Speaklife

By Frank Davis

Speaklife — an organization inspired by a vision, dedicated to building a better community through action, speaking positive, spreading love and celebrating life.

In his younger years Kashif Carter grew up in Franklin, later his family moved to Isle of Wight County where he graduated from Smithfield High School. After graduation his career path led him to a position as a welder at the Newport News Shipyard. Carter found he didn’t care for that so he changed direction and went to work for the Virginia Department of Prisons at the Sussex One for about six years. Following his time at Sussex One Carter switched careers again and went back to the shipyard. This time he entered the electrical field and became an electrician where he worked his way up the ranks and became a crane engineer supervisor.

During this time span Carter married and together with his wife Shontelle they have 3 children, Jaylin age 16, Alayna age 8 and Brianna age 2. These days the Carter family calls Boykins home.

When asked about Speaklife and how it came about Carter explains that in January of 2016 he had a vision. While lying in bed one night, the words “Speaklife” kept popping up in his mind. Later in a dream a vision of Speaklife was laid out for him. After awakening from his sleep, Carter asked God for direction. After prayer and talking with local pastors, Carter noticed that he got different interpretations about what Speaklife means — for some it’s heart problems, and for some its going through abusive relationships, for others its marriage problems. But as he continued to talk with people, he realized that there was a bigger vision for the words, “Speaklife.”

He realized what was needed in the community was for Speaklife to be a community organization. Carter started to

connect with people in the community, pastors, church leaders and school perRight coverage. Right price. sonnel, to find out what he and Speaklife could do to help. He soon discovered that by sharing stories about life’s situations, Right here in town. people could help each other with problems that were being encountered in life. He also found that not only was he focusing on the youth of the community but their parents as well. As a next step in making Speaklife a reality, in 2017 Carter stepped out on faith and put the words Speaklife with the addition of a heart on a T-shirt. He showed the T-shirt to a few people and they all responded favorably. This led him to produce 300 T-shirts. To his surprise he sold them all within a month’s period of time. He used all the profits from the Speak-

Speaklife Vision starts beginning of a community organization

Kashif Carter takes a moment to speak with and encourage team members. SUBMITTED | FRANK DAVIS

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SUBMITTED | FRANK DAVIS The Courtland Hornets Football and Cheer team on a float during the 2021 Christmas parade through downtown Franklin.

life T-shirt sales to “plant seeds” in the community. Carter purchased bikes and gift cards which he donated to youth at Riverdale Elementary School. He later purchased new clothes and toys that would go out to those who were in need.

Carter also feels very strongly about giving back to the youth of the community. While working at Sussex One he saw so many Black men housed there that were fathers. He knew that many of the youth that he encountered in the community did not have a father in their homes to serve as a role model to look up to. Carter feels that he owes it to those youth to give back to them what they are missing by not having a father in the home.

For the 2021 football season, Carter organized and funded the Courtland Hornets youth football and cheerleaders flag program that is sponsored by the Franklin Department of Parks & Recreation. He added that all equipment for the program was funded through Speaklife. It is his plan that all monies raised in 2021 will be used to expand the program in 2022 with two additional tackle teams for the two other age groups of the youth football program.

Carter, who has an interest in photography, also launched Speaklife photography. He believes that so much emphasis is put on sports that there is a need to expose and teach youth about shooting sports images. He personally has eight youth photographers’ that he is working with and is teaching them about shooting youth sports. They are presently shooting various youth sports in the Franklin/Southampton community.

Carter added that the Speaklife program is also involved in the weekly food program that is sponsored by the Hope Center of Franklin. Each Saturday morning the program gives away food to those in need.

Carter feels that many people in the community personally know him and what he is about. One of the goals that he is shooting for through Speaklife deals with diversity and bringing people together. Carter says the Speaklife program is multicultural and he is getting support from the community as a whole.

Living in Southampton County, he mentioned that many of the school officials know him and he has been active in the schools in talking with the youth. He also feels that many youth will share things with him quicker than parents/ social workers.

One of the main points that the Speaklife organization pushes is speak positive, spread love and celebrate life. Carter feels it is important to stay away from anything negative, and instead promote the positive side of a situation. Have fun, life is too short. These last two years we all have seen people leaving here left and right, the young and the old, so have fun while you can.

Carter has a small group of faithful volunteers that work with him as different projects are started. He is in the process of becoming a 501-3c organization. To find out more about the Speaklife organization and Carter visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ kashif.carter.31.

Courtland Hornets Football team members and Kashif Carter of Speaklife.

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