• 30:28
  I was able to get to Howard University, what it looked like
• 30:31
  to go to to college because a lot of people in my community,
• 30:34
  they're not going to college. They don't know what college is
• 30:36
  about and they don't think it's attainable.
• 30:39
  So I think it's very important for someone like like me that is
• 30:43
  in college and have that experience and it can relate to
• 30:46
  people in my community because these are people that not only
• 30:50
  live in Columbus, but they live down the street from me, so
• 30:55
  around the corner. So these people, we probably
• 30:57
  watch each other grow up. So and I'm not even that much
• 31:00
  older than them. I'm maybe 3-4, five years older
• 31:04
  than these people. So I think it's very important
• 31:06
  as a as a younger person to be able to pour in and let everyone
• 31:10
  know that everything I'm doing that they can do it as well.
• 31:13
  They can start their own business.
• 31:14
  They can be an entrepreneur. They can start a clothing brand,
• 31:19
  they can start a nonprofit. They can get into real estate.
• 31:24
  They can start their hair business.
• 31:28
  They can do nails. They can do whatever that they
• 31:30
  put their mind to and it don't even have to just be going to
• 31:34
  college, but anything that they aspire to do that it could be,
• 31:38
  could be done like in any way, any capacity they, they think
• 31:42
  they could do it in. And I want that to be to be
• 31:46
  known, to be heard amongst everyone, that it doesn't have
• 31:50
  to be illegal things that you're doing or something that's
• 31:54
  performative or the wrong thing to make it out that they can do
• 31:59
  the right thing as well and be able to impact people on a
• 32:02
  greater level while doing it and bring other people up.
• 32:04
  Love that having grown up in a similar type of situation in the
• 32:09
  Midwest myself. So I grew up in Racine, WI, so
• 32:11
  I, I totally understand. And that was something else that
• 32:15
  drew me to your story and wanting you to come on, rise and
• 32:18
  thrive and share that with the audience.
• 32:21
  OK, so we're approaching graduation, and graduation is
• 32:24
  always Mother's Day weekend at Howard University.
• 32:27
  So when you look ahead, what kind of impact do you want your
• 32:32
  life to have? I want to have a global impact.
• 32:35
  Like I want to be able to impact everybody.
• 32:38
  It could be somebody's grandson or the mayor or the president.
• 32:45
  Like I want to be able to impact everyone in a very unique way.
• 32:48
  And it would be in different ways as well.
• 32:50
  So whatever they may look like and be from the men's summit, or
• 32:56
  it can be from a food drive, it could be anything.
• 33:01
  I just want to be able to impact people and no other way they can
• 33:06
  be impacted. Love that.
• 33:07
  And you have plenty of time, right?
• 33:09
  You have so much life ahead of you and before the global
• 33:12
  impact. What's the next steps?
• 33:14
  What are your plans post graduation?
• 33:17
  So yeah, my plan is as of now is to get my masters here at Howard
• 33:22
  University. So I do plan on being in the DC
• 33:25
  area as well and matriculating in in advancing Safety Youth
• 33:32
  Foundation while I'm doing it and working in in the DC area.
• 33:37
  OK, what are you going to get your masters in?
• 33:40
  So the plan I'm going to get my masters in economics, Urban
• 33:43
  Development. And that's in School of B.
• 33:46
  No, that's in the quads building.
• 33:48
  So in economics. Oh, OK.
• 33:52
  See, I didn't realize we had a whole separate economics.
• 33:56
  Yeah, department. OK, OK, awesome.
• 33:59
  All right, so we're continuing our study and going to be
• 34:02
  working and staying local. OK, OK.
• 34:05
  Good deal. Good deal.
• 34:07
  So for the person that's watching this who may be in a
• 34:10
  difficult season right now, what would you want them to hold on
• 34:14
  to? I will want them to always stay
• 34:16
  true to themselves and surround themselves around people that
• 34:23
  impact them in any way possible or inspire them.
