>> WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE
TONIGHT ON THE CHANGES THAT WE
STILL NEED TO MAKE AS A
COMMUNITY, BUT FIRST WE WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE
SUCCESSES.
>> IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE WITH
US SOME SPECIAL GUEST TONIGHT,
A GROUP OF THEM WHO HAVE SHOWN
DESPITE STRUGGLES AND
HOPELESSNESS, THAT CAN COME OUR
WAY THAT THESE GUYS CAN REALLY
HAVE MOONLIGHT, IN FACT OSCAR
GLORY, WE HAVE TONIGHT, TANISHA
SEIDEL, A PRINCIPAL IN THE
MOVIE, MOONLIGHT.
AND ALSO A TEACHER AT NORLIN
MILITARY
ONE OF THE MAIN STARS, HE PLAYS
A YOUNG KEVIN.
>> AND SHARIF ONE OF THE FIRST
PEOPLE YOU SEE IN THE MOVIE,
MOONLIGHT, HE PLACED HIM INTO
THE MOVIE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
TERRANCE, I WANT TO BEGIN WITH
YOU BECAUSE YOUR STORY IS SO
REMARKABLE IN HOW YOU ACTUALLY
DISCOVERED THE AUDITION OF THE
MOVIE MOONLIGHT.
YOU ARE REALLY IN A TOUGH PLACE
IN YOUR LIFE, RECOVERING FROM
SOME SERIOUS WOUNDS THAT YOU
SUFFERED WHILE IN LITTLE HAITI.
AND YOU BOUNCED BACK BY LOOKING
AT AN AUDITION ADVERTISEMENT
AND JUST TAKE US FROM THERE.
>> IT WAS A PRETTY DARK ROUGH
TIME IN MY LIFE I WAS A VICTIM
OF A VIOLENTCRIME.
ACTING AND ENTERTAINMENT ALL OF
THESE THINGS ALWAYS HAVE BEEN A
BIG PART OF MY LIFE AND THINGS
I ALWAYS WANTED TO PURSUE.
IT TOOK ME TO GET TO THAT DEEP,
DARK PLACE, AROUND THAT TIME TO
SAY YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO
LIVE, WHY NOT LIVE YOUR LIFE
CHASING YOUR DREAMS.
SO I WENT ONLINE, I SAID THE
FIRST THING I WANT TO SEE IS GO
FOR IT.
I SAW THE AD FOR MOONLIGHT.
IT WAS RIGHT ON THE STREET.
SO I LIMPED OVER THERE BECAUSE
I WAS A VICTIM OF GUNSHOT
WOUNDS, I LIMPED OVER THERE AND
GOT.
TIMES, AND IN BED LAID UP
WONDERING WHERE LIFE WAS TAKING
YOU, AND THEN YOU SEE THIS AD.
>> YES.
>> WASN'T LIKE A GODSEND?
WHAT'S I BELIEVE SO.
I'M OLD-FASHIONED, I BELIEVE IN
GOD.
>> THAT'S NOT OLD-FASHIONED.
>> I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN
AGREE WITH THAT.
ONCE YOU CAME OVER THERE VERY
HAD A REACTION, AND TERREL HAD
A REACTION TO YOU, WHAT WAS
THEIR REACTION WHEN YOU CAME
OVER FOR THE ROLE?
>> WELL AS SOON AS I LEFT
THERE, I GOT THE ROLE INSTANTLY
ON THE SPOT, I DIDN'T EVEN
NOTICE BECAUSE AS SOON AS I
LEFT VERY CLOSE THE DOOR AND HE
SAID, THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S
THE ONE.
WE FOUND HIM.
REALLY SPECIAL TO KNOW THAT
THEY NEEDED ME FOR THIS ROLE.
I JUST WANTED TO DO MY BEST.
>> IF IT HADN'T BEEN RAPED ON
THE STREET IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU NEVER
WOULD'VE MADE IT THERE.
YOUR LIFE WOULD'VE TAKEN A
DIFFERENT TURN.
