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🌟BREAKING BARRIERS: Meet BBBS's First Black CEO🌟 | Sway's Universe
Subscribe now for an exclusive interview with a true game-changer, Artis Stevens, the first Black CEO in the 100-year history of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In this groundbreaking conversation on Sway In The Morning, Stevens and Sway dive deep into the transformative power of mentorship, unveiling the impact of the Game Changers initiative. Discover how BBBS is breaking barriers and shaping futures through community and connection.
Get ready for an enlightening discussion that explores the challenges and triumphs of mentorship, the impressive statistics backing BBBS's programs, and the compelling personal stories that highlight the mutual benefits of being a mentor. Stevens shares his journey from a small town in Georgia to leading one of the most influential mentorship programs in the nation, emphasizing the importance of access, opportunity, and the undeniable power of being present in a young person’s life.
This video is a must-watch for anyone wanting to inspire change and make a difference in the world. Whether you're interested in becoming a mentor or simply looking to understand the profound impact of mentorship on both mentors and mentees, this conversation will leave you motivated and moved. #SwaysUniverse #GameChangers #Mentorship #ArtisStevens
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#Education #TylerJamesWilliams #MentorshipProgram #Leadership #Reviews
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Big Brothers Big Sisters of America CEO Artis Stevens
1:53 - Impact of Mentorship Programs
8:16 - Sway's Involvement in Game Changers Initiative
12:48 - Pairing with a Mentor: A Guide
15:47 - Celebrities as Role Models: A Debate
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
you hear that Heather be absolutely it's
0:02
a conversation we started the day off
0:04
with we were talking about mentorship uh
0:07
because my colleague is coming up here
0:09
today Heather I was really excited about
0:11
this um I had an opportunity to be a
0:13
part of uh the the Big Brothers Big
0:16
Sisters of America initiative called
0:18
Game Changers right and with us right
0:21
now we have the
0:23
CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of
0:27
America and he's the first of his hue in
0:30
over a hundred
0:32
years he's the first black CEO of Big
0:35
Brothers Big Sisters of America in a
0:38
hundred years
0:40
wow the man comes super qualified to be
0:43
in the position and the role that he's
0:45
here to play I want to welcome him to
0:47
the show my colleague and now friend
0:49
give it up for artist Stevens citizens
0:52
artist Stevens is here artist Stevens is
0:55
here hey y'all history maker thank y'all
0:57
for having me on where you from artist
0:59
St all right so I'm from Bruns
1:01
Georgia yeah y probably like where is
1:03
that yeah yeah yeah I only heard Georgia
1:06
I didn't hear that first part yeah
1:07
that's that's Georgia so so I live in
1:08
Atlanta now but um no I grew up uh in
1:11
small town right grew up in a small town
1:13
um but always had a village right and we
1:15
know what that's about right I had a
1:17
village around me a community of people
1:18
that believed in me um and I always say
1:20
the same thing right the what I had in
1:23
my life growing up was a level of access
1:26
right access through people different
1:27
mentors uh and all those folks related
1:30
to me by Blood it was people who were
1:32
related to me by Spirit right and that's
1:35
the important thing even as we think
1:37
about today and we talk about mentorship
1:39
is the connection that we have as human
1:40
beings in this world and the connection
1:42
to ensure that more young people and
1:44
that's what Big Brothers Big Sisters
1:45
about have the type of opportunities
1:47
experience and access so that we create
1:49
much more uh opportunity and access in
1:51
their lives artist Stevens say here I
1:53
like this let's talk about it you know
1:56
what in terms of mentorship what are
1:58
some statistics you could show so not
2:00
not everybody has access to mentors yeah
2:03
and and that's one of the biggest
2:04
challenges wayway that when you look in
2:06
our country right now one in three kids
2:08
don't have a positive sustained Mentor
2:10
in their lives right we look at even Big
2:13
Brothers Big Sisters we got 30,000 kids
2:16
on our waiting list 30,000 for mentors
2:18
for mentors 30,000 kids now now take now
2:21
even parts that lists down 30,000 most
2:24
of those kids are boys most of those
2:26
boys are boys of color right now what
2:30
we're looking at and what we we've said
2:31
