DM Whit’s, LLC

Electric eyes everywhere… but their ideas lit up the room.

When the beat drops… the imagination kicks in. 👀👟✨

At first glance, it looks like students are just designing a sneaker campaign. But this is really leadership work.

Because leadership starts with relationships.

A relationship with your team.
A relationship with your audience.
A relationship with your message.
And yes, even a relationship with a brand like Nike — because students already understand brands, culture, influence, and what makes people pay attention.

That is the bridge.

When students create a campaign, they are learning how to communicate an idea, make decisions, work with others, defend their choices, listen to feedback, and use their voice with purpose.

That is civic voice in action.

Not a worksheet.
Not a lecture.
A real-world experience where creativity becomes confidence and students start seeing themselves as leaders.

Sneakers were the hook.
Leadership was the lesson. 👟🎤

DM Whits: Curator of Good Thoughts was built around people — especially young people — and what happens when they are seen, heard, supported, and given real opportunities to lead.

My work is about strengthening youth and civic voice through relationships, intentional conversations, strategic planning, and helping organizations create spaces where people are not just invited in, but actually included.

The street artist wrote the name.
But the mission has always been the people.

DM Whits: Curator of Good Thoughts
Building voice. Building people. Building what comes next. 🎤✨

what student leadership looks like before the world calls it leadership.

At the Locker Room Experience, high school athletes and student leaders gather four times a year at The University of Akron to do real work.

Not worksheets.
Not “sit and listen” leadership.
Real student-driven planning.

They are building nonprofit-style teams inside their schools, creating programming that addresses attendance, behavior, school culture, and mental health.

This reel captured one small moment from that work.

One student wrote: “Stay Positive.”
Another wrote: “Stay Strong.”
Then a young man wrote: “Going D1.”

He looked up and said, “You’re gonna see me.”

That is why youth voice matters.

Because sometimes leadership starts as a sentence written on a celebration form. Sometimes confidence shows up before the strategy is complete.
Sometimes a young person just needs the room, the structure, and the belief that their ideas can move something.

As the strategic consultant for the Locker Room Experience, I get to help support the framework behind the work. But the power of the program is this:

The students are not the audience.
They are the architects.

And we are documenting what happens when young people are trusted to lead.

All aboard the love train. 🚂❤️

Wait… they just called MY name! ✨

What an honor to be introduced as the recipient of the Gene Scruggs Community Impact Award from the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation of Akron, Ohio.

This moment was more than an award. It was a reminder that when you show up for young people, schools, families, and community, the work has a way of speaking for itself.

For years, I have had the privilege of working alongside members of Kappa Alpha Psi to support mentoring, programming, leadership, and opportunities for young men in Akron. What started in one school continued to grow, reaching more students, more families, and more spaces where youth needed to be seen, heard, and supported.

To the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation of Akron, thank you for this beautiful recognition. To the Scruggs family, thank you for sharing his legacy of service, leadership, and community love with all of us.

I am grateful. I am humbled. And I am still committed to the work. ❤️

Because community impact is not just what we do.

It is who we become when we keep showing up.

This started in one school hallway.
Then it moved to another.
Then it reached the city.

Receiving the Gene P. Scruggs Community Impact Award from the Kappa Foundation of Akron is more than a personal honor. It is a reminder that community work grows when people are willing to show up, mentor, listen, and keep building.

What began with programming and mentoring for young men at Perkins Middle School continued at NIHF STEM Middle School and has now expanded into broader civic and community work across Akron.

That is the power of service.
One school can become a movement.
One relationship can open a door.
One young person’s voice can change the direction of a community.

I am grateful to the Kappa Foundation of Akron for this recognition and to the Scruggs family for allowing this legacy of service, mentorship, and community engagement to continue speaking through the work.

