Today we’d like to introduce you to Albert Brady.
Albert, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story began in the trenches of South Central Los Angeles and the foster care system and carried me from the streets to the battlefield of Iraq, serving honorably as a Combat Medic, to Morehouse College, to Harvard University, to Columbia University. I entered the world with drugs flowing through my small body and lived in severe poverty for the bulk of my early childhood. I began my life fighting for survival and overcoming obstacle after obstacle. My story is one of perseverance and determination, filled with unquestionable miracles and God’s unfailing grace. My story is one worth examining, one that can teach us all. I should have been an American tragedy but stands today, a former crack baby, a gun violence survivor, combat veteran, Ivy League graduate, Social justice fighter and much more.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My life has been filled with many unexpected turns, unavoidable potholes, seemingly insurmountable hills, and unpromising moments. On my road, the matriarchs of the family have all been victims of abuse; the patriarchs, including my biological father, have fallen under the unforgiving hand of alcoholism, drugs, and infidelity; and the children have been scarred by nights that were filled with screaming, cursing, fighting, and finally police sirens. I came into the world with a low probability of living past one year due to the many complications I suffered being born with exposure to crack cocaine. My mother and father were both drug dealers and drug users, rendering them unavailable and incapable of appropriately rearing their four children. I wasn’t a great student, and missed a lot of high schools (Thomas Jefferson) and being shot at 17. It wasn’t easy to say the least.
Avalon-Carver Community Center – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Avalon-Carver has been serving the community from the corner of 49th& Avalon for over 30 years. We currently serve some 5,000 students from Westchester to Watts in S.T.E.M education bridging the gap in education for the underserved population throughout Los Angeles. We also have a T.A.Y (Transitional Age Youth) homeless shelter that sleeps 100 males from age 16-24 years of age. The dedication to serving the community and pushing the envelope to level the playing field is what I am most proud of.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Like Booker T Washington, I too share his sentiment on “Success” “ Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” How do you help someone in particular black/brown youth in LA overcome the obstacles that they battle with if you don’t toe the line. Can you empower, instill confidence through educating using Math and Science; can you provide jobs to the youth; these are my markers.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4920 South Avalon Blvd. Los Angeles, CA, 90004
- Website: Avalon-carver.org
- Instagram: @avaloncarver @al_brady1
- Facebook: Avalon Carver Community Center
Image Credit:
Avalon-Carver Community Center
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