WHILE the streets of East Port of Spain might have seemed like a scene of utter anarchy on Monday, a flower of positivity blooms. Teneisha Campbell is yet another Trinbagonian and a former La Cou Harpe, Observatory Street, resident (Harpe Place) who appears in the record-breaking Black Panther. Campbell appears alongside a star-studded cast which includes Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira and Tobagonian Winston Duke among others.
The actress, who did not wish to state her age but said she is between the 25 to 36-year age group, shared a message for other residents of the Harpe. And that message was to never stop dreaming.
As she sat in her Texas home, she saw the videos of what was taking place in the area and she said to Newsday via phone yesterday, “I want them to know to never stop dreaming. If you find something that you love; whether it is your gift or your talent or your passion, hold on to it and try to surround yourself with people who can help uplift you and encourage you and push you toward that dream. Even if it is to looking toward someone like Winston Duke or me or one of the castings that you see in Black Panther.”
It was hard for Campbell to look at “because I come from that area and I know that there are people that live there that work so hard and want the best for their kids and they put a lot into it, so they can make it out of those environments and could have a better life.
“It really breaks my heart to see those riots because I feel for those kids who get up and go to school every day and look for a better future.”
While admittedly it was not easy for Campbell, two things aided her success; her Trini resilience and having a strong support system. Something she urges TT elders to provide for the nation’s youth.
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