is the idea of trying to attract mentors
2:35
is about understanding the power what
2:36
mentorship makes in your life we know
2:38
that personally almost everybody can say
2:41
hey somebody who's made some type of
2:43
difference and impact in your lives or
2:44
that you've done it for someone else
2:46
when you look at our mission here's what
2:47
we know about mentorship 91% of our kids
2:50
have a stronger sense of self-esteem and
2:52
belonging right when they're involved in
2:53
our programs of mentorship 92 are in
2:56
trct to graduate
2:58
93% are voice some kind of risky
3:00
behavior in their lives right but I also
3:03
like to tell people this that 90% of our
3:05
volunteers the adults say that the young
3:08
person made more impact on their life
3:10
see that part right and that's the power
3:12
of mentorship it's reciprocal it's not
3:14
just the idea and absolutely it's about
3:15
young people but you're better you're a
3:18
better person you get more out of it as
3:21
well so there's an exchange in the power
3:23
of what young people can do in our lives
3:24
and in our broader communities as well
3:26
artist Stevens is here Big Brothers Big
3:28
Sisters of America I'm keep saying this
3:30
with promoting game changers we had a
3:33
conversation today and I was speaking
3:35
about a young lady that I mentored by
3:37
the name of jamela Mustafa who works
3:39
over at MTV U some years ago I was
3:42
instrumental and um getting her the job
3:44
over there her along with a guy by the
3:46
name of Kevin Kenny and since then it's
3:48
been like a mentor uh Mentor is that the
3:51
word mentee relationship and I was
3:54
telling Tracy today I've learned so much
3:56
the I I've the gratification and the
3:59
appreciation of her what I'm learning
4:00
from her being her Mentor has enhanced
4:04
me and I think that's the message that
4:06
we want to get across to folks who could
4:08
be potential mentors and don't don't
4:10
even realize it can you speak more to
4:13
that like what does it take to be a
4:14
mentor yeah um we get asked that
4:17
question a lot I'll tell you why people
4:19
choose not to Mentor sometimes right and
4:21
you find it across and and and this is
4:24
really important because we started
4:25
really asking the question and and doing
4:27
a lot of like research on What's the to
4:30
mentorship the number one thing that
4:31
people tell us about is time right
4:34
that's that's the obvious thing so
4:36
here's the the real truth right it
4:38
doesn't take a lot right so typically
4:40
when folks Mentor with us it is about
4:42
two times a month right and it's an hour
4:45
each time that they volunteer um and
4:48
what typically happens when they start
4:49
volunteer they actually want to
4:50
volunteer more and the kids like hey
4:52
slow it down right um but it's not
4:55
Mentor is not just even that kind of
4:56
formalized way it's the sense of can you
4:59
you have a career experience right so
5:01
what you were just saying sway right a
5:03
mentorship moment is do you Enlighten do
5:06
you expose right do you provide access
5:08
and experience so we do we're the
5:09
largest provider of workplace mentoring
5:11
in the country right now meaning
5:13
workplaces we bring kids into workplaces
5:15
wow and connection and show hey how do
5:17
you set up AV behind a studio right or
5:20
how do you host a show like this and
5:22
show them behind the scenes and
5:23
background so that's the number one
5:24
thing number two is and this is
5:27
particularly true with men they'll say
5:30
I ain't perfect right it feels like it's
5:33
it's a it's a the burden of I I've been
5:36
through a whole bunch of stuff in my
5:37
life hey I may I could have been you
5:39
know incarcerated for something I could
5:40
have had a challenge in my life that
5:42
wasn't right it could have had some type
5:43
of emotional trauma on me and here's the
5:46
thing about that you don't have to be
5:47
perfect just got to be present you just
5:49
got to be present just got to be present
5:51
you don't have truth yeah just being
5:53
present that's the truth man present and
5:56
and the thing that we try to emphasize
5:58
is the idea of being pre presence is
6:00
also bringing your imperfections right
6:03
knowing that auth like our authenticity
6:04
in life is that we're not perfect that
6:07
we do have challenge yeah and our young
6:08
people are actually looking for that
6:10
they want they don't want someone who's
6:11
perfect coming into their life saying
6:13
hey everything went right for me it's
6:15
telling your true story being your true
6:17
self so when we look at mentorship we
6:19
know those are some of the burdens but
6:21
so much of it is things like this where
