*”Be smart, give thanks, do work, get educated.”
That was one of many messages members of the Boys & Girls Club of Baton Rouge (Louisiana) received from Denzel Washington.
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) reports the Oscar-winning actor, a Boys Club alumni, took time out of filming “The Magnificent Seven” reboot with Chris Pratt to visit the Baton Rouge-based location last weekend.
Washington’s 30-minute chat with the young members of the Boys & Girls Club included anecdotes from his own childhood as well as lessons he’s learned along the way such as “be humble, give thanks, give back, put in work, be smart, get educated.”
Washington’s ties with the Boys & Girls Club runs deep as he joined what was known as the Boys Club when he was a 6 year old growing up in Mount Vernon, N.Y. For the entertainer, the appeal of the Club came after seeing the building on his way to his elementary school in the mornings and realizing that he could play sports and meet friends there.
“The lessons were being laid in while you thought you were playing basketball, running track. They didn’t serve them up as lessons, but that’s what they became,” Washington said while dispensing those lessons to the kids hearing him speak.
“You can make money, but be able to count it,” he told the young members. “Think forward, but give back” and that “even if your father didn’t change, even if your mother didn’t change, you can be first.”
Although Washington is regarded as one of the best actors around, he admits that it wasn’t until he was a junior in college that he decided to pursue the career, thanks to the foundation laid at the Boys and Girls Club. It was there that Washington says he learned that natural talent is not enough to succeed.
“It’s not what you have,” he explained, “it’s what you do with what you have.”
Chatting with the Times-Picayune after his talk, Washington, who also serves as the national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club, mentioned that he often makes appearances at local clubs as he films around the country.
“My profession is just a platform for my desire to help,” he said. “The acting part, that just affords me the opportunity to do what I really love.”
“I want them to believe in themselves. I only have so much time with them, so I try to give them some tools,” he shared about his motivation for talking to the kids. “We have to encourage them. They need us. Whatever problems young people have, they’re our fault. They didn’t come to this world doing the things they did. It’s our fault. We dropped the ball, so we have to look in the mirror and say, ‘what else can I do to help them?’ Try to inspire them.”
To see Washington’s talk with the Boys & Girls Club of Baton Rouge members, check out the video below:
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