A former First Daughter and the boxing trainer she interviews took network TV viewers inside a St. Aubin Street gym that's making a difference in 65 students' lives.
Chelsea Clinton, reporting for NBC Nightly News, showcased the impact 43-year-old Detroit native Khali Sweeney has on youngsters he mentors athletically and academically at the Downtown Youth Boxing Gym -- a nonprofit "committed to enhancing the lives of the young men and women of Detroit," as its mission statement says. The segment closed Friday's newcast as an installment in its Making a Different series.
"My teammates and my coaches inspired me to be the best I can be," young David Davis tells Clinton in one of two unaired segments posted embedded below.
"For seven years the Downtown Boxing Gym has been a lifeline for a group of kids on Detroit’s east side," senior producer Mary Murray writes at the network's site. She blogs about the crew's Jan. 25 visit, including a tour with Sweeney.
When Sweeney grew up in the neighborhood, the area was “vibrant, and alive.” . . . Today, it is a just a shell. . . .
“A kid gets up in the morning, goes to school and he comes back to nothing,” said Sweeney. “At the same time, he sees all this stuff on TV and dreams of getting it, but there’s nobody around to show him the way to become a success.”
He stated that "kids are led astray when left on their own ... somebody needs to be their gatekeeper. Somebody needs to step up and take responsibility.”
The seven-year-old gym includes a tutoring classroom. At the nonprofit's Facebook page, Khali describes its purpose: "Boxing is the hook to get and keep kids in our program. Training them to be successful productive members of our society is our passion."
Earlier coverage
Chelsea Clinton Laces Up Boxing Gloves for Detroit Feature On NBC News, Jan. 27
