Today Isis Sapp-Grant is the Founder and Executive Director of the Youth Empowerment Mission, Inc. She is a natural leader, but her strength wasn’t always used to support the healthy development of our communities. As a youth, Isis was the leader of a notorious gang in New York, The Deceptinettes, the “sister arm” of the Decepticons, a violent youth street organization modeled after the destructive villains in the Saturday cartoon, Transformers. The members adopted the names of the Decepticon characters, giving life to the animated creations. Before long, Isis began to see that their violent and turbulent lifestyle—while fulfilling on some levels—could quickly lead her to an early grave. Her wake-up call came when her male counterpart “Megatron,” was killed. Isis realized that if she didn’t change her life, she could end up dead as well. So, she walked away from it. She buckled down in school, went to college, then graduate school and now leads a program to provide young women with the same gift that was given to her—the opportunity to blossom.

Decades later, Dreamworks releases the film, Transformers. While the movie may have given many of us an opportunity to remember lying on the couch watching Optimus Prime, with Autobots in tow, challenge the menacing presence of Megatron and the Decepticons—for Isis, watching the movie was a little bit different.

How did you feel watching the new Transformers movie?
Growing up, we made our own connection to the characters, especially the boys. So, seeing the movie as an adult brought back a lot of memories, especially about “Megatron” and his leadership skills. When he died, we lost a really good guy. As I was watching movie, I found myself identifying with Optimus Prime—even though I wanted him to “man up” in the movie—which is funny because I always identified with Megatron when I was younger. For me, the movie was bittersweet. My kids really enjoyed the movie, but I was watching it with a different eye.

What would watching Transformers have been like for you as a teenager?
Oh, the experience would have been very different! I saw this movie with my family, but in high school, it would have been a group project. I probably would have been drunk—which is not a good thing. I think it would have been a destructive coming-together. Actually, I got a lot of calls from people who wanted to see it with me for “old times sake.” I finally decided that it would be better to see it with my family.

On the screen, Autobots and Decepticons transform in seconds. What does it take in real life to transform?
Transforming in seconds is really cute, but it is not a reality. Even to this day, the fact that I had the need to go see this movie and to fulfill this sense of emptiness that’s still here for me—it makes me think of the emptiness that kids are feeling right now. In most cases, it isn’t possible for one group or one counseling session to help someone truly change the way they see life. It takes a lifetime.

What is the most challenging part of your transformation?
Hmmm….I would say feeling powerless in the face of evil. The hardest part is knowing that there is evil out there that keeps people in poverty and pain, and there’s nothing I can do about the big picture. When people don’t have a place—or know the place—to put their anger, they end up fighting each other. I don’t want to go there, so I am constantly trying to find a place to channel my anger. That’s the hardest part each and every day. It doesn’t matter how old you get…

What is your biggest challenge in preparing young women for their multiple transitions?
I think the biggest challenge is pretty much the same—bringing them to a place where they can finally open their eyes. It is a challenge to hold them long enough to get them comfortable to hold themselves up. It is not something that can happen overnight. This is something that takes years—we have girls in college who still need us to hold them. Our girls are looking for family—many of them have mothers who are addicted to drugs and fathers they’ve never known. They have grandparents who can’t do it anymore. Sometimes it is not about gangs, it is about family…change is a process.

In stories about machines vs. humans, where is the place for God?
You have to find God. You have to have faith. If it weren’t for my belief in a greater place and a higher Being, I wouldn’t have made it. Whatever that means for you, you have to find it. God, Spirit, at one point it was Buddha for me…I wrapped myself around these ideas and it liberated me. When I decided to leave the gang, I didn’t have any friends, and it was my faith that pulled me through…

For more information about the Youth Empowerment Mission, please visit http://www.girlsblossom.org

To read more about Isis Sapp-Grant and gang violence prevention efforts:

Preventing Gang Violence (Congressional Testimony, June 4, 2007)

Union Square Award Winners, 2001

Gang Girl: The Transformation of Isis Sapp-Grant in Essence Magazine (August 1998)

Girl Gang by Sue Russell

“There’s no doubt that hip-hop culture moves our young people powerfully. And some of it is not just a reflection of reality…It also creates reality. I think that if all our kids see is a glorification of materialism and bling and casual sex [then] kids are never seeing themselves reflected as hitting the books and being responsible and they are getting an unrealistic picture of what the world is like.” – 2008 Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, Vibe Magazine, September 2007.