ATLANTA — Antonio Lewis takes pride in being a product of Atlanta. As an accomplished Atlanta city council member, he said his success results from hard work and dedication.
But growing up, he said, life handed him hard times from a young age.
“I'm a perfect example of that. When I was two years old, my mother was shot over 30 times in this city, murdered in Dixie Hill [community],” he describes.
Lewis said it’s a privilege to serve, to be seen as an example of success – from being a youth to speaking at city hall.
He didn’t have the privilege of a normal childhood, from household dynamics, but he found different avenues to put money in his pocket.
“Growing up, I sold peanut brittle. I remember going to different malls across the city. I remember going to different retail stores,” Lewis said.
Atlanta youth have been central to many community conversations this year, from youth violence to bridging the gap regarding mentorship, job placement and resources.
While discussions about the problems are ongoing, Lewis has chosen to lead by example.
“It's your job to channel that hope into the right things. And so Atlanta as a city is my job to go and find 'em. I think all of them are one of them. You know how they say you got to be one of the ones? I think they all are one of them ones,” he said.
Lewis sees teens on Atlanta street corners selling water bottles, and he’s reminded of himself.
The city council member says teens need a change in mindset, to redefine terms and their definition of success.
“Getting it how you live is different in this city. To me, getting it how you live might be pull up. Pull up every day until they hire you,” he said.
With the help of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, the city of Atlanta launched the Year of the Youth initiative, which 11Alive asked him about during our televised "Protecting ATL Youth Town Hall."
As the city-wide initiative provides resources, Lewis said a helping hand can create the right mindset.
“Young people from this city have seen every type of success in every shade of people so they know they can be anything,” he said.