IN THE MEANTIME, YOUR LIFE IS
MUCH YOUNGER, HOW IS THIS
CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
>> I GET MORE AUDITIONS, I
CAN'T RECOGNIZE JUST WALKING
AROUND.
PEOPLE ARE LIKE ALL MY GOSH
THAT'S THE ONE FROM MOONLIGHT.
I'M LIKE YEAH.
BUT JUST BEING bbIT'SBIG.
WATCHING MYSELF ON TV, ON THE
BIG SCREEN EVEN THOUGH I DON'T
LIKE TO.
BUT STILL.
JUST SEEING MYSELF IS WOW.
>> YOU WERE HEADED ON A
DIFFERENT PATH, YOU WERE INTO
SPORTS BEFORE THIS CAME ALONG,
NOW WHAT IS YOUR FUTURE GOAL?
>> JUST KEEP ACTING.
>> REALLY?
SERIOUSLY.
>> DOESN'T MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD,
JADEN, KNOWING WHAT USE EXPOSED
YOUR FAMILY TO?
DO THEY EXPECT TO BE ON THE RED
CARPET AT THE OSCARS?
>> NO, THEY PROBABLY EXPECTED
TO BE AT ONE OF MY NBA GAMES.
BECAUSE THAT WAS MY DREAM.
NEXT NO BIG DEAL.
>> ACTING CAME IN MY LIFE AND
THAT WAS IT.
>> YOU DON'T LIKE CONFIDENCE,
THIS WE KNOW, THIS IS GREAT,
YOU NEED THAT ON THE BIG
SCREEN
>> TANISHA, YOU ARE AMAZING, WE
WOULDN'T SO MANY STORIES ON YOU
YOUR DRAMA CLASS, WE ALL WANT
TO BE IN THAT CLASS PAIR THE
WAY YOU GET THE KIDS MOVING AND
EXPRESS THEMSELVES, YOU ALWAYS
TELL YOUR KIDS, ANYTHING CAN
HAPPEN.
AND IT DID.
>> IT DID.
WE WERE JUST BLOWN AWAY.
WE ARE BLOWN AWAY BY THE WHOLE
PROCESS PAIRED WITH THE FACT
THAT WHAT YOU TEACH IN THE
CLASSROOM, ANYTHING YOU SET
YOUR MIND TO, ANY GOAL ANYTHING
YOU WANT TO BE, IF YOU SET YOUR
MIND RIGHT YOU CAN DO IT.
AND IT HAPPENED.
I'M SO GLAD IT HAPPENEDINTHIS
COMMUNITY APPEARED I'M SO GLAD
IT HAPPENED IN MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AREA.
IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE ARTS
AND EDUCATIOPROGRAM THAT IS
SECOND TO NONE HERE.
>> IT'S ONE THING TO SAY IT TO
YOUR STUDENTS, IT'S ANOTHER
THING TO END UP IN AN
OSCAR-WINNINMOVIE, AND IN LA
AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS, HANGING
OUT WITH THE BIGGEST STARS ON
THE PLANET.
THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU
NEVER EVEN DREAMED.
>> NOT AT ALL.
TAKE IT AS IT CAME.
BUT IT WAS AN AMAZING
OPPORTUNITY.
WE SEIZED IT.
I THINK THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER
THING THAT WE NEED TO ALLOW OUR
KIDS TO UNDERSTAND, IF THERE IS
SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO,
DON'T ALLOW ANY BARRIER TO STOP
YOU FROM GOING AFTER YOUR GOAL.
THAT IS THE LESSON.
>> DO YOU KNOW DEEP DOWN THAT
YOU ARE REACHING KIDS THAT
COULD MAKE A POOR CHOICE?
KIDS THAT COULD CHOOSE GUNS OR
VIOLENCE, THEY'RE CHOOSING YOUR
PROGRAM?
>> ABSOLUTE LEAP YOUR TYPING OF
MORE PARENTS AND TEACHERS WOULD
UNDERSTAND THAT AS LONG AS YOU
SHARE YOUR HEART WITH THEM, IF
YOU CONTINUE TO SPEAK LIFE INTO
THEM, AND LOVE AND SAY I SEE
YOU, I KNOW YOU, LET'S FIGURE
OUT WHAT GIFT YOU HAVEN'T
CULTIVATED.