6:23
you can educate people to say this is
6:25
the true reality of you getting involved
6:28
and then here's the true when you do
6:31
that you make that kind of impact on
6:32
kids talk about that impact though yeah
6:34
so the the impact is both individually
6:37
but the impact is also Community right
6:39
and here's the thread and the thread for
6:42
us is we know that if we can be
6:44
transformative in kids lives then kids
6:46
are going to be transformative in the
6:47
communities that they serve and that's
6:49
what we we're finding out more through
6:50
our work in our investment that we're
6:52
seeing that companies are coming to us
6:55
because they're saying wait a minute we
6:58
can get our employ employees much more
7:00
engaged so our employees feel more
7:02
purposeful in their jobs we can create a
7:05
pipeline because we have a whole bunch
7:06
of companies who come to us and say well
7:08
we can't find skilled workers yeah
7:10
Talent workers well then part of the
7:12
equation to the economy getting better
7:14
is to find where the talent is Talent is
7:16
everywhere in this country opportunity
7:18
is not so we're being a bridge to say
7:21
how do we create Bridges and connections
7:23
so that talent in our communities and
7:26
particularly in Black communities and
7:27
brown communities have connection where
7:29
young people can actually start earlier
7:31
in the process and get access to jobs
7:33
and trainings and skill set so it makes
7:35
our communities better why it's making
7:37
young people better mental health is the
7:39
other thing so that's another big area
7:41
we have one of the most Progressive
7:42
programs that talk about black men and
7:44
black boys health and the importance of
7:46
mentorship and support of relationships
7:49
because we know that that is connected
7:51
to the opportunity they have to be sound
7:53
to be framed and black boys are the last
7:57
one of the last populations to raise
7:58
their hand mm when there's a mental
8:00
health situation that's going on their
8:01
lives so it perpetuates right but what
8:03
if we could intervene earlier right and
8:06
that's the programming that we're doing
8:07
right now to try to intervene earlier
8:09
with the types of relationships so they
8:11
identify and then we can help address it
8:13
not as mental health experts but to
8:15
bring the right Community within artist
8:17
Stevens is here man uh listen I want to
8:19
we're going to be talking about this
8:20
because I've joined Heather and Tracy
8:23
yes I'm a member of Big Brothers Big
8:25
Sisters of America I'm official I'm I'm
8:29
officially what they deem a game changer
8:32
that's right a game changer this game
8:34
changer initiative um has a slew of some
8:37
really amazing people that's a part of
8:40
it um I'm just one part of it um but
8:43
there's friends of mine Nate burlson get
8:46
that man a round of applause he's a game
8:48
changer to what's up y'all okay uh K
8:51
Kelvin beIN give him a round of applause
8:54
he's a game changer um Tony Cole's give
8:57
him a round of applause game Chang anger
9:00
uh I want to say Wayne Brady is Wayne
9:02
Brady Wayne that's my guy Wayne Brady WB
9:05
Wayne
9:06
Brady he's a game changer name some of
9:09
the other game changers and what what
9:11
are the roles we're going to what are
9:12
some of the things we're going to be
9:13
seeing um Damon John Damon John my
9:16
brother another C another we we have and
9:19
here's the beauty of of what we're doing
9:22
um is we're broadness across pretty much
9:24
every industry right that you can think
9:26
of media um Sports right business
9:30
education one of the one of the ones I'm
9:32
also proud of is uh mle Abdullah Dr M
9:35
Abdul who's the president of Virginia
9:37
State University one of our HBCU right
9:40
it is being able to sort of establish in
9:42
every because we know when kids see it
9:45
they can be it right and that's the
9:46
whole point about these game changers is
9:49
showing it and showing folks like you
9:50
way and I and I know you just said
9:52
yourself a little bit but I gota give
9:53
you props brother because you know you
9:55
were one of the first people that we
9:56
thought about we thought about this
9:57
initiative because one the way you
10:00
communicate the way you talk about
10:01
mentorship the way you live your life
10:03
and the values but also your
10:05
intentionality right and that was
10:07
important for us to have people who were
10:08
really authentic and walk in the walk
10:10
right tr's laughing because she knows a
10:12
little bit about my life that's not on
10:13
the surface but goe I'm laugh CU I know
10:17
it's difficult for you to receive these
10:19
