but it's telling his life story to troubles youths at the sasha bruce center in northeast, d.c., thaty if not more rewarded. >> i was incarcerated twr months as a 12-year-old child. >> reporter: he hopes by seeing someone who looks like them, who has faced similar challenges, the teens will realize that just like a kid named speedo, they can realize their dreams too. >> it took half my life to get to a point where i didn't hate mids, where i accepted my past is my past and my future is what i make it. not even that long ago really, i wouldn't have been allowed to sing on an of the color of my skin. >> reporter: when he sat down with the kids at the sasha bruce center, none of them knew who he was. he asked them to guess. they guessed football player, athlete. most were shocked when he said he was an opera player. he wants everyone to believe they can be whatever they want regardless of the color of their skin. and if you're wondering, yes, speedo is his real name, and yes, he does have a book out. and it's called singing for my life. >> love it. where does he get the name speedo? >> h

sam: we are outside the sasha bruce house on capitol hill, which for years has been a haven for young people. the mayor working group designated as evaluation center for the missing youth once they are found. months ago when the city decided to publicize all missing persons under 16 and over 65 that generated more critical missing person reports. particularly among juveniles and d.c. became the talk of the nation about missing kids. city leaders beat down that idea but said that almost all of the messing kids are run-aways. member of the mayor's working group today said there needs to be more evaluation of why so many kids are running away. >> how many kids leave because of a conflict in the home or felt unsafe from the home environment. or sometimes they are running to something. that is part of the process. the mayor asked to us make sure that we are collecting that data so we are creating the system. we are going to >> so what will happen is the police will be bringing young people here first. if a young person doesn't feel safe at home they can come here and report him or herself

sam: we are outside sasha bruce house where the city will designate that youth can be dropped off rather than taken back homes that may have the issues that caused the youth to run away in the first place. with the city decision to give cases more publicity every day, the d.c. youths are going on and off the critical missing person list. >> i look forward to the vulnerable youth in the city to receive services. she met today with a news conference to announce initiatives including the police in the youth division and the center to find out why youth are running away. uptick in the missing children in washington. >> this is reaction a month ago about the crisis of the missing youth in the city. the mayor says there is no crisis but the new policy raised awareness. >> the non-profit partners are getting more calls. that is a good thing. we have raised awareness. we put out the numbers for young people to call. >> in a couple of months this will be the main center for evaluating the youth. >> we are creating a safe place to have the children come and do a triage and do an assessment to dete

. >> reporter: debra shore has been helping troubled teens since 1974 when she founded the sasha bruceenter. up until now teens in crisis don't always have a safe place to go and get help and that's one reason so many runway. >> the kinds of struggles that so many young people are facing in this city and we're -- i'm just grateful that this is going to move us towards a system where they're going to be a lot less alone. >> reporter: in the district, mark segraves, news4. >> announcer: news4 at starts now. >> right now at 5:00 tonight. a moment to reflect, a moment to remember the outpouring of emotion today at a gathering for that bowie state student murdered this past weekend. >> fbi raids and stolen secrets, the international intreeg in a d.c. courtroom today. >> and the first lady's fashion statement around the world will hear from "the washington post" fashion critic about the meaning behind her style this week. >> we're going to begin at 5:00 following new developments out in england. nbc news at learned that the father and brother of the suspected manchester suicide bomber are no

. >> green spent time at the sasha bruce youth center in northeast yesterday talking with teenagers hopingnd of inspiration he got as a young man. the inspiration that led him to the international stage. he's got an impressive story, doesn't he? >> what a comeback. and making an impact. >> we're proud of him. >>> we're getting a sneak peek inside a new exhibit opening up at the museum of african american history and culture. more than words features 150 images spanning more than two centuries of history. some of them are well known. others, rarely seen before. among the featured photographers, sharon former, who in the '90s became the first af to oversee the white house photography office. >> what do you want people to feel when they come in here? >> a connection. an emotion. if you don't know that person, maybe you know somebody else in your family who feels like she feels. >> love that picture. you can get a preview of some of the pictures in our nbc washington app. just search african american museum. >>> you've heard of rolling thunder, how about strolling thunder? up next, the message