On Friday, September 1, New Richmond High School (NRHS) welcomed Mr. Nick Jackson, the owner and creator of Speakers of Love, to speak to NRHS students. Mr. Jackson is a motivational speaker who has dedicated his life to inspiring young people (upwards of 755,000 high school and collegiate students) to reach for their higher purpose and unlock their fullest potential. With raw transparency, Jackson shared his personal experiences and empowering stories to deliver a motivational message rooted in the principles of loving your neighbor and serving one’s community.
“Everybody in this room has the potential to be something great,” stated Jackson. “And it all starts with love. It’s time to come together and start speaking love to yourself and to each other.”
Jackson continued opening up about an experience from his youth that shaped him into the man he is today. It was an experience where racial bias and hate tried to triumph, but love was victorious.
He stated, “My father held my hand and said to me, ‘Just keep walking, son.’ And I didn’t get it then, but I do now.” It was through this moment that he could look back and now understand these key values:
1- Just like Jackson was watching his father, we always have someone watching us. He stated, “Don’t you realize how important you are? With every decision you make, there is someone there watching, and you’ve got to see that your decisions affect others.”
2- Pain elicits strength. “There needs to be grit and toughness to fight through the pain because that pain makes us stronger,” stated Jackson. “For you to be the man or woman you were designed to be, you’re going to feel some pain, but know that on the other side of pain is joy.”
3- Our value and importance is unwavering. As many of us would feel inclined and entitled to retaliate in this situation that the Jackson family found themselves in, it was his father's acknowledgement of his own value that gave him strength to keep walking. Jackson stated, ”My character doesn’t change based on circumstances.”
Throughout his talk, Jackson would continually draw back to one thing: love. His message was clear as he charged NRHS students to realize their worth, recognize their potential, and reach to be people who speak love to themselves and eachother.
“We need positive voices in our community,” he stated. “When people come at you, meet them with love, because love always wins.”