fter the
tragic death of 8-year-old Daesean Hill in a drug-related shootout in East
New York, Brooklyn last November, community residents said enough is
enough. Many community activists, including Council Member and mayoral
candidate Charles Barron, pledged to do all they can to turn the
neighborhood around and make it one of the safest in the City.
These
were not just hollow words, either. People are committed to making a
change, as could be seen at the Youth Summit against Violence that
Barron’s office and the Thomas Jefferson High School PTA, presented in
early April. Young men and women flocked to this all day conference,
which included a public forum, individual workshops, and some terrific
entertainment.
Andre Mitchell, Special Assistant to Council Member Barron, was
pivotal in organizing the summit, and he kept the ball rolling
throughout the day. He began by introducing Barron, who spoke about the
fact that "People don’t commit crimes because there are not enough
police on the street, because there’s not enough prisons or because the
laws aren’t tough enough. People commit crimes when they’re hopeless,
don’t have jobs, don’t have cultural centers, when they have schools
that are overcrowded and failing." And he commented that instead of the
mayor saying that he’s going to put a cop next to every child if he must
to stop violence, "He needs to put a computer and a qualified teacher
next to every child. He needs to put every child in a smaller class
size. He needs to bring jobs to the neighborhood."
Barron also praised Thomas Jefferson High School
Principal Mr. Varleton McDonald for serving as a strong, positive male
role model for the youth.
Mitchell then introduced the special guest panel for the Listening
Forum, in which the youth were encouraged to express their views to and
ask questions of a diverse body of community leaders. Among them were
Fatiym Muhammad, Producer at KISS FM; Dr. Tshombe Walker, Professor at
John Jay College; Attorney Kamaru Karl Franklin; Isabelle Gonzalez from
Sister to Sister; Anthony Miranda, President of the National Latino
Police Association; Leslie Shannon, Minister at St. Paul Community
Baptist Church and a former Corrections Officer at Rikers Island; as
well as Henry Muhammad and Donnie Muhammad from the Nation of Islam.
With Ms. Everbell Bishop moderating the discussion, the panel fielded
questions and comments from the youth, such as, "As a student who
attends one of the most violent high schools in New York City, what
suggestions would you give to help avoid getting caught up in the
violence?"
Many of the questions and comments pointed to the anger students feel
at being seen negatively by the population at large. One stated, "As a
student at Thomas Jefferson, I see that we are judged by those who do
wrong. How can we get people to see what really goes on?" Another
student asked, "Why does the media only reflect the negative and not the
positive things happening with us?"
There were also questions about the police: why should they, as youths
of color, trust them or go to them since the police give them so much
trouble - and, when you really need them, they don’t come.
Next, the summit broke up into individual workshops where more
detailed discussion of the attendees’ concerns could take place. There
were eight workshops to chose among, including Abusive Relationships,
Families & Victims of Violence, Educate - Don’t Incarcerate, The
Almighty Dollar, and How Can I be Down?
Each of them that this reporter visited presented substantive
material that was to the point and practical. Roughly, the information
broke down into how to protect yourself from three types of predator:
the common criminal, the police when they’re doing wrong, and the
capitalist interests out to exploit you.
For
example, in one workshop, Dr. Valerie Andrews gave pointers on how a
young woman can stay safe on the streets and in the subway by "being
mindful and watching people that are watching you. Be aware of your
surroundings." In another workshop, Brother Umar Jordan illuminated the
Catch 22 that the Black community is in as to police: "As an African
American, you do not want to call the police," said. "But we also
need the police." And in his workshop, Atty. Karl Franklin really
spelled out what a person’s rights are and how to deal with the police
under various circumstances.
In the very popular workshop, Hip-Hop & Violence, Tylon Washington,
President of Black Waxx Recordings, spoke about the need to turn their
backs on music put out by certain labels. "This entire system is not
designed for us," he stated. "It is an attack on your psyche and your
community. They know that if they glorify violence and death, and there
is no opportunity for jobs in your community - they know what’s going to
happen."
Washington said, too, that there are people producing positive music,
but it isn’t getting airtime. "They don’t want to give you music that is
going to change your mind and have you start thinking more analytically
and critically about your existence, who you are, what you should
become," he declared emphatically. "They don’t care about you. They’re
playing you. They care more about making money than about empowering the
community in a real way."
In
the workshop titled The Birthplace of Violence, Min. Leslie Shannon said
that we will never solve the problem of violence without looking at what
it’s rooted in. "You have to address people’s pain, disappointment,
their hopelessness, joblessness," he commented. "People are hurting.
Hurting people hurt people."
Following the workshops, everyone returned to the main auditorium
where representatives from each workshop reported back to the general
assemblage.
Then, it was time to enjoy some great entertainment. The audience was
treated to performances by rappers Ms. Diamond, D.