Dr. Randal Pinkett, speaker

"What are your hopes? Your dreams? Your aspirations? Or, more importantly, what would they be right now, right at this very moment, if I completely removed whatever inhibitions are the result of what you think you can't do? Or think you shouldn't do? Or what some statistic suggests you'll never do?

"One little girl said she was going to be a lawyer and a doctor and a teacher because she liked helping people. Just as the childhood voice of that little girl may lead her to become a lawyer AND a doctor AND a teacher - there is a UCAN youth whose voice will lead them to become a recognized scholar AND a college athlete AND a gifted poet AND a respected journalist. Why? Because, ‘Youth who have suffered trauma can become our future leaders.'

"Like her, I encourage you to listen to that voice that was once (and hopefully still is) oblivious to realism, negativism, cynicism, pessimism, syllogism, racism, sexism, and all the other "isms," that would seek to suppress it. Never lose that voice from your childhood because it is that voice, I believe, that will continue to lead you to achieve against the odds!

"What I'm basically talking about is the power of "AND", that is, "A-N-D", "AND," which is the power of possibilities. THAT'S WHAT UCAN IS ALL ABOUT. UCAN is not about the damaging idea that you can suffer trauma OR become successful. It is the empowering belief that you can suffer trauma AND become successful."

- Dr. Randal Pinkett
UCAN President's Board member
Founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners
Winner of NBC's "The Apprentice"
www.randalpinkett.com

Excerpts from his speech at UCAN's 10th Annual Youth Advocacy Awards Dinner
Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago
June 2009