I used to pray hard. I prayed that God would send me help. Not just help for me, but for the young men who had grown up under my care, those who now stand alongside me, leading and coordinating the Austin Safety Action Plan (ASAP). The kind of help I was asking for couldn’t be bought or borrowed. I needed people who believed, not just in the mission, but in me. I needed my soul tribe.
A soul tribe is a blessing from God. It is a divine alignment with people who support you unconditionally and believe deeply in the calling on your life. They show up in your story like chapters already written by the Creator exactly when they’re supposed to, exactly how you need them.
I met one-third of my soul tribe in June of 2021, on one of the biggest days of my life. It was the official kickoff of ASAP, and the team and I were out on the court at Austin Town Hall, running a basketball game for the youth. We weren’t just playing ball; we were building trust, energy, and the start of something transformative for the West Side.
That’s when he appeared, Jordan “Soup” Campbell, riding his bike through the park. He noticed us on the court and rode over. He introduced himself with a quiet but undeniable energy. It didn’t take long for him to begin engaging with the young men, talking to them like he’d known them forever. It was effortless.
From that day, our relationship began to build, not rushed, not forced organically. We realized that despite different journeys, our backgrounds were rooted in the same soil: purpose. When I saw Jordan take off his camera and place it on a kid’s neck, showing him how to shoot a photo, I remember thinking: This guy is different. That wasn’t about optics, it was about empowerment.
And that’s when I knew: He’s part of my tribe.
Since then, Jordan and I have collaborated to create something bigger than ourselves. Together, we’ve cultivated an environment where young people can show up fully as themselves — free, creative, unified, and thriving. We’ve learned how to balance each other’s gifts, blending mission with movement, strategy with soul.
Our biggest evolution came with the expansion of the ASAP Safe Zone. We had a conversation, one that felt like more than talk, and it led us to our next destination: Corcoran Place, just on the other side of Lake Street, a block where there hasn’t been any community development in over 20 years. It was untouched, overlooked … and perfect for what we envisioned.
We didn’t just see a street. We saw potential. We built a long-term strategy rooted in solutions that the community could not only benefit from but sustain. No savior complex. Just real people building with real love for the people. It was time.
This year, our two organizations, Root2fruit Youth Foundation and Alt_, officially went public with our partnership and ownership. And earlier this month, Alt_ opened its new space in the historic Austin Bank building at 5645 W. Corcoran Place. And Root2fruit Youth Foundation is now housed within that space as part of what we call the House Collective.
It’s surreal. A kid from the West Side of Chicago and a visionary from Akron, Ohio both young, Black, and committed to the work building something that transcends any one of us. We don’t move with ego; we move with intention. That’s the secret. That’s what makes it work.
This is what happens when the universe aligns a divine partnership. Lives get changed. Streets come back to life. Young people see themselves in spaces once deemed forgotten. And a story gets written, one that will transform generations and transcend time.
That’s the power of a soul tribe.
And I’m just getting started.