Coming up next on "American Black Journal."

Ford Motor Company invests big in the engineers and scientists of the future here in the city of Detroit.

We're gonna talk about a new program for high school students.

Plus a Detroit filmmaker talks about his new movie that focuses on the inner city right here in Detroit.

Stay where you are.

"American Black Journal" starts right now.

Announcer 1: From Delta faucets to Behr paint, Masco Corporation is proud to deliver products that enhance the way consumers all over the world experience and enjoy their living spaces.

Masco, serving Michigan communities since 1929.

Announcer 2: Support also provided by the Cynthia and Edsel Ford Fund for Journalism at Detroit Public TV.

Announcer 1: The DTE Foundation proudly supports 50 years of "American Black Journal," in covering African-American history, culture and politics.

The DTE Foundation and "American Black Journal," partners in presenting African-American perspectives about our communities and in our world.

Announcer 2: Also brought to you by AAA, Nissan Foundation, Ally, Impact at Home, UAW Solidarity Forever, and viewers like you.

Thank you.

♪♪ Welcome to "American Black Journal."

I'm Stephen Henderson, and I'm glad you've joined us.

Ford Motor Company has made a commitment to help Detroit high school students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The automaker donated $250,000 to the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, also known as DAPCEP, to create a program called Future Forward.

The signature program is gonna offer engineering courses, internships, and mentoring to underrepresented students.

I spoke with Ford's chief technology officer, Ken Washington, DAPCEP executive director, Michelle Reaves, and Ford engineer and DAPCEP alum, Brandon Johnson.

So Ken, let's start with you.

$250,000 for DAPCEP, a program that I remembered, and the city of Detroit, it's been around a long time.

Talk about this award, the timing of it, and why it's important to make the investment.

Well, first of all, this is a passion, not only of me personally, but for the company.

We've had a STEM program for many years.

This was the moment for us to take that program to the next level, and DAPCEP is the perfect organization for us to express our passion for underrepresented communities and a way for us to make a difference.

And I know from my own personal experience that programs like this can really change lives.

So our commitment to DAPCEP is part of a broader program at Ford to make investments in science, technology, engineering and math programs that allow children of all types to be exposed to engineering, science, technology, and math, and have an opportunity to enter a career that they can make a difference to society.

So it's something that we're really delighted to do, and we look forward to engaging up to 80 students of 11th and 12th graders, and having them interact with our professionals, and then, ultimately, the end goal is to have them be interested in a career and have them go on to college and get a job at Ford or in some other technology company.

So we're really excited about it.

Yeah.

Michelle, that pathway that Ken just laid out is what DAPCEP has been doing, like I said, since I was a young guy here in Detroit.

Talk about how important this grant is gonna be to making more opportunity for kids in Detroit.

This is, it's just an outstanding opportunity.

Ford is a founding partner with DAPCEP, so they have been alongside us in this journey trying to create and ensure that more students are aware of STEM, and what this program will do is just kind of bolster that activity.

It really is laser focused on ensuring that we have a subset of kids that will be focused primarily on engineering, as well as career readiness and college prep, and really, will have, as they go along in their education, they will be partnering with some mentors from Ford that could really talk to them about the culture, talk to them about their experience.

Many of the people at Ford that will mentor and assist with the students have been in the same shoes as the young people they will be mentoring, whether they live in the area or people of color and understand the challenges that they may see.

So that in itself will add strength to the program, and really tie the students, I think, to Ford, and hopefully, get the results of them eventually working at Ford or definitely in a technology field.

Yeah.

So Brandon, this your story, in some way.

(laughs) Talk about the (inaudible) with both DAPCEP and then, as a professional.

Yeah, I can say, as a student, DAPCEP really helped me in the mid-'80s.

I was a student at DAPCEP.

I was interested in engineering and STEM, but obviously, didn't have a lot of direct exposure to the engineering community.

And I think what DAPCEP has been able to do is give students a hand-on experience with running labs and doing different type of educational programs that they may not have had an opportunity to do in just a normal school curriculum.