beautiful words too as truth yeah that's
10:22
true it's real and it's real but that's
10:24
that's what we should be we should be
10:26
giving flowers right and and and it's
10:28
also about the idea of Sean so like
10:31
think about this all across this country
10:32
we got Billboards up with these faces so
10:35
wait hold up say that again say that
10:37
again cuz last year I got a mural in my
10:38
face in Oakland go ahead just the part
10:41
artist sell it baby it listen all so we
10:43
have this campaign that that that we
10:45
started this billboard campaign that
10:47
have these game changers so all the
10:49
names that that sway just mentioned and
10:51
himself and and sway uh we got you we
10:53
got you up people are passing your your
10:55
billboard right we've gotten a whole
10:57
bunch of texts and notes on it by the
10:58
way yeah yeah people are like wow like
11:01
how did you guys pull this off how you
11:03
how you did this we got we got to make
11:04
sure we get a a full of view we going to
11:06
go do that we going do it where where's
11:07
the billboard located yeah so so we got
11:09
it all across the country so they're in
11:11
New York I think we I think we're trying
11:13
to work I can't guarantee this way I
11:15
think we're trying to work on one in
11:16
Oakland for you you got to do Oakland
11:18
we're trying if you do let me know the
11:20
location I can tell you the best places
11:22
to put it all right wow how much is your
11:25
ego involved in this
11:27
mentorship but people to see it though I
11:30
will tell you this though the to the
11:32
point you just said you want people to
11:33
see it right but here's why it's so
11:35
important that people see it it's it's
11:37
important that people see it because the
11:39
only way that we create much more access
11:41
for people men in particular with this
11:45
particular campaign to get involved is
11:47
they have to see others right and we got
11:49
to elevate it right so that others see
11:51
it and they understand the things that I
11:53
just said that it doesn't take too much
11:55
right it takes little to be big right in
11:57
a young person's life that's part of our
11:58
camp pain takes little to be big on that
12:01
work and then the other thing is in some
12:03
of the texts that we receive some of the
12:05
notes that we receive has been from
12:06
families has been from some of our
12:09
Littles right who's saying oh I didn't
12:11
know sway was part of Big Brothers Big
12:13
Sisters right I didn't know Damon John
12:15
was part of Big Brothers Big Sisters
12:17
back to this concept if you can see it
12:19
you can be it right so the more that
12:21
they have knowledge understanding about
12:24
people like you and that you're part of
12:26
a journey like this and they know more
12:28
about your story M that's how we create
12:30
the connection for young people in our
12:31
communities who feel like sometimes that
12:34
they can't achieve or the odds are
12:36
against them right there's always going
12:38
to be odds against us right what helps
12:40
us is when we have community and
12:41
partners and people and mentors who are
12:43
in our corner to help change those odds
12:45
artist Stevens man this is the CEO Big
12:48
Brothers Big Sisters of America look for
12:49
the Billboards there everywhere you want
12:51
to go on a platform to find out more
12:53
where can they go yeah so if you want to
12:55
find out more all you have to go is uh
12:57
go to bbig now.org or again that's bbig
13:00
now.org uh Again part of our campaign
13:02
and it's really simple too you can put
13:04
in your zip code and you can find the
13:06
local Big Brothers Big Sisters that's
13:07
near you if you want to give or support
13:10
and make a donation because what we do
13:12
is we have staff that's on the ground
13:13
and make these in technology that make
13:15
these matches work so investment is also
13:18
important so if you want to give you can
13:19
give at the same website and here's the
13:20
last thing I'll say you know yes Big
13:22
Brothers Big Sisters doing a lot of work
13:25
um and we're proud of the work that
13:26
we're doing we're the leading
13:27
organization in it but with always say
13:29
to people whether it's with us or anyone
13:31
else whether it's in your church whether
13:33
it's in the Juvenile Justice System
13:36
whether it's in the community Mentor
13:38
whether it's in your family or extended
13:40
family the power of mentorship is the
13:42
most important thing so whether you go
13:43
on our website or whether you go on
13:45
someone else's website do it commit to a
13:48
child's life because it's going to make
13:49
a difference in their lives and your own
13:51
big.org bbig now bbig now.org have the B
