Jackson Free Press

Clapping her hands and laughing with delight, actress Vivica A. Fox smiled as a group of children and teens showed her the cheers they had learned to welcome her to Jackson.

Fox was at MetroCenter Mall last Wednesday to encourage children and teens to make good choices over the summer and to support the Life Changing Youth Summit. The summit is a low-cost summer program that provides children with meals, games and lessons on topics such as financial literacy, staying in school and planning for the future.

Fox emphasized the importance of hard work and simply being a good person.

"You all are Generation Next," Fox told the group of almost 100 children and teens. "Be the best you can be."

She told the young people they should start thinking about what they are good at--not necessarily what others tell them they can or should do. She said they do not have to grow up to be great actors or rappers or basketball stars; they can be great lawyers and accountants, but they will have to apply themselves, regardless.

"No one is going to give you success, but success is obtainable," she said. Fox encouraged the group to stay in school, stay out of jail and work hard to achieve their goals.

As an actress, Fox has appeared in movies such as "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" and "Independence Day," as well as on numerous TV shows, including "1-800-Missing" and "Dancing with the Stars." She credits her parents and sister with giving her the mentoring, foundation and inspiration that she hopes to give to others.

"The community has been so very supportive of my career for over 25 years, that this is the least I can do, especially for Generation Next," she said. "They are our future. We must care about our babies and not let them be thrown away. That's very important to me."