Meet Alvin Lockett | Community Center EXecutive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alvin Lockett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alvin, how does your business help the community?
RTTM Community Center aims to help our community through our mission of providing“Hope & Access” to our residents by introducing our community to new industries, individuals, and ideas through educational and personal empowerment events that foster individual integrity and neighborhood connections. We offer three primary programs that reach our community in various aspects.

Our Que-munity Center, much more than a building, acts as a lifeline for many residents. We ensure no one is left behind by providing wraparound services, including job readiness programs, financial empowerment initiatives, wellness support, and cultural events. Our Q to C-Suites program focuses on breaking down barriers for underrepresented groups by offering tailored support, mentoring, and leadership development to students from underserved communities, preparing them for future success in senior-level positions. Our Que Blackout Media Arts Youth Theater, where art and technology converge, opens doors to opportunities through performances, workshops, and digital literacy training.

At RTTM Community Center, we’re more than a center; we’re a movement. Our commitment to our community’s success remains steadfast as we continue to create opportunities for growth and empowerment for everyone.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love that Que Blackout Media Arts Youth Theater is a tech-first program. In Detroit, many prominent youth theater programs focus on the performers on stage. Que, the show’s stars, are the students off-stage; for most theater companies, the techs highlight and support the performers onstage. At Que, the performers help highlight the techs’ work and are there to support the students who handle the backend of our performances. Que Blackout was created when I was an instructor at Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit. When I wanted to start a youth theater, I was not surprised but excited that Mosaic’s founder Rick and current ED Dela had my back and supported the idea for a tech-first program. The work to get where we are purchasing the equipment, finding instructors, recruiting students, and building community has not been easy, but with each success, all the hard work is worthwhile. The biggest lesson remains that the dictionary is the only place success comes before work. Our staff, board, students, and community work hard daily to push the mission of providing hope and access to underserved communities. The one thing I hope people take away from our brand is that the arts aren’t just onstage but everywhere and that tech is part of our world. Que Blackout allows us to make imagination a reality for kids from the hood, and that will guide every action we do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So if I had a friend visiting, the first place I would take them is a Que Blackout Rehearsals Saturday’s noon to 2 pm at 9016 Van Dyke. Next, I would have them return on Sunday for the church service my family leads at the place 2 b Returning to Truth Ministries. Afterward, the best place to grab a drink and great food and see downtown Detroit would be the Kitchen; I love the place. It seems like the place groups go to gather, so I have never actually paid for anything there because it’s on someone else’s dime. We have to visit a comic book store, so Vault of Midnight is the spot for me to grab some gear, Nojo Kicks. Depending on the season, the LCA, Ford filed, or Comerica Park to support our teams is a must-go. The last place to visit is the Rivertown Meijer. My guy Marcus is the general manager and a huge queue supporter, and the store is within walking distance of my house, so I go daily.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am a product of my environment, and besides my father, Alvin Lockett Sr, my bishop Vincent Yancey, my mentor Semmeal Thomas, and the coach who started me down this artistic and community service work, Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit Found Rick Sperling. During our first production, all the men who poured into my youth were there, and the person I want to point out is RTTMCC Board Chair Pastor Mark Zockheem. This guy came into my life at a low point, has witnessed my personal and professional success, and has been a friend and mentor; he pushes me and always has my back. Pastor Z believed in the vision when others who had known the plan for years doubted it. I met Pastor Z when I was laid off from work, back home with my parents, and recovering from COVID-19 in April of 2020, the height of the pandemic. I remember sending out a text that I was restarting our program, and Pastor Z was the only person on the list to reply; he was the person I expected to hear back from the least. Since then, we have been on and popping. He has brought many of the children in his church to learn, taught classes, and has worked with the program at every level; now he is our Board Chair, aka President, and we know we wouldn’t be here without his support.

Website: www.queblackout.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queblackout/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/91434165

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QueBlackout/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@queblackouttheater

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@queblackout

Image Credits
Que Blackout