So for me, it gave me a lot of confidence to go on to college and pursue engineering.

And currently, right now, I am the liaison between Ford Motor Company and DAPCEP.

And I mentor many of the kids.

I also run a class.

We have a strong team in Ford that benefits students by giving their knowledge and education that they've learned and many of our employees are DAPCEP alumni, as well.

So we wanna keep that cycle going and continue that pipeline.

Brandon, I wonder if you could talk about that moment, I guess, when you figured that what you were doing through DAPCEP was what you wanted to do and what you wanted to be.

When did that light bulb kind of go off for you?

I think in the DAPCEP classes, because DAPCEP has a approach to have hands-on.

You actually, it's not just a lecture.

You're actually building things, you're doing things, you're developing things and designing.

It gives you a hands-on approach to the education, and I think that gains a little sense of confidence and it gives you more familiarity of what the actually field is like.

And I think some of my experiences in DAPCEP I hold true today, even at Ford Motor Company, just having that opportunity to see what you did not have opportunity to see early gives you confidence to pursue that career.

Yeah.

Ken, I just feel like, we've been talking about STEM for a really long time and talking about the need for kids to really experience that kind of education when they're young, but while that's been happening, I feel like your field, in particular, has been changing a lot and very fast.

The car business, of course, looks really different than it did just five or 10 years ago, let alone 20 or 30.

So I wonder if you can talk some about how something like DAPCEP keeps up or helps keep up with the things that are changing, with the things that just aren't gonna be the same as they are now, even just a few years from now.

Well, you're absolutely right, Stephen, and I just will build on Brandon's story, which is you have to be part of the experience in order to participate in the rapidly changing field of automotive.

And that's why this program, this Future Ford Program, is designed the way it is.

It's to give these students, these young people exposure and experience hands-on with products and with technology so they can see the impact of being an expert and a technologist on the industry.

But one of the things that that is absolutely true about today's automotive industry is that it's changing faster than ever.

And so the importance of having talent that has the capability to embrace that change and to contribute technology so that we can stay at the forefront of that change is more important than ever before.

And so, this program is going to actually give 10 of those students in the program an opportunity to be interns at Ford.

And those that don't get into the internship program will still have interactions with engineers at the company.

So they're gonna get the exposure and the experience of having access to the technologies that are rapidly changing in our industry.

You know, if you had asked me, five, even five years ago, would we be connecting all of our cars and talking about battery electric vehicles at the scale we're doing today and delivering services and putting artificial intelligence into our platform, you know, of course, no one could've predicted that, but that's happening today, and it's happening with the talent of our workforce and with our partners, and I hope that these young people that are part of this DAPCEP program will become part of that community in the future.

And that's what we're hoping for.

That's why we made this investment.

Yeah.

Michelle, talk about the other end of that equation, as programs like DAPCEP, trying to keep up for our kids in cities like Detroit, with fields that just don't look the way they did before.

That's why it's so important for us to continue to have these partnerships, because with partners like Ford and some of our academic partners, we are able to keep abreast of what is upcoming.

We look to them to help us provide the guidance on what is the next technology that's coming up, in the cars, or when you look at computers, what is the next thing that the students will learn, or will need to know as they pursue, as they continue with their education?

Because we can't continue to teach, you know, we can't teach the, how engines were made 20 years ago.

So we have to make sure that we are staying abreast.

And so it's great when partners like Ford are willing to lend their knowledge and share those experiences with the students.

And so, the internships that Ken spoke of are going to be so impactful for the students, because they're going to be, as a high school student, they're going to see some of that technology and some of that development and how fast it has changed.

And so, when they start out their educational career, they are already, they will have a little bit of knowledge of what they may see in the next five years.

So they may look at their education a little bit differently.

So I think it's really great to have these partners.

And I think without partners like Ford, it would be hard for DAPCEP to continue to do some of the, do the work that we do, to make sure that we are preparing the students appropriately.

