Maya Gwynn
With KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn with Black Perspectives IE, a show we learn about the amazing things members of the Black community are doing in the Inland Empire. My guest today is B. Hunter, Emmy Award-winning visionary, motivational speaker, and executive director/founder of Power Speaks Louder. Thank you so much for being here.
B. Hunter
Thank you for having me.
Maya Gwynn
I love the mission of the nonprofit, it's dedicated to empowering, educating, and transforming the life of youth in crisis, low-income families, individuals experiencing homelessness through their programs and services, which goes into my first question. BSL was founded to impact underserved communities through social emotional development and need specific resources. What inspired you to create this organization, and how has your vision evolved since 2016 which is 10 years ago, which we were talking about?
B. Hunter
Yes. So, thank you. That's such a great question. Super happy to be here. I think, you know, I am a product of Power Speaks Louder, and I'm also, I would say, one: that PSL has impacted from the beginning. So, I suffered from deep depression when I built the organization, from having a, I called it adaptive stress, which I'm learning about recently, but I was living a completely different lifestyle as a creative designer, and moved back with my mom and dad in their home. So like, I was in a state of like survival mode, like why am I back here, what am I doing? So that really took a spiral, I took a spiral in that space, and before there was a need to serve people, or I even seen it as valuable, I myself was in a position to really need some encouragement.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah.
B. Hunter
So the first step for me was like changing my words, and this whole concept of the power of words is very strong, and I think in that space there was a priming where I had more of a desire to help people, and that's what helped me bring myself out of depression. I'm always saying the Lord did, because I was praying. I was asking for help in a new perspective. So I think that's the foundation of where we started.
Maya Gwynn
How have you seen a change over 10 years, your organization?
B. Hunter
Power Speaks Louder was always a multi-dimensional concept, and it's evolved over time. We first started out with youth in crisis, and that was like our main project was youth empowerment, youth engagement. Speaking engagements was first from 2016 to 2019 and then when Covid hit, then it was the birth of our community outreach programs. You can see there it has evolved from youth empowerment to serving low-income families, the unhoused community, walk-run club, and things like that, while simultaneously doing that and building more.
Maya Gwynn
Wow, that's incredible. As an Emmy Award-winning visionary - which, congratulations, that's so dope - and producer, how is storytelling through film help you amplify the voices of the often overlooked in Riverside County and beyond?
B. Hunter
Yeah, it's powerful, and I think it's definitely the gateway to humanize people, right? And to share the stories that need to be heard. I think without storytelling, what do we have? And what made it even more powerful for me as a creative is that's my background, right? So I actually put my background aside to step into a role that was new to me, but being able to merge what I love and also like with impact and sharing people's stories is incredible, and it's allowed us a different perspective, because we're loving on people, we're going out into the trenches and being able to go into a dark place that many may not go, and to share that story with people who are like, I would have never went behind that corner or behind that dumpster over there, but the fact that you've seen this person valuable, as we all should, bringing them into the studio, and you know, allowing them to wash up, clean up themselves, to tell their story in a dignified way is another powerful act, right? So that's what, even with the Still Standing film, we did 14 interviews across two days, and we had many of the people we serve on the streets, we had them tell their story.
Maya Gwynn
In producing Still Standing, which was an incredible documentary, how did you choose which stories to highlight, and what was your guiding principle in showing both struggles and triumphs of the people you serve?
B. Hunter
We've always been very big on documentation while we're serving, and there's a fine line. You have to genuinely have a care for people to kind of have the discernment to know, like, how to share the story, and at what angle. And when we got the grant through Inland Empire Community Foundation, because we have to shout them out, because that was the reason why we were able to execute the grant in the first place, or the product, right, so by us getting that funding to storytell, we're like, hey, we already try to highlight people's stories. We ask people if they're willing for us to share their story. There's oftentimes, if we are recording, like in a conversation, "Hey, do you mind? We capture these things behind the scenes, so our partners can see the work we're doing. But if you do not want any footage of you, it's okay, we'll delete it." We build trust with our community. Before we brought out the big camera, we were already doing it for four consistent years with some of the same people we built relationships with, so they already knew, like, we weren't out there the first time we're meeting them with the camera in their face. We already had built a rapport, and knowing that some of those stories that we heard on the streets would be so impactful for other people to hear as well.
Maya Gwynn
Definitely. How do you measure success of PSL's programs? What metrics or feedback most accurately reflect the impact on the communities you serve?
B. Hunter
Our internal metrics, growth is gradual. We know how we started, we know how many people we impacted, so it's not always just numbers, it's also how many people give us feedback periodically. We'll ask people, if this program did not exist, would it impact you in any way? We get so many yeses and so many reasons why, and that's a metric that is tangible and it is scalable, right? We also see people wait earlier and earlier. We have a free food drive every second and fourth Thursday at the Moreno Valley Mall. Our start time is 10:30am. Our team's time set up is 6:30am. People are coming at 3:20am.
Maya Gwynn
Wow.
B. Hunter
That is the earliest that they've ever waited, right? It's quality of food, because we do our best to make sure the food is healthy for them, you know, but it's also the love. We are dancing out there, we're telling our team to smile, even if you don't feel like it, and to amplify kindness. But I think the growth of it is the surveys we do with the community, their feedback to us, and us keeping track of our journey.
Maya Gwynn
That's incredible. We're gonna move to our rapid fire portion. If your work had a theme song, would it be?
B. Hunter
Okay so, this one, I think, is so unfair, but a good way, because we have a soundtrack with our documentary. It's on all platforms, but it's the Still Standing documentary soundtrack by Jordan Lyles, and there's a song on there, Somebody Who. So you know, someone who builds you up and don't break you down, someone that you feel safe around, that's who you want to be. So, that will be my theme song.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah, that's perfect. And if you have to teach a master class or give a TED talk on a random skill you have, besides what you already do, what would it be?
B. Hunter
Maybe graphic design.
Maya Gwynn
especially with social media, everyone needs a graphic designer.
B. Hunter
Absolutely.
Maya Gwynn
And what's your favorite Moreno Valley restaurant or landmark that reminds you -or the IE.
B. Hunter
I love this California Citrus State Historic Park. I think that is a hidden gem. It's in Riverside.
Maya Gwynn
And how can people keep up with you guys and support the work you're doing?
B. Hunter
Yes, they can keep up on by joining our website, PowerSpeakslouder.org The donation page is just forward slash invest. They can keep up with us on social media, so at Power Speaks Louder. Me personally, you can find me in there at B Hunter underscore.
Maya Gwynn
Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to talk to you.
B. Hunter
Thank you so much.
Maya Gwynn
B Hunter is the Executive director and Founder of Power Speaks Louder. Find this segment and others at kvcr.org/bpie. Support for the segment comes from the Mecca IE Fund at IECF, advancing racial equity and supporting long-term investments in Black-led organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Join us again next week for Black Perspectives IE. For KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn. Thank you.