13:55
artist thank you so much for joining us
13:57
um I have a question I I've always been
13:59
curious how Big Brother Big Sister
14:01
program works I remember being a kid and
14:03
like seeing commercials and different
14:05
things like that but present day if I
14:08
were to hear about this program and I
14:10
find out like someone like sway I'm a
14:12
kid I'm in the hip hop someone like sway
14:15
is a big brother how do I get to a sway
14:18
like do you pair people with the SIM how
14:21
does it work like how do I end up with a
14:23
mentor that can kind of help me what I'm
14:26
interested in yeah that's a really great
14:28
question so essentially when you come
14:29
into one of our local organizations they
14:31
find out all about you as a young person
14:34
and your family we do the same thing for
14:36
the volunteer and we go through a
14:38
process of matching the young person the
14:40
Vol we call it a match right and then
14:43
when you get matched we have paid staff
14:45
who helps to navigate that right so that
14:48
the young person volunteer everybody
14:49
feels safe everybody feels empowered
14:51
right they go through the process and
14:52
then it's always driven by youth voice
14:54
and Youth Empowerment so in our program
14:57
young people are at the center right so
14:59
it's not about hey here's what you're
15:00
gonna do young person it's about what do
15:02
you need what's your interest what are
15:04
the opportunities and it's about then
15:06
designing to help you grow but you know
15:08
what's most important is that there's no
15:10
one cut way that we do it what we say if
15:13
a young person is looking for a career
15:14
opportunity we're going to help you find
15:16
it if you're looking just for a friend
15:18
right and have a partner and a friend
15:20
we're going to help you find it right if
15:21
it's part of man I'm having challenge
15:23
with my mental health well we're going
15:25
to come in we're going to help you find
15:27
it and that's where I feel like in terms
15:29
of being a solution today is that we
15:30
don't have to solve all the things right
15:33
we just got to be a conduit that we can
15:36
help bring the type of supports and
15:38
resources around young people's lives
15:39
and that's what we try to commit and do
15:41
artist Stevens I'mma keep saying his
15:43
name CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of
15:45
America Tracy G yes this is such an
15:47
empowering conversation artist I'm
15:49
really really grateful you're on the
15:50
show um over the years we've seen a lot
15:53
of celebrities reject the title role
15:55
model right they'll say it straight up I
15:57
ain't trying to be nobody's roll bottle
15:59
make sure anything that affects these
16:01
children speak to the parents first
16:03
speak to the parents first speak to the
16:04
parents first one do you feel like we
16:06
should abolish the title role model like
16:09
how necessary is it in our um modern day
16:13
society and and I we are all learning
16:16
from entertainers to some degree mainly
16:18
on a subconscious um level what can we
16:23
do to what would you tell a child so
16:26
that they can begin to kind of moderate
16:29
how much they're impacted influenced by
16:33
celebrity culture because they may have
16:35
a mentor that they see but if they spend
16:39
triple their time on social media that
16:42
might erase what they've learned of does
16:44
that make sense with their ment yeah
16:46
yeah no so so to the first part of your
16:48
question what what we try to and this is
16:51
this is on a lot of times of
16:52
conversations with young people that we
16:54
have what we talk about a lot is not
16:57
Framing and not being Boxed In by titles
17:00
right or even framings of words right
17:02
like what you just said about Role
17:03
Models what we talk about is action
17:06
right the idea of action is what's most
17:08
important in the work that we do and
17:10
what I would say to the concept of role
17:12
model typically the the most powerful
17:14
Role Models your life is going to be the
17:15
people that's most closest to you right
17:17
who who is in your circle who's in your
17:19
so part of our job is to get more people
17:21
around the circle that inner circle of
17:23
young people so they have access to that
17:25
because that ultimately is what makes
17:27
the difference your life yet we can't
17:30
ignore that there's a broader cultural
17:32
influence right to what our young people
17:34
see what they get influenced by the
17:36
connectivity that they have right in
17:38
their lives so there's two parts of that
17:40
for me I think one in terms of a
17:42
responsibility that we all have being a