If you're from Detroit or live here in the area, you know that Asbury Park is a street on the city's West Side.

It's now also the title of a new movie by local filmmaker Ken Legend Williams.

The film looks at mental illness, police brutality, and other complex issues faced by young people in the inner city.

Williams provided an opportunity for Detroit youth to appear in his film.

Here's a preview, followed by my conversation with the filmmaker.

(tense music) Let me ask you a question.

What's the first thought that goes through your mind when the police rolls up on you?

(car engine rumbling) (police siren blaring) What you want, huh?

WOMAN: Yeah, slow down.

(tense music) I hope I don't get a ticket.

(tense music intensifies) I hope that I make it home alive.

(electronic buzzing) Quite frankly, I was in fear for my life.

The suspect was noncompliant with our orders and was just obstructing our investigation.

(somber music) I'm so sick of going to funerals.

(dramatic music) The Civil Rights Act only resulted because of a nation of African-Americans coming together and taking a stand.

(gun clicking) MAN: You people think it's okay to break the law.

Where the, is that?

Where they at?

The police.

I don't give a.

(tense music) Like Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus?

That was considered breaking the law.

So apparently, you gotta break the law to do what's right.

(tense music) I mean, this place, this city is like a lawless prison.

You know what I'm saying?

The same people that say they gonna protect you, those usually be the one that kill you.

This is America.

This is America, where I would love to walk freely.

He would love to run freely, and I'm sure he would love to drive freely, but that isn't the case.

Here, it's just a fight to breathe.

(gun clicking) Don't give a, about no police, man.

You scared, huh?

What's up?

You scared?

I'll take you to church.

(tense music) Ken Williams, congratulations on "Asbury Park," and welcome to "American Black Journal."

Yeah, thank you for having me.

Yeah.

So as I say in the open for this, those us who are from Detroit or live in the area know that Asbury Park is a street on the West Side, is now the title of your film, but it's also where you're from.

Is that right?

Yes.

Yeah.

I grew up on Asbury Park Street, right off 7 Mile.

So talk about the inspiration for this film, the street that you grew up on, the experiences that you had there.

The film is a coming of age story about four boys growing up in the inner city and their dreams to just, you know, have better lives.

It reflects on each of the individual homes where everyone has their own set of issues.

You know, but as a group, they all come together, and like I said, they try to make it out.

But the biggest thing behind this film is survival.

You know, like I said, each of the kids, they have their own different things that they're going through and dealing with.

And I thought it would be interesting to see this from a kid's perspective.

You know, there are so many things that are going on in the world right now with police brutality, mental health awareness, you know, just a lot of different things, and as adults we have a hard time grasping our heads around it and dealing with it.

So to be able to see this from a kid's perspective, I think it's necessary.

Yeah.

You know?

Because I'm a parent, and I know, as I watch the news and see the things that are going on, I know how I'm trying to deal with it, gravitate to it.

And I think just as a community, we just have to do a better job of actually checking to see what's going on with our kids, to see how they're dealing with it, to see what they think about it.

Because I think if we did that I think we would really be blown away by some of the responses that we get, because they're not stupid.

Yeah, that's right.

They see what's going on, and they're more conscious of what's going on than we're probably aware of.

Yeah.

So talk about the differences between what maybe you experienced as a kid growing up in that area and what your characters in the movie experience.

Is there a big difference or is it- To be honest, it's a direct reflection of what I experienced as a kid.

Like I grew up in a single parent home.

My father left when I was six years old.

And when that happened, I was no longer able to be a six year old.

I had to start, always, the running joke is, when I was six, I was actually 16, because the level of responsibility shifted and I was no longer able to be a carefree kid to just sit back and say, hey, you know, everything is okay.

You know, with no man in the house, I took it upon myself to be the man in the house.

Now my mother would argue that, and she'll say, hey, there's no man in the house.

But you know, despite what she said, I was the biggest male in the house, you know?

So there were certain things that I did to try to protect the house.

