Over the last week or so, social media has went wild with chatter and feedback after pictures surfaced of a cornrowed Kendrick Lamar visiting President Obama at the White House.
The pair met back in October when the Grammy-nominated rapper was in Washington D.C. for a performance at the Kennedy Center. Lamar spoke about the experience in a new informative video on the importance of mentorship called Pay It Forward on the Top Dawg Entertainment Vimeo page:
“As a kid, having a mentor was vital to me. Always being there when it counted allowed me to make some of the most important decisions while growing up. So it’s only right that I mentor a younger person with the same wisdom that was given to me. If it helps the next kid become a better person in life, I will forever be aware of my influence and pay it forward. I look where I’m at today and realize that most of my success is owed to the mentors that was in my life.”
“I sat down with President Barack Obama and shared the same views, topics concerning the inner cities, the problem, the solutions and furthermore embracing the youth. Both being aware that mentoring saves lives. Sometimes I reflect and think back: Where would I be if I didn’t have the presence of an older acquaintance telling me what’s right and what’s wrong, telling me the pros and cons of every move I was about to make, telling me the best way to plan success for my future? Join me in paying it forward. Support My Brother’s Keeper by being a mentor in real life.”
Launched in 2014, My Brother’s Keeper is an initiative that seeks to address opportunity gaps often faced by young men of color and pair them with mentors who can help and support them as they grow into adulthood.
“Helping more of our young people stay on track,” President Obama said. “Providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future. Building on what works – when it works, in those critical life-changing moments.”
To learn more about the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, please visit www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper
