- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been provided by these public spirited organizations, individuals and associations committed to informing New Jersey citizens about the important issues facing the Garden State.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com, keeping communities informed and connected.

- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The jobs of tomorrow are not the jobs of yesterday.

- Look at this.

You get this?

- Life without dance is boring.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- Do you enjoy talking politics?

- No.

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

- Our culture, I don't think has ever been tested in the way it's being tested right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) Hi, I'm Steve Adubato with my longtime colleague, Mary Gamba.

Mary and I talk about leadership and communication all the time.

She leads our program called Stand and Deliver.

It's a not-for-profit initiative for inner-city youth, teaching them leadership communication.

Mary, last night or part one, people saw the virtual 21st annual virtual Stand and Deliver Night of Eloquence.

Tonight, set up what they're about to see.

- Sure.

You're about to see the conclusion of the virtual Night of Eloquence.

If you happened to miss last night, please go to our website, SteveAdubato.org.

It'll be right up on the screen.

You can check out the full Night of Eloquence virtual program if you happened to miss last night.

But you're about to see the conclusion of that.

Then at the way end of the program, you're also going to see some fabulous students who participated in our media skills program as well.

- So here now, part two of the Stand and Deliver Night of Eloquence.

- Hi, my name is Jennifer Fernandez, I am a junior at Technology High School, and today I'll be performing an original piece called the "Power of words."

Have you ever heard the saying that, "Actions speak louder than words?"

Now, imagine you're in a movie theater, you're with your friends, you're having fun, you're eating popcorn, you're watching the latest movie release.

And then all of a sudden someone yells, "Fire, fire."

what would be your reaction?

Why would you react this way?

Do you know what the person said is true?

What if they were lying?

But how would you know?

How though many say that actions speak louder than words I beg to differ.

Words are more powerful than action, words can create division, just like we've seen for the past four years.

Words can provoke harmful actions.

An example, the January 6th Insurrection.

After Trump gave his speech, thousands of rioters matched to Capitol Hill and broke inside.

In his speech, he spoke about how the election was rigged in favor of Joe Biden, that ballot boxes were stuffed with false ballots, that the 2020 election was most fraudulent elect in the history, that he was actual winner.

Trump's own words, provoked an insurrection.

Words, words can lead to thoughts, and those thoughts can lead to actions, and those actions can affect our mental health, they can affect our mindset.

they can affect our perspective and they can create division between people.

So in order to create change, we have to listen to one another - Hello, my name is Osayonamen Notemwanta, I am a junior at Saint Vincent Academy, and today I will performing an original piece called, "No Justice, No Peace."

My melanated skin shines so bright in the sunlight.

My milk chocolate skin, gorgeous throughout the day and lovely throughout the night.

My beautiful brown complexion, my kinky hair and its roots, I shower it with affection.

But when you see it, your first reaction is to shoot.

It pains me that we have to tell our young black kings and queens, "When the police stop you make sure your hands are always seen.

Raise them high at all times, do not raise your voice nor fight.

They will be rude sometimes, but you must remain polite."

And we constantly wonder why our names become hashtags on the internet, because in their eyes, we're the bad guys.

Our skin makes us a threat.

We abide by their rules and do what they say yet they always results to force.

They take our lives one by one without an ounce of remorse.

I'm sorry, young black girl that your parents have to weep.

In their eyes, you're always dangerous, even when you are asleep, I'm sorry young black boy that you can't have your fun because no matter what you hold in their eyes, it's always a gun.

I'm so sorry young black girl that you experienced your last day, even though you called them for help, they decide to take your life away.

- Good evening, my name's Esther Ojo, and I'm a sophomore Technology High School.

Today, I will be performing an original piece called, "The Beauty of a Falling Country."

Chinua Achebe once said, "Being a Nigerian is both absolutely frustrating and unbelievably exciting."

Should I start with the Jello fries and the music, or should I just focus on the corrupt leaders and the devil open civil war.

"The giant of Africa," or so they say.

Is Nigeria really the giant, if Nigerians are being massacred in their own independence month.

Are we still considered the giant of Africa, if we can't solve issues without shedding innocent blood.

Are we really as great as they say, if our leaders keep failing us decade after decade.

Fire, lights out, cameras off, soldiers out.

"Kill everyone you see including peaceful Nigerians," were the words of our very own leader who supposedly a protector.

What has Nigeria really come to?

If the daughter of a politician has over 60 billion in her account, while 55% of Nigerians barely have 6,000 after wasting their days in hard labor.

Greedy, selfish, corrupt murderers are who we have as leaders.

People who watered the motherland with the blood of its children.

Oh, Nigeria, we hail thee.

A country where innocent people get killed for fighting to stop killings.

A country where people die, while singing the national Anthem.

A country where peace and unity should reign, but quite the opposite happens.

