Usher unveils new studio lab at Joseph B. Whitehead Boys and Girls Club
Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Usher concluded his 100-day Social Impact Tour by unveiling a new content studio lab at the Joseph B. Whitehead Boys and Girls Club on Monday. Decked with state-of-the-art equipment that youth can use to create different media such as podcasts and music production, Usher’s quote, “Blessed to be a blessing,” sat high on the wall of the Spark Lab.
It’s a sentiment that began with the organization Usher’s New Look (UNL), a nonprofit he founded in 1999 with the help of his mother, Jonetta Patton. Twenty-five years of service later, the organization’s impact could be seen at the event, as UNL alum Malia Dishon spoke of her success in the entertainment industry due to the opportunities the organization gave her since she joined in 2005 and as BGCMA youth toured the new lab with wonderment.
Jim Clark, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of America, said the studio was “the best one” he’d seen at any Boys & Girls Club across the U.S. and hoped that every project forward emulated it. Usher reflected on how the club, which is focused on providing safe and fun after-school programs for children and teens, welcomed him with open arms and became a motivational place for him. He called the moment “full circle.”
“I’m happy that the work that I’ve put in has led me to become an inspiration to so many people,” Usher said. The most important part of all of this starts with a spark. An idea. A concept that says, ‘I can have a definition and an idea of what I found passion in.’ And that’s really what New Look started. But the catch is it had to start somewhere before it became a spark. And what was that? The Boys & Girls Club.”
The ribbon cutting at Lakewood Avenue was the last stop on Usher’s Social Impact Tour in partnership with UNL. Over 100 days, Usher visited 11 cities, engaging over 4,800 youth through career-focused workshops, wellness initiatives, and tech skill-building sessions. The Spark Lab program, which will provide youth with hands-on training in the entertainment industry, is just one part of the Entertainment Industry Club, a workforce development program for youth ages 14 to 24 that will launch in 2025.
Shawn H. Wilson, the co-founder of UNL, made a point of how rapper and actor Ice T’s visit to Usher’s local Boys & Girls Club inspired the music icon to want to join the entertainment industry.
“I think part of the magic in what Usher has been able to do over the last 25 years is to just simply try to pass forward what he received,” Wilson said. “Now he’s doing the exact same thing for hundreds of thousands of kids across the country. You never know how that one visit could spark a young person’s passion for the entertainment industry.”
Fatima G., a teen ambassador, has been part of the Joseph B. Whitehead Boys and Girls Club for nine years. She said she hopes the new Spark Lab will excite youth interested in joining the club and helping their community.
“It feels very good. Seeing the new Usher Spark Lab is a big opportunity for me to be able to be a rock star for the teen ambassador program,” Fatima said.
At the end of the event, the youth got the opportunity to skate side-by-side with Usher during an Usher club takeover activation that transformed the gym into a rink. As they skated to tunes that defined Atlanta, a few kids ended up falling but were helped back up by Usher, a scene that symbolized a message he spoke during the ribbon cutting:
“That’s life: when we fall, we’ve got to get back up. And there’s always somebody that can help you. So, I’m happy to be able to share everything that I have come in contact with in this industry as an opportunity for you.”
