Denzel Washington speaks to Baton Rouge youth
Photos by Kristina Britt
Denzel Washington’s résumé speaks for itself.
The two-time Oscar winner is considered one of the greatest actors of our generation. When you think of him, you hear his monologues in Remember the Titans. You remember how he stood up to Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide or his villainous appetite in Training Day.
“I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary job,” he told an audience of 60 Baton Rouge Boys & Girls Club teens and children at Ruffino’s Catering in De La Ronde Hall on a Sunday afternoon this past August.
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While in town working on a remake of The Magnificent Seven, Washington spoke to the group about his experiences with the organization.
As a child in Mount Vernon, New York, Washington credits the Boys & Girls Club with keeping him out of trouble, instead focusing on extracurricular activities such as basketball and track.
During the meeting, he also made a plea to the organization’s board members.
Baton Rouge is the largest city in the United States without its own Boys & Girls Club facility. Currently, the organization operates from local schools, serving thousands of children and teens, ages 6-18.
Washington’s appearance coincides with a new fundraising effort for the local chapter, which is looking to build a central facility. President Pat Van Burkleo says the facility could be ready in two to three years.
“If we don’t invest [in our youth] now, we’re going to be investing later, $65,000 to $80,000 per inmate,” Washington told board members.
Throughout his career, he has made a point to talk to the local Boys & Girls Clubs in cities where he was filming and his hometown. He believes it’s up to him to inspire these young people. He also says that it’s the adults and older generation’s responsibility to guide them in a meaningful direction.
“We have to encourage [the young people],” he says. “They need us. Whatever problems young people have are our fault. We dropped the ball. We have to look in the mirror and say, ‘What can we do?’”
He admits to the children and teens that he has made millions, has big houses and fast cars and a wonderful family. But it didn’t come without hard work, perseverance and faith.
He points to specific boys and girls in the crowd encircled around him during the talk. His voice echoes through the hall. In the moment, it’s like an uplifting scene out of one of his acclaimed films.
“You have the power to enact change,” he says. “You can be anything you want to be.”
Moments later, he’s surrounded by a few local reporters. He admits that it’s days like this where he loves his job.
“Days like today keep me motivated,” he says. “To get an opportunity to touch people, to get to these young people and to the adults … to further this kind of work. The acting part just affords me the opportunity to do what I really love. That’s just a platform for my desire to help others.”
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