Stand & Deliver's 2019 Night of Eloquence

The Stand & Deliver youth communication and leadership development program celebrated its 20th anniversary. This special edition of One-on-One highlights the program's annual Night of Eloquence, an evening of celebration for these students to share their performances showcasing their "Be The Change" ideas for bringing realistic, positive change to their communities.

8/31/19 #2247

Excerpt:

"Hi, I'm Steve Adubato. You know, about 20 years ago, in fact, exactly 20 years ago, our organization created something called Stand & Deliver. It's a leadership development program for inner city youth, in Newark, and other communities around the state, around the region. The whole idea was to teach communication skills, leadership skills, and every year, we have something called the Stand & Deliver Night of Eloquence. So what you're about to see are young people who tell their stories, who talk about the change needed in their community. Gandhi said, "be the change." Well these young people are, in fact, the change. Listen to their presentations. See how much they care. And see what you need to do to make a difference in your community. Hear ye! Hear ye! A story I'll tell. A fable of a damn fool. Lucky as well. A proclamation of grace. A proclamation of fate. A scene before unseen. Knowledge before unknown. An unasked blessing bestowed. New and vital life it brings. For his life had taken a dip. But, now blessed with new wit, was given a second chance, an objective, and new plans. Initiative was now given. His mind was now driven. Now was the time to act, before his gift was taken back. And so he began. Inspiration had struck. He had a new plan. On his side was luck. He built a thing that everyone loved. His genius was renowned, he was held high above. He made lots of money, had worldwide fame, and then one day it left, just as it came. His gift was gone, and it made him sour. With it, the money, the riches, the power. How could this happen? He had had it all? From glory and grace, he began to fall. What could he do? When out of the blue, came a small voice, pure and true. "Thank you sir for inventing the thing! With it I have begun to bring new blessings into my life and others'. And it's all thanks to you!" To me, he muttered. He suddenly realized he had been seeing the wrong side. He had been lamenting, had wanted to hide. But his blessing had blessed others. It had brought new life. They had taken away fear, pain, and strife. "I helped you. Yes it pierced my voice. And others just like me. You gave us a choice." Revelation struck, and with it his luck, turned once again. He was able to attain a new state in life. For now it was right for blessings once more. And he learned something he hadn't known before. Be grateful for what you have. You may not have it for long..."