The Happiness Club: Shaking the stress off at-risk youth in Chicago

CHICAGO -- Tanji Harper, the artistic director of the Happiness Club says, "I don't care your size, your color, your gender, I want you to feel safe and celebrated."

The Happiness Club is a performing arts organization but it is also a club.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Tanji's goal is to give kids a safe space to learn how to sing, dance, rap, write music and celebrate happiness.

She helps the kids understand that happiness is a choice, and that once you find it for yourself you can spread it to others.

One club member lives in a rough neighborhood and does not have the luxury of feeling safe while playing outside. She reflects, "Coming here (to the Happiness Club) makes me forget about a lot of things going on in my neighborhood. It shows me I don't have to be like everyone else there and I can be my own person."

The Happiness Club performs all over the city and gives members, some of whom haven't ventured far from Chicago's city limits, a chance to see other parts of the country.

They performed at Lollapalloza and during the Obama years, they performed on the White House lawn three times.

Ricketa Davis, a Happiness club member for 10 years, remembers the trip to the White House like it was yesterday, because it had such a huge impact on her life.

Ricketa also sings the praises of Tanji saying she's "everything to me, means everything, like a mother, mentor, friend, sister, brother honestly whatever you want her to be, she can be that for you."

The Happiness Club practices every Sunday at the Harold Washington Cultural Center. For more information, go to: https://thehappinessclub.com/