- My future yesterday could have looked another way.
A view from this podium, from where I share my past today.
- [Narrator] A logo for the CDC appears,
featuring an abstract bird made of human faces in profile.
The scene opens to a wooden podium
and a microphone in front of a wall of black curtains.
A young man steps to the podium
wearing a blue cap and gown with a white stole.
He sets down a trophy worn with age
and turns on the microphone.
He takes a deep breath and then begins to speak.
(uplifting music)
- [Young Man] My neighborhood could have stood vacant,
lots abandoned, no ground for play, sidewalks, parks.
Bored by day and after dark nervous, leaving our houses.
- [Narrator] The podium rolls out of view
and the curtain is pulled back to reveal
a set constructed on a soundstage.
The set consists of a derelict home
with cinder blocks for steps and a broken shutter.
To the left of the house is a liquor store
with bars on the windows and several neon signs.
On the other side of the house is an abandoned lot
filled with construction debris and trash.
A ragged fence lines the back of the lot.
The scene is dark and ominous.
- [Young Man] My babysitters might have been
cold cereal and TV friends.
With bills to pay, no living wage,
Mom works two jobs, needs us to stay alone
with our struggles private.
Don't know whether it's public help.
- [Narrator] A preteen boy kicks a can
and walks into the home.
Once inside, a girl is resting on the couch
and the mother is talking on the phone
as she walks out of the kitchen into the dining area.
The home is sparsely furnished and dimly lit,
a past due bill in the mother's hands as she hugs the boy.
- [Young Man] My family's future
would've remained marked by my sister's illness.
Medical bills, financial strain, seeing my parents fight,
hearing the raised voices.
Uninsured and afraid, it's tough to make choices.
- [Narrator] The boy, now elementary age, enters a bedroom.
He walks to his sister's bed and tucks her in
as she lays there, coughing.
The boy then picks up a trophy
and clutches it to his chest as he sits on his bed.
Above his bed, several awards are displayed,
hanging from a shelf.
- [Young Man] But my future yesterday
did not become a tale of caution.
I rose above because you saw your future in me.
- [Narrator] The camera moves through the bedroom window
to reveal a partially illustrated outdoor scene.
The abandoned lot is littered
with trash cans, debris and puddles.
Beyond the lot are several neglected houses,
a water tower, and a city skyline in the distance.
As the camera pans to the right,
grass and trees begin to grow.
The abandoned lot is replaced by a park bench,
a community garden, a playground, several people gardening,
and a man with a bicycle.
The houses are repainted
and a soccer ball is kicked across the grass.
- [Young Man] Our community became extended family,
opening doors when my parents needed more.
They found people to help and local resources.
Our home visitor taught us skills
to manage stressful situations like my sister's sickness.
It connected our family with health services.
Our outside supports built inside stability.
Dad's new skills and found job
led to shared kitchen creativity.
- [Narrator] The camera moves back into the boy's bedroom.
The room is now brightly lit by sunlight.
The boy gets up from the bed and grabs his sister's hand,
who is now neatly dressed.
They walk through the door into the living room,
which is also now brightly lit and neatly decorated.
His parents are seated on the couch
with a woman who is holding an iPad.
As the father stands up,
the mother helps him put on a white coat
- [Young Man] Full hearts and full bellies,
priceless conversations.
Mom working one job eased our situation.
Our community planned to pride in me.
These hands harvested food, fed families.
Greening our community means people garden
to see neighbors, friends, outdoors.
- [Narrator] The brother and the sister
have visibly aged several years and are wearing backpacks
as they walk toward the front door.
As the siblings leave the house
and wave to a friend passing by,
the porch is now well kept and clean.
The cinder block stairs have been replaced
with wooden steps, and a flower box now adorns the window
where the broken shutter had previously been.
The liquor store has been replaced
with an inviting grocery store,
and the abandoned lot is now a community garden
with a park bench.
(uplifting music)
- Today, I stand before you
because yesterday, you stood behind me.
My future yesterday is our celebration today
and our stronger tomorrow.
- [Director] Okay, cut!
- The story you've just seen represents
more than one person's experiences.
We've only highlighted three
of the many ways in which you can help
stop adverse childhood experiences before they start.
Everyone plays a role. You can too.
Learn how to create positive relationships
and environments for all children in your community.
Visit vetoviolence.cdc.gov
- [Narrator] The wall of black curtains close,
and the young man at the podium
returns to continue his speech.
The light dim and the director calls cut.
The young man steps down from the podium
and continues to address the viewer.
The black curtain is pulled back again
to reveal the film crew working on the set.
A logo for Veto Violence appears,
featuring an abstract person with outstretched arms.