Darrius Snow: 2009 Honoree

Darrius was born in the projects of Atlanta. He is one of five kids -- each with a different father -- and was abandoned by his drug-addicted mother when he was two years old. After being taken in by an older cousin, Darrius and his siblings moved to the Bankhead Courts projects, one of the most dangerous communities in Atlanta. Darrius is the first in his family to graduate high school and he is currently in his freshman year at Voorhees College. He was the President of BTEAM (Bankhead Teens Encouraging Action by Motivating others), a group of teens organized to transform their neighborhood from a drug and crime-infested one, to a positive environment where young people can be active and grow towards a brighter future. Darrius is also active with Essential 2 Life, an organization that provides educational and mentoring opportunities in hopes of seeing "a generation of urban youth move beyond poverty to discover a direction in their lives.