A country where a leader stood in the audience and watched as lives of innocent youth got wasted on the streets.

However, their death will not be in vain as we will keep pushing and fighting away the pain til we eradicate all enemies of peace and end SARS shall be our pride and not our shame.

- I mean, you get a sense of not only how talented these young people are, but we talk about be the change, be the change for what?

Be the change for improvement of lives of young people who are often struggling in urban communities, improving police minority relations, improving the environment, just improving education system, be the change.

Instead of looking for someone else, what will you do?

That's what these young people are.

So Mary and Toni, in that spirit, there's a scholarship application.

I'm not gonna go into the details of it.

But Mary and Toni, what did we ask students to do, the students who are ultimately gonna win these scholarships so they can go on to college, help them pay for college, which comes from the ed journal and the support of the program, go ahead Mary.

- Yes, sure thing, so student's completed a scholarship application, this is for the graduating seniors of the Stand & Deliver program.

And then we obviously go through the applications, select the winners, and now it is our honor and privilege to just announce who those winners are and just offer them a huge congratulations.

- Congratulations to all of our Stand & Deliver scholarship recipients, well-deserved, they earned it, and those dollars are going to really good use.

Real quick Toni, set up this last presentation.

When we select, I shouldn't say we, because the team is really involved and I'm the leader when they do the work and I help raise the money.

But the reality is I repeat myself, it's Mary, and Toni, and a great team that run this every day.

But Toni, when we're selecting this final performer, it's gotta be pretty special, doesn't it?

- Yes, it does, different every year, but we really want to leave the audience or the viewers something to think about with a young person who hits at the heart and who hits at the mind at the same time.

So hopefully, that is what we have done, and hopefully, you will enjoy and learn from it.

- And Mary as Toni lays that out so powerfully, how many times we've been in that room often in Nanina's before that, at the NJ pack, other places we've been, what's it like that final performer usually does tug at the heartstrings of people delivers an emotional, powerful presentation.

It moves people, not just out of their seats and not through their feet, but tears flow.

- Yeah, tears, goosebumps, every emotion under the sun, and it's just truly an honor to be in the presence of the greatness of these young adults.

And then just knowing that they're really just at the beginning of their journey and just wishing them well, and I'm just so proud of each and every one of the performers and really excited for everyone to see our final performer today.

- And this is in fact, the final performance of the 2021 21st Annual Stand & Deliver Night of Eloquence.

Yes, it's virtual, but it's no less powerful.

Let's check it out.

- Good evening, my name is Xavier Jordan.

I am a senior at Arts High School, and today I will be performing an original piece, entitled, "Forms."

I feel stuck, I feel stuck genuinely.

Like nobody can help me in my circumstance.

See, it's a circle, and the other end always comes back to you no matter what you do, keep a few in your circle, 'cause many try to escape.

Maybe you should let them escape, they feel stuck helping you.

It's really a time period where one can feel like a burden 'cause they're helping you seeking that, you return the favor because in that very moment, they were your savior.

To make a circle, you must get to where you started from.

Now, I understand why so many are close with heavy outlines that never end.

I'm just looking for an opening, let me in, let me in.

I wanna know what's happening to the minds that confine to these forms, social norms.

I'm bright, I'm straight, I'm gay, I'm black.

Why should society care anyway.

To raise a child, society does first, bring me down at my worst, conflicted on who you are, labels that define who you are.

You use others experiences, yet you never experienced this.

Now, this is the label that you claim you is.

Remember labels, a manifestation, a distinguish between living and non-living.

Maybe you can't think outside the box because you was never inside the box.

Maybe you was to DC, never can understand the reality of your dreams or your self worth.

So you fall flat and hold back to what's important to you because something's telling you what to do, what to believe, or that you can't succeed, that you can't achieve.

They'll never understand the pain until you bleed.

Never happy until there's a bullet in your head and you're lying there dead.

Remember forms, I'm sure you do.

Issues to seclude all of you.

Forms, labels, it's the norms of oppression.

It's the height all confessions conflicted by social peer pressure, so to these ideas one conforms to these norms.

But I'm here to inform that it is I that encourages you to break the norm.

That sworn to challenge that life is a free platform in which you perform, self-expression; that is the ultimate progression to one's identity, that leads, that breaks social construct with authenticity, and which leads to forms of freedom and Liberty, thank you.

- So there it is, that is the 21st Annual Stand & Deliver Night of Eloquence, virtual, yes, but hopefully we made a connection with you.

On behalf of the entire Stand & Deliver team, (bright upbeat music) We just say, thank you.

Best to you and your families, and I promise you if we can, we'll see you in person next year.

I mean that's powerful communication.

Young men and women getting up, standing and delivering, delivering their messages in a powerful way.

But Mary, we also pivoted this year after this quick break, the people are going to see the Stand and Deliver media skills program, which was supported by the PSEG Foundation.