DO THAT, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND
THEY CAN DO ANYTHING.
>> I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD,
WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAVE TO ADD
WOOD TO WHAT SHE JUST SAID CAN
I.
>> I BELIEVE A LOT OF CHILDREN
HAVE GIFTS BUT THEY DON'T HAVE
ANY MEANS TO CULTIVATE IT LIKE
SHE SAID.
THERE'S NO PROGRAMS OR THINGS,
A LOT OF THESE KIDS GET INTO
TROUBLE OUT OF SHEER BOREDOM OR
THERE'S NOTHING TO DO.
YOU LOOK OUTSIDE AND IT'S
HOPELESS.
JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE THESE
PROGRAMS OR ANYTHING YOU SEE I
THE KID, JUST PUSH THEM.
>> SHARIF, YOUTH INCORPORATED
YOU CAN REACH SOME KIDS NOW IN
THE POSITION YOU ARE INCORRECT.
>> YES OF COURSE THERE THAT'S
ALL I WANT TO DO IS HELP YOUTH
AND I APPLAUD ANYBODY OUT THERE
WHO IS PUSHING FORWARD TO HELP
THE YOUTH.
BECAUSE THE MOST VALUABLE THING
THAT WE HAVE AS A NATION, AS A
PEOPLE, ARE OUR YOUTH.
>> HOW MANY MORE JADEN'S AND
SHARIF'S, AND BARRY JENKINS,
AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN THE MOVIE, HOW MANY MORE OF
THOSE ARE IN THE PORK AND
BEANS?
IN LIBERTY CITY IN LITTLE HAITI
AND OVERTOWN IN?
>> LIMITLESS.
LIMITLESS.
AGAIN, IF THEY UNDERSTAND THAT
THEY CAN DO ANYTHING, IF YOU
SPEAK TO THEM AND CONFIDENTLY
ENCOURAGE THEM INSTEAD OF
TEARING THEM DOWN, THAT'S THE
KEY.
THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW THERE IS
HOPE.
ASK WHAT IS THAT BEGAN, AT
HOME?
>> AND BEGINS AT HOME AND IN
THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP WE WOULD
GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.
WE HAD HOMEWORK AND THEN WE
WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.
TODAY IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE NEIGHBORLY b
bWE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE
NEIGHBORLY FOR LACK OF A BETTER
WORD, RELATIONSHIPS.
>> THE VILLAGE MENTALITY.
>> CORRECT, AS A COMMUNITY WE
NEED TO BUY INTO THAT MORE.
AND WE WON'T HAVE AS MANY
SHOOTINGS, AS MANY bbPEOPLE
THEIR BOARD.
PROGRAMS, PUT THEM IN THE
PROGRAMS, AND DO SOMETHING FOR
THEM.
>> ARE YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND NOW
GOING TO TAKE THIS PROGRAM TO
OTHER COMMUNITIES,
>> EXACTLY.
THANK GOD COMMISSIONER BARBARA
JORDAN REALLY INSPIRED ME AND
KIND OF DONATED TO OUR BUSINESS
AND WHAT WE ARE DOING A SUMMER
BAND CAMP, WERE ALSO DOING
THEATER, ACTING, VOCAL
WORKSHOPS, SUMMER SERIES,
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER
KIDS GET THE OPPORTUNITY.
>> JADEN, LIFE REALLY IS ABOUT
EXPOSURE, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO
OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MIGHT'VE
HAD HOOP DREAMS LIKE YOU THAT
THERE'S ANOTHER WORLD OUT
THERE.
>> THEIR DREAM MIGHT BE SPORTS,
BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER
THINGS TO DO IN LIFE INSTEAD OF
ONLY SPORTS.
SO YOU CAN SHOW THAT BLACK KIDS
ARE AMAZING AND SPECIAL.
[APPLAUSE]
SO MANY GIFTS.
>> JADEN, A.K.A. WILL SMITH.
THINK YOU SO MUCH.