Rosevelt Rawls has been singing since she was ten years old. Making a name for herself with performances alongside the likes of Dick Van Dyke.
Now fifteen, she’s using her incredible voice to send a powerful message to children everywhere.
“I learned the statistics that five kids every day die of child abuse and neglect, and like everyone you just kind of say wow that’s a lot and I really wanted to use my voice for good,” said Rosevelt.
Teaming up with Childhelp, a longtime Valley organization hoping to put an end to that heartbreaking statistic.
Last year she traveled to schools across the Valley, hosting 45 assembly concerts for more than 10,000 students.
Called the Music and Message tour, she warmed up the crowds with her vocals but followed it up with something much more important.
“We give them five safety rules that Child Help provides through their speak up and be safe curriculum,” said Rosevelt. “We also make sure to give them our hotline number 1-800-4-A-CHILD and have them repeat it back to me.”
Phrases like “it’s my body”, “tell someone” and “it’s never my fault”, help empower children to speak up if they’re experiencing abuse of any kind.
“It was amazing to see the ease in which she’s able to connect with these students, you can just tell that they all related to her in some way, that they understood her message and that they’re going to remember it for a very long time,” said Rita Ann Reznick with Florence Unified School District.
“It’s a serious problem and Child Help is doing their part to help but it takes all of us and it takes somebody like this young 15-year-old to spend her life helping others the way she is,” said ChildHelp Founder Sara O’Meara. “It’s magnificent and she relates to the children, and they relate to her.”
Recently Rosevelt learned she was getting the opportunity of a lifetime.
“When I got the call from Chapel Heart saying that you’re coming on tour with us it was, it felt like a dream and still does,” said Rosevelt.
She’ll now take her act on the road and was invited to open for America’s Got Talent Finalists Chapel Heart at sixty stops across the country.
“Every city that we’re at, we’ll be hitting at least one school tour and our goal is to do about one hundred school assemblies,” said Rosevelt.
Visits that allow her to spread her critical words of love and support. Delivering a simple yet impactful message.
“There is help and that all they need to do is speak up and it will keep them safe,” said Rosevelt.
Going on tour does have expenses for Rosevelt, if you’d like to support her mission.