Why did we do that program and what are they about to see?

- Sure.

We work with a great team there, including Maria Espina, really talking about let's get these young adults prepared for life after college.

They may be interested in media skills.

We asked our hundreds of students, who's interested in media skills?

And we had a great group volunteer, and they went through a series of seminars with you and me and Tony Richardson, our project director.

And we're about to see them talking about their experience.

- It's really good stuff.

We need leaders.

We need young leaders, particularly in our urban areas who speak up about what they believe in to make a difference.

Right after a quick break, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

- Hi, I'm Steve Adubato, and yeah, you're looking at a very interesting picture of six, at least five, I know for sure, very talented leaders.

I'll include myself on the sixth end of that, but this is all about our Stand and Deliver program.

You may ask, "What is that?"

And Mary Gamba, who heads that program, along with our colleague, Toni Richardson, who's the program director, they'll tell you about the details, but our website for our Stand and Deliver Leadership and Communication Development Program for Urban Youth, primarily in Newark, New Jersey, my hometown, Brick City, the hometown of the young man and the two young women we're about to meet.

Mary, do me a favor: introduce our special guests.

First start with Toni because it doesn't happen without her, and then our very talented high school students.

- Yeah, I'm so happy to do so.

Thank you so much for joining us, everyone.

We have Toni Richardson, who is my partner with the Stand and Deliver program for over 20 years.

She's the project director of Stand and Deliver.

Then we have Omotolani Azeez.

I'm actually gonna use my notes just to make sure I get this right.

People's Prep Charter School, a rising senior.

By the time this airs, you probably will be a senior.

Ashley Canela, Technology High School rising senior, and then we have Achunike Okafor, Science Park High School, a rising junior, but what's so funny, even though these three are high school students, each and every one of 'em, I swear they're read to go to college.

- What's interesting is that the Stand and Deliver program historically has taught communication skills, presentation skills, executive presence, how to communicate under pressure, but we expanded through a grant from PSE and G Foundation.

We expanded it to provide media skills, helping young men and women who are looking to be leaders, in fact, communicate under pressure.

So Omotolani, let me put you on the spot right away.

What was the biggest takeaway for you from the very high-pressured, under, you know, the hot lights, getting interviewed and getting feedback.

What was that like for you?

- I feel like that was very overwhelming, 'cause it's the first time I'm doing, like, a TV broadcast, but I've been with you and Mary and Toni for three sessions, and I'm pretty sure, like, I'm confident about it, and it feels very good to be able to have my voice, and for more people to hear it.

- Ashley, I remember you were doing- By the way, tell everyone that we didn't pick the topics that you were being interviewed on, you picked the topics because the entire idea of this leadership and communications Stand and Deliver program is to, as we say, Mary and Toni, be the change, right, be the change?

So you are proposing some change, some improvement, and we questioned you about it.

So Ashley, let me ask you, what was the topic?

Do you remember the topic you talked about?

- Yes, I talked about mental health and the disparity within the immigrant community, especially Hispanic culture, and for me, that was a really hard topic.

I became so passionate about it, and my emotion even came out at one point because I personally have struggled with this issue, and I see the importance of it in today's day and age, especially with medicine and psychology, education, and knowledge progressing, and so for me, it was important to speak out about it and to actually be the change that we want to see in that topic, in that issue, in that awareness, in the whole community of immigrant culture, so I just wanted to make sure that it was known, and I thank you all for giving me the chance to share that with you.

- Well, we actually thank you.

Toni, before we go to Achunike, let me ask you, for you to see the Stand and Deliver program expand from presentation skills, public speaking, to this, frankly, high pressure for 15, 16, 17-year-old young men and women, to be media-trained, what was that like for you as a leader in this program for 20 years?

- I think it's very important, A, you know, that what we do in the Stand and Deliver program is that we continue to reflect on what we're doing and do everything possible to make it better, and this is just really so important because there's so many issues that young people today care about, and there aren't enough venues for them to really be able to develop the skills to be able to express their opinions and their, for become better leaders in our society, and I think that this opportunity really offered that kind of a professional situation.

So I think they'll go into college and into their careers really a lot more ready than they would've been without this experience.

- And you know what's so interesting, I'm always sending Mary videos of leaders in public situation, be it government, business, sports, academia, who really don't know how to handle a media interview, who kinda panic and don't communicate clearly and effectively, and say, "Oh, I wish I hadn't said that," or, "I wish I'd left something out," and all those kinds of things, and this helps people prepare.

Achunike, by the way, tell everyone what you spoke about because again, your choice, your issue, your cause.

Go ahead.

- I chose to speak about immigration in the United States and the lack of judges that are able to view court cases for immigrants.

I chose this topic because it's very sentimental to me.

My family is a family of immigrants.