The award is beautiful.
But the story behind it is even bigger. ❤️

🚨✨ STOP SCROLLING, AKRON — Black History is being stitched in real time. ✨🚨

Join us Monday, February 9 at 9:30 AM at the Summit County Courthouse for the unveiling of the Gee’s Bend–inspired G. Bins Quilt — a powerful community art piece created by youth across the City of Akron during the Female Youth Symposium. 💛🧡

Under the creative direction of the Black Artists Guild, these young women turned stories, culture, and leadership into something you can literally see and feel.

This isn’t just a quilt…
It’s youth voice.
It’s community pride.
It’s Black history in the making.

📍 Summit County Courthouse
🗓 Monday, Feb. 9
⏰ 9:30 AM
🎟 Open to the public — all are welcome!

Come witness something beautiful. Come celebrate Akron’s future. 🙌🏾🧵

✨ Calling all young women ages 14–24! ✨

You’re invited to the MLK Weekend Female Youth Symposium — a powerful, joy-filled day created just for you.

🗓 Saturday, January 17
⏰ 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Doors open at 10:00 AM)
📍 Buchtel High School | Akron
💛 FREE to attend

What to expect:
💃 Line dancing to get the energy flowing
🥞 Free breakfast
🎨 A community art project
🧠 Interactive breakout sessions on:
• Healthy skin & self-care
• Healthy dating & relationships
• Mental health & wellness
• College life
• Career & life pathways

This is a space to learn, connect, be inspired, and feel comfortable in your skin — just as you are. Bring a friend and come ready to grow, laugh, and be empowered.

🔗 Register now mlkakron.org
📲 Spots are limited — don’t wait!

✨ Calling all young women ages 14–24! ✨

You’re invited to the MLK Weekend Female Youth Symposium — a powerful, joy-filled day created just for you.

🗓 Saturday, January 17
⏰ 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Doors open at 10:00 AM)
📍 Buchtel High School | Akron
💛 FREE to attend

What to expect:
💃 Line dancing to get the energy flowing
🥞 Free breakfast
🎨 A community art project
🧠 Interactive breakout sessions on:
• Healthy skin & self-care
• Healthy dating & relationships
• Mental health & wellness
• College life
• Career & life pathways

This is a space to learn, connect, be inspired, and feel comfortable in your skin — just as you are. Bring a friend and come ready to grow, laugh, and be empowered.

🔗 Register now at mlkakron.org
📲 Spots are limited — don’t wait!

DM Whits knows the importance of community involvement — because community involvement shapes student voice. 💛✨

From fun moments like Purse Bingo at St. Hilary’s to powerful community gatherings like The Soul of Philanthropy, these last two weeks reminded me why I do this work.

In just 14 days, I’ve been honored to:
💛 Give back and provide canned goods to the Helen Arnold CLC pantry
💛 Build a new summit with the NAACP Youth Group
💛 Support girls’ leadership as we plan the MLK Girls Summit
💛 Lead with purpose as the Logistics Chair for the Athena Awards
💛 Connect with innovators at the Akron Urban League Tech Summit
💛 Meet with Love Akron’s “Because We Love Akron” committee
💛 Graduate from Leadership Akron NEXT Class 14
💛 Celebrate justice + excellence at the NAACP Freedom Fund Luncheon

Every room. Every event. Every partnership.
It all points back to one mission: Amplifying youth voice across Akron and beyond. 🌟

👉🏽 Want to learn more about how youth voice transforms communities?
Visit dmwhits.com to explore programs, courses, and ways to partner.

💡 Three Ways to ‘March Into Student Voice’
1. Start With Listening Sessions: Give students structured space to share ideas, concerns, and solutions — just like a band takes cues from its drum major.

2. Let Youth Set the Tempo:
A great band follows the cadence — let youth lead projects, shape initiatives, and set the pace for progress so the whole team moves with purpose.

3. Build a Culture of Celebration: 3. Spotlight youth leaders publicly — performances, game-day highlights, social media shoutouts — amplify their voices the way an HBCU band amplifies energy.

Ready to elevate student leadership this season? Visit dmwhits.com to learn more. Link in bio!