You know, I was the kid who I'll pull out the toolbox when something needed to get fixed.

I'm doing that now.

(Stephen chuckles) I'm checking the windows at night and looking out to make sure that my mom is protected and things like that.

So I took on a much older persona than I actually was due to my circumstances.

And the reality is, that's not uncommon.

You know, I think one of my biggest motivations behind this film is my youngest son.

I looked at him one day and I laughed, and I was like, man, you're like really a 10 year old.

'Cause when I was 10, I had responsibilities.

I had, you know what I mean?

It was just a totally different animal.

And to see him just be carefree, I wasn't able to be carefree as a kid.

You know, I grew up in an environment where I heard gunshots at night and I knew if you called 9-1-1, the police may not show up, 50/50 chance.

And so again, these were the things that were on my mind at 10, 11 years old.

If somebody comes in here, then how do I function?

How do I protect my mom, how do I protect my brother?

My 10 year old doesn't think about that stuff like this, 'cause we call 9-1-1, they'll be here in two minutes.

Right.

So I wonder what message you think people who aren't from Detroit and who may not know anything about Asbury Park, the street, might take away from this, might take away from this film?

I'm always curious about how we project to everybody else from the city.

Well, you know what?

One of my goals for this film was for it to serve as a window to the inner city, to give a real look to what it's about.

And as you watch the film, you'll notice that it's very detail-oriented, because I feel like those small details are really big.

I watch urban cinema regularly and the drug dealing and the shooting, like, yeah, that happens, but I feel like this portion of it is often missed.

Everybody is often trying to be tough and things like this, but what's often missed in those films is the vulnerability, to understand that people hurt or people are afraid.

You know, I don't care who you are.

You know, I know some tough guys who cry.

Why?

Because they're hurt.

'Cause someone passed or something happened.

So to be able to show these raw emotions, I think is really big and again, really important.

Yeah.

Talk about the medium of film to convey these messages.

Why is that the medium you chose, and how powerful does it feel to you?

I grew up as a film lover.

So, you know, movies have been my life since I was, you know, for as long as I can remember.

But one of the things that I noticed, like just growing up and being observant, is that we constantly, throughout our lives, we reference film.

Someone gets beat up, people automatically reference "Friday."

You know, you got knocked out!

(laughs) You know what I mean?

So film has been, just like music has been very influential, throughout our lives, whether we're conscious of it or not.

And so, given my passion for film, it was, it just, it was a no-brainer for me for that to be my medium.

Yeah, yeah.

And so, what's next?

Are you gonna tell more Detroit stories?

Do you wanna tell more Detroit stories through film?

Well, that's the thing.

Like "Asbury Park" isn't even necessarily a Detroit story.

Right.

It actually takes place in the fictitious world of the inner city, because while it is relevant in Detroit, it's also relevant in Baltimore and St. Louis and just all over the country.

And I think that's one of those things that propelled me to write the story.

I was listening to an interview of Meek Mill, and he was talking about the way he grew up in Philadelphia and I'm listening, and I'm like, that sounds real familiar.

(Stephen laughs) And honestly, my goal and my hope is that people that are not from that environment will take a look and start asking questions, because I feel like that's how you evoke change.

You know, there are several people who would be willing to lend a hand and be willing to help if they knew there was actually a problem.

You know, some things like, I spoke with someone and we were talking about police response times.

People in the inner city, they know that, but when I was trying to explain that to some of my team members who grew up in more suburban environments, they didn't think it was real.

Yeah.

Hey it could take an hour before the police get there, if they show up at all.

They're like, what?

What do you mean?

Yeah.

It surprises people, it shocks people.

Yeah.

But again, oftentimes, when people hear about inner city stories, they're hearing about it on the news, in rap videos, or in these bang-bang shoot 'em up films.

So hopefully, this will give people the opportunity to actually see it in another light.

(upbeat music) That is gonna do it for us today, thanks for watching.

You can find out more about our guests at americanblackjournal.org, and as always, you can connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

We'll see you next time.