My parents are immigrants.

My uncle, aunt, are immigrants, and every time I see them have to go to court hearings and then get denied and then get turned back, then have their court dates pushed, it makes me feel bad.

I had to speak about this topic because I need to show awareness of how much the immigrants in this United States need to have a voice or a hearing and be able to have the judges to hear their cases.

- Was this personal for you in addition to some policies you care about, very personal?

- Yes, it was very personal, and I believe not only was it personal to a few of the policies, but it was personal in the side that I didn't have a say in who goes or who gets to stay.

I didn't have a say in seeing, you know, some of my family leave America, and I think it was very, really, a really sad time for me.

- Yeah, and by the way, Omotolani, as I come back to you, and Mary, jump in, we saw you at the beginning, so Omotolani, compare the first interview you did- Right, Mary's shaking her head.

You're shaking it.

- Yeah, I was gonna- You were reading my mind.

I was just gonna say that Omotolani, when we first met you, and now, we were super-impressed in that first session, but then by the third session, just talk about your transformation and what your topic was that you spoke about.

- So I spoke about power relating to men, and the first time I spoke about it, I was shaky, and I didn't know the right words to use, but of course, you guys are amazing, and you helped me learn better about it, and by the third interview, I was able to put out my ideas about how men misuse their power, and it's because it's like a thing into society.

For example, men are the, toxic masculinity thing have already made them believe they have the power and they're entitled to a lot of things, and this makes the society very shaky, where women are subjected to do, to be submissive to them, and this affects the whole world, where females are not even able to do things.

Last week, I was just walking down the road, and this man just believed he had the right to stalk me to where I was going to get my number, and he believed he had the right to do that 'cause my parents confronted him, and he was, like, "It's right," and this is the things we go through 'cause I am 17, and I cannot walk on the street without having, like, five old mens follow me where I'm going, and I was able to grow through this interviews to understand and be able to put my voice out, and I feel like it's so important.

- Let me ask you this again, and Mary, some of the other topics were raw and real and important to the young men and women in the Stand and Deliver program, but I'm gonna ask, curious about this, the confidence question.

I often coached, in my other life, very high-level professionals in their positions, but they're not overly confident about having to do this and do it well.

Confidence, starting- Give me a number one to 10, right, Ashley, one to 10, when you started, and on the back end, one to 10.

One to 10 confidence level when you got into the communication media program.

- When I definitely started, I would say that I was at a three, and then by the third session, I think it grew to eight, and that's just thanks to the program, thanks to my beautiful peers and also you and Mary and Toni and all that you guys were able to provide me with, the feedback and everything that just dwindled up to that moment, so yeah.

- And you know what's interesting?

I'm sorry for interrupting.

You know what's interesting is you said your "beautiful peers."

They gave feedback as well, so Achunike, you got feedback from your peers.

You know, very often in these seminars, you do a presentation, or you do a mock media interview.

"Oh, you're terrific.

You're great."

"Well, where can I get better?"

"Oh, no, you're great.

You're terrific."

That doesn't help anybody.

We were telling you where you were good, and we also told you where you need to improve.

Achunike, one to 10 on the start, one to 10 on the back end.

- For me, in starting, I think I started off with a five, close to a seven if, you know, at my best, but I think that the Stand and Deliver brought me to a 10 at the end, and I believe that is because of all the corrections and all the understandings I had to take.

I needed to slow my speaking down so other people can hear and understand, and I also needed to be able to effectively communicate my topic.

- Yeah, and I gotta give you the last chance.

Omotolani, you were confident coming in, and I can imagine you're off the charts on the back end.

- So I would say I was a seven coming in, and I'm now at 11 over 10 'cause I- (panelists applauding) I used this in my awards ceremony for the RFK over in education, and it was last week, and I spoke beautifully, and I was, like, I wish you guys were here to see this, but you were not!

- Hold on, is there any- - You'll have to send us a video if there's video, Omotolani.

- It had better be video of this.

- (laughing) They will.

- Good.

Send it.

Toni, let me give you the final word.

Again, with us from day one, how proud are you right now in this moment?

We've taken the program to the level where the students, who are the best of the best, wind up on the air with us on public broadcasting, other platforms.

What's it like for you to see your mentees doing this?

I'm very proud of you guys.

You know, you came in with something that you maybe thought you had.

You weren't sure.

You didn't know exactly what to do with it or how to execute it, and now, you do.

Also, Steve, I'm impressed with us because we chose, we chose from a larger group that we worked with these three students, who are not just well-spoken but have issues that they really care about, and I can also tell that they think about their issues, and they also read about their issues.

Mary, Toni, to our great students, Thank all of you, you'’re the best.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by these public spirited organizations, individuals and associations committed to informing New Jersey citizens about the important issues facing the Garden State.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com, keeping communities informed and connected.

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