Fifteen-year-old Victoria Harold stood before her peers, ready to recite a few lines from her favorite film, “Love & Basketball.”
She had a glow about her, and more confidence than when she arrived Tuesday morning for an Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership breakfast.
In the room sat three professional actors — Jonathan Slocumb, Gary Johnson and Karen Malina White from the “Cheaper to Keep Her” cast. They critiqued and encouraged the 22 Omaha high school students in the ENCAP after-school program to continue pursuing higher education and their dreams.
“Education broadens you,” White said. “You meet so many people in life when you're open. No matter what field you go in, you need relationships.”
R&B singer Brian McKnight and actress Vivica A. Fox starred in a one-night performance of “Cheaper to Keep Her” Tuesday at the Omaha Music Hall. McKnight and Fox did not attend the breakfast.
White is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Kaneesha in the 1989 film “Lean on Me” and the voice of Dijonay Jones in Disney's animated series “The Proud Family.”
“You have no idea where your life is going to take you,” she said. “The more you know, the more you expand.”
Harold, an aspiring actress, was singled out as an example.
“Let's do a scene from your favorite movie,” Johnson said to the wide-eyed North High School student.
She popped up from her seat, saying “OK.”
“Tell me which part,” he asked. “When they play one-on-one basketball against each other?”
A giggly Harold nodded. They exchanged a few lines from a scene.
“Good job,” Johnson said. “But in the future you've got to be prepared. You can't worry about your friends.”
The actors also offered advice about making positive choices in life.
Stay in school, one actor said. “It's so important, especially if you want to get ahead in life.”
Stay on top of current events, said another. “You want to speak intelligently. You need your own point of view.”
Don't take a back seat, the third actor said. “You have to envision what you want and go after it. Do the best you can do in Omaha.”
“There's going to be a lot of negativity around you,” Johnson explained, “but you've got to weed that all out.”
The students listened attentively, especially when Slocumb spoke. He's a comedian who describes his jokes as Bill Cosby-esque because they tend to be squeaky clean.
“You all have the Internet,” Slocumb joked. “We didn't have that. We had to enter the library.”
A roar of laughter erupted.
“He means it,” White chimed in. “It's on you. It's your life. It's how you decide to show up in the world.”
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