I met Mr. Curry in person for the first time back in August of this year on the Inner City Visit to Louisville, KY were both invited to join by Greater Fort Wayne. We introduced ourselves in the parking lot of a Flying J rest stop half way to Louisville. From that brief interaction, I knew I needed to spend some additional time getting to know Mr. Curry as we talked briefly about relational engagement, listening to neighbors, and the high level neuroscience of social connectivity. I’m a thinker, observer, and learner by nature and when I meet people like Mr. Curry, I feel like I find a new friend.

We spent some additional time together on that trip, including catching dinner together where we discussed heavy justice related topics, the feelings of not being understood, the often mis-aligned relief and aid efforts of well intentioned development, and visions of how to approach community building differently. The only thing we solved that night was that we appreciated each others pursuit of knowledge and commitment to their work, a recognition that the work we do is hard but necessary, and that we should connect more.

This podcast is a continued pursuit of getting to know Mr. Curry, what motivates his work, and how his approach to youth development feels like a breathe of fresh air. Mr. Curry’s innate curiosity and commitment to find answers to the massive questions he asks continues to awake himself to the greater story that he is finding himself in. Mr. Curry spends quite a bit of time talking about the significant moments throughout his childhood that broadened his worldview and set him on a pursuit of deep scholarly knowledge, cross cultural and artistic experiences, and global pursuits to learn from others.

For 29 years old, Mr. Curry has experienced more than many of us will experience in a lifetime and he’s just getting started. I imagine that Mr. Curry is often misunderstood, but I think many of us just haven’t gone on as deep of a dive into our curiosity, our history, and are willing to dive into the complexity of brokenness that exists in our community and in our own lives to be able to hang onto Mr. Curry’s perspectives. I’m taking away from my conversations with Mr. Curry a deeper desire to dive in deeper rather than to pull away as I know I have a lot to learn by being present in complex conversations rather than allowing what I don’t know to scare me away from them. Lean into it.

What Mr. Curry is doing with the Art Leadership Center, his relatively new company that takes a fresh approach to youth development is really inspiring. Adrian’s approach to youth development is “designed for the systematic development of leaders of character with a global conscience that serve underdeveloped and underrepresented communities Nationally and Internationally.” Mr. Curry is taking all that he’s learned from the youth centers that impacted his life, his perseverance through his own personal struggles, his global travel, his neuroscience and psychology education, and his extensive step dancing background to teach kids about holistic health that comes through learning, application, and discipline.

I first saw Art Leadership Center in action at a Black History Month Celebration earlier in 2019 and you can tell the approach is having an impact. If you’ve not seen the students and Mr. Curry in action, I would recommend you check out their schedule and prioritize it.

Mr. Curry, thank you for being you and spending time with me. I look forward to our friendship growing. I’m wishing you all the success and collaborating in some way to bring life, joy, and celebration to neighborhoods in Fort Wayne.