Usher's New Look and Cricket Wireless to Host Virtual Youth Mental Health Summit Addressing the Effects of COVID-19, Systemic Racism and Social Injustice on Tuesday, June 30

ATLANTA, June 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Usher's New Look (UNL) today announced its collaboration with Cricket Wireless to host a Disruptivate Racial Inequity & Mental Health Trauma Summit for youth on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm ET. The virtual event will provide a forum for teens to discuss the effects of racism, socioeconomic inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health and overall well-being. High on the agenda will be candid conversations about the uncertainty many young people are facing, as well as the recent events that have laid bare the chronic, racially charged violence that continues to plague the Black community in the United States. The event, which is expected to attract several hundred online participants, will also offer coping mechanisms and counseling insights to help alleviate the burden of mental stress.

"UNL's Disruptivate Racial Inequity & Mental Health Trauma Summit is designed to offer comfort and counsel to young people who are experiencing pain, isolation and fear as our country faces a pandemic and extraordinary social unrest," says Careshia Moore, President and CEO of Usher's New Look. "We commend Cricket Wireless for their invaluable support, and we thank them for creating the impetus to foster healthy solutions — and hopefully a brighter outlook for our young people."

Founded in 1999 by Usher with the goal of providing educational resources and developmental tools for underserved youth in need of a "new look" on life, UNL has helped transform the lives of more than 50,000 young people around the world. UNL offers comprehensive programming that develops passion-driven, global leaders from middle school through college. UNL is currently hosting 300 high school and college-level students for its annual Summer Leadership Academy, which is also virtual this year. UNL offers a robust curriculum of educational programming year-round.

The UNL Disruptivate Racial Inequity & Mental Health Trauma Summit will also feature Ashley Edwards, Founder and CEO of MindRight Health, and Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble (Dr. Alfiee), a pioneering psychologist, scientist, media personality, author and speaker. Launched in June of 2019, MindRight is a tech startup with the mission of making mental health support radically accessible and inclusive of communities of color and low-income families. MindRight provides culturally responsive and trauma-informed mental health coaching over text message to youth and young adults.

Cricket Wireless' collaboration with UNL to host the Disruptivate Racial Inequity & Mental Health Trauma Summit is part of its Cricket Cares corporate social responsibility platform, dedicated to building healthy human connections for happier youth. Through Cricket Cares, Cricket supports young people and their families by fostering kindness, encouraging healthy mobile habits, and providing resources to help youth overcome challenging times.

"On the heels of months of isolation and as our country grapples with racism and social injustice, forming meaningful, positive connections is essential for our youth," said John Dwyer, president of Cricket Wireless. "By participating in events like this and collaborating with organizations that help fill critical gaps in our communities, our goal is help young people build healthy human connections that set them up to succeed and flourish."

To help continue its support of youth in need, Cricket Wireless and AT&T are donating $100,000 to MindRight Foundation to help further its mission to support and advocate for the mental health needs of communities of color.

Cricket is also donating $50,000 to UNL to support its transformative work in producing the next generation of young leaders who will change the world.

About Usher's New Look
Usher's New Look was founded by musical performer Usher Raymond as a young man barely out of his teens. Since then, the Foundation has been at the forefront of driving conversation into action and mobilizing communities – including the private sector – and the public to work together around the issues of community empowerment, youth development and economic disparities. Over the course of 21 years, the organization has served more than 50,000 young people and has galvanized a movement towards positive change in how young people of color perceive themselves and the world around them.

UNL is on a mission to transform the lives of underserved youth through a 10-year comprehensive program that develops passion-driven, global leaders. UNL's peer-to-peer program model and curriculum provides Access, Awareness and Empowerment to youth in underserved communities, in order to guide them on a pathway to leadership and help them make educational and career choices that match their passions.

About Cricket Wireless
Cricket is focused on inspiring smiles, one meaningful connection at a time. We offer an easy and high-quality wireless experience on our reliable nationwide network. Our affordable, straightforward service plans include monthly taxes and don't require an annual contract. Our customers also enjoy basic to top-brand phones at affordable prices. The AT&T Prepaid Portfolio, which includes Cricket Wireless, continued to outpace its peers through Q1 2020. Visit cricketwireless.com to learn more or find a store near you. Stay up to date with the Cricket Newsroom, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Smile. You're on Cricket.

Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. © 2020 Cricket Wireless LLC. All rights reserved. Cricket and the Cricket logo are trademarks under license to Cricket Wireless LLC.

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