• 34:28
  They surround themselves about those people that they feel like
• 34:33
  they can gain. Not always something like
• 34:37
  monetarily or physical, but like something that they can gain
• 34:42
  from like talking to them more so just words of like knowledge
• 34:48
  as well. So like just surround themselves
• 34:50
  around people that they think they can look up to or see
• 34:55
  themselves being around or think they can pour into as well.
• 35:01
  So something around that and definitely just remaining living
• 35:08
  a like a balanced life. You definitely don't want to
• 35:11
  overwork yourself and then you definitely don't want to get
• 35:15
  caught up too much into the social life.
• 35:17
  So just remaining and keeping that balance is very important
• 35:21
  as well. And actually, how did you
• 35:23
  maintain that balance being at Howard?
• 35:26
  Howard having its own social culture and then the District,
• 35:29
  the Columbia, DC having its own culture.
• 35:32
  How did you maintain that balance socially?
• 35:34
  I will. Always say just stand, stay in
• 35:39
  discipline, always knowing why, why I came to Howard and why I
• 35:43
  came to get my academics and knowing like my goal, my overall
• 35:48
  goal and what I want to do in my life and that what it needs to
• 35:51
  take to get to that goal and what's needed to be done got to
• 35:57
  be done. So.
• 35:58
  Yeah. Love that.
• 36:00
  Thank you so much. And before we close, I want to
• 36:02
  ask you something that we ask everyone who joins US here on
• 36:06
  Rise and Thrive. When you think about everything
• 36:08
  you've lived through and everything you've learned, if
• 36:11
  you could leave someone listening with one powerful
• 36:15
  truth to help them rise and thrive as they navigate their
• 36:18
  own journey, what would it be? What would it be?
• 36:21
  You can only be as much as you aspire to be.
• 36:25
  All right. Well, LB, what's so powerful
• 36:30
  about your story is not what you've been through, but it's
• 36:34
  who you chose to become because of it.
• 36:38
  And to walk through seasons that could have easily discouraged
• 36:41
  you. You've stepped into leadership
• 36:44
  and it's a purpose. And you are a reminder that hard
• 36:48
  seasons don't just define us, define us, they develop us.
• 36:53
  And thank you so much for spending time with us here today
• 36:57
  on Rise and Thrive. And to anyone watching and
• 37:00
  listening, if this conversation resonated with you, I want you
• 37:04
  to share it with someone who may need it.
• 37:06
  And if you haven't already, make sure you stay connected with
• 37:09
  this community. Wherever you're listening or
• 37:12
  watching, make sure you follow, you subscribe, and you stay
• 37:15
  plugged in with Rise and Thrive with Doctor J Nicole for more
• 37:18
  conversations that support your growth, your healing, and your
• 37:22
  purpose. And if you're ready to go
• 37:25
  deeper, we invite you to join this community where we keep
• 37:29
  these conversations going and where you're supported as you do
• 37:33
  work, as you do the work of rising and thriving on your own.
• 37:38
  LB If the people want to stay connected with you or what if
• 37:41
  they want to know more about Save the Youth, where can they
• 37:44
  find more information? Yeah, so if you want to stay
• 37:47
  connected and find me anywhere, you just look up LB Town Junior
• 37:52
  my name on the Internet, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and
• 37:59
  then for saved you foundation is saved youth dot FDN on
• 38:05
  Instagram, Facebook and on the Internet as well.
• 38:08
  So yeah, definitely stay connected and definitely want to
• 38:14
  network and reach out and build from this.
• 38:18
  And if you guys have any questions or would like to
• 38:21
  connect or just hear more about my story and about myself,
• 38:26
  definitely willing to do that as well.
• 38:28
  Well, thank you so much for being here.
• 38:30
  I'm Doctor J Nicole, and until next time, keep rising in faith
• 38:35
  and keep thriving in purpose. Take care.
• 38:39
  Thanks.