Usher Teams Up With the Obamas
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
He's a singing sensation and actor, but when Usher Raymond IV comes to Washington, it's because of his other passion: volunteerism. This week, he applauded Barack Obama's signing of the $5.7 billion national service bill and joined Ted Turner's fight against malaria in Africa. Usher has also signaled that he plans to be on the president's bench of those called to mentor a new generation of young volunteers. "Now we have an outlet," he says. "We have a stage to show how change and service can make a difference."
First up: Joining Turner and his United Nations Foundation's worldwide campaign to send bed nets to African villages plagued by malaria, carried by mosquitoes. "What you have is the beginning of a very beautiful relationship that's going to mature into a long-term relationship," Usher says. Next, he might team with the White House on summer youth service initiatives, everything from cleaning up parks to leadership camps. On Wednesday, he met with first lady Michelle Obama's staff to preview some plans. "I love her," Usher says of Michelle. "She's one of the greatest women on planet Earth!"
While he's been a volunteer since his teens, Usher—sponsor of the New Look foundation that provides leadership opportunities to kids—is just getting started. He credits the efforts of Obama and Turner for inspiring him further. "This is ramping up. We haven't hit a crescendo."
Illustration by Ed Wexler for USN&WR
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Tags: Barack Obama | Michelle Obama
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Reader Comments
Volunteers in Kenya
I am affiliated with a dynamic group of African American women, who are not wealthy but pretty accomplished in who we are individually and collectively. We go to Kenya once and more recently twice a year to engage in joint ventures with accomplished Kenyan women who have been volunteering in the slums, and villages. We specialize in donating to clean water (maji safi) sanitary products for girl students, establishing lending libraries in schools and villages. We are the African American Kenyan Women Interconnect www.aakewo.com and we kind of stay under the radar, but the movement is growing. What a great way to go back home after being away for 400 years.
Volunteerism
I think that it is fabulous that the Obama's are pushing volunteerism. I work for a Hospice agency and we are in desperate need of volunteers to read to patients, knit blankets or just visit the patients and talk. Over the last few years, our numbers have dropped dramatically and right now I only have one person willing to volunteer to help out and that is my husband! I hope this feeling of community spreads and people in my area decide that volunteering their time is not a waste of their time, but a generous shring of it with someone who needs to feel appreciated.
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