17:44
role model doesn't mean that you got to
17:46
act in a certain way every single day
17:48
right what it means is for me is the
17:50
idea of what can you give back right
17:53
that's meaningful and thoughtful right
17:55
so it's not saying you got to act a
17:57
certain way like I think it was one of
17:59
yeah some celebrities say I'm not a a
18:00
role model it is how do you think about
18:03
what's been given to you and then the
18:05
responsibility that we all have to give
18:07
back right to give back to our
18:08
communities and help to lift up our
18:10
communities because you didn't get here
18:11
alone right none of us to do and when
18:13
you remember that it helps that to me
18:15
when we talk about being a role model is
18:17
your responsibility and purpose to give
18:19
back to what helped you and then the
18:21
community and then the last thing I will
18:23
say is just in terms of young people and
18:25
seeing things like social media one of
18:28
the key parts of having an inner circle
18:29
is navigation social media is not going
18:31
away yeah right and it's going to
18:33
continue I I got two two daughters right
18:35
16 and 14 right and they lovees yeah
18:38
they love themselves from social media
18:40
right but part of the responsibility is
18:42
not to say hey don't use social media
18:44
and say Here's how you use it and
18:45
navigate it the right way here's how you
18:47
harness it to do positive things as well
18:50
and here's how you even decipher when
18:52
you see things right that you question
18:54
so that information just doesn't come
18:56
and you got a young mind just saying hey
18:57
here's what it is but it's having people
18:59
that you can talk to about it that helps
19:01
you to have to be the sounding board the
19:03
conversation the discussion I feel like
19:05
that's the way we need to think and talk
19:07
about within our communities but it also
19:09
takes bringing our communities around
19:12
young people who don't always have that
19:14
right I was blessed and fortunate to
19:16
have it unfortunately there's a lot of
19:18
kids that don't have that right so then
19:19
we try to say and we then we put kids in
19:22
the box or we say they're this and we
19:23
say they're that no they're not any of
19:25
that stuff they got power they got
19:27
potential they just got to have the
19:29
opportunity to harness the right way
19:30
which is why organizations and missions
19:32
like this are so important my man I love
19:35
it man I love it look for our Billboards
19:39
game changers Billboards all over the
19:41
country have to be I'm driving down a
19:43
different block I different highways I
19:45
got I got tagged on my um Instagram by a
19:48
lot of drivers who are seeing this big
19:50
ass billboard it don't even look real
19:53
you got to see it yo artist where can
19:55
she see it she's in Jersey yeah well you
19:58
know what we going to send you something
19:59
so no don't send it do I need to see a
20:01
lify picture it's huge Heather it's like
20:04
a real Highway billboard oh gosh stab
20:07
it's huge and I'm proud to be a part of
20:10
Game Changers I'm going tell you
20:11
something man and I'm proud of you you
20:13
come a long way to get to this point I
20:15
appreciate first black CEO over 100
20:17
years you're breaking down doors you're
20:19
making strides and people going to
20:21
Aspire to be the same way you are the
20:24
courageousness I read your history all
20:26
the work it took for you to get into
20:27
this position welld deserved and I think
20:30
the organization is in great hands
20:31
whatever we can do we are here for it
20:34
all right all right my manst Stevens man
20:37
that give out the information citizens
20:39
hit this site up bbig now.org check it
20:43
out come and learn more about our work
20:45
and our mission uh and I just want to
20:47
say as we close too yes thank you all
20:49
thank you all for continuing to raise
20:51
this profile this platform this
20:53
conversation around mentorship this
20:54
conversation about how we get back right
20:56
and be our authentic s to help improve
20:58
our community so I'm thankful to you all
21:00
right thank you artist Stevens you do an
21:01
excellent job come back anytime this
21:03
might have to be a monthly thing who are
21:05
people these are team right here is this
21:06
team this this is this is my team Devon
21:09
and pay get them on camera get them on
21:10
camera they deserve they working hard
21:12
there you go Devon and paig yeah P pay
21:15
yeah p i p i pay good to meet you all
21:19
right you see them right there okay give
21:21
them a big round of applause as
21:27
well
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