I grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. A teacher at my public school noted my interest in academics and showed me to believe that I could become whatever I wanted to be. I decided that I wanted to be a physician, despite the fact that I had never met a Black doctor.

After many tribulations, I achieved my dream. Between my undergraduate career and medical school; however, I took time out to give back to the community by teaching high school science. The school where I taught had limited supplies, teachers of varying ability levels, and a small group of students who disrupted the studies of the more motivated ones.

I continued to think about those motivated students as I pursued my studies, and eventually decided that I needed to do something more to help. In 1996, We founded Inner Force to provide additional opportunities to students that want to learn. I believe it is the responsibility of our entire community to educate our children. Inner Force demands a commitment from teachers, parents, and students. It is not enough merely to cultivate dreams in our children–we must provide them with the tools to realize those dreams.

Our children must develop the skills and the self-confidence to say, “I believe in myself, and there is nothing in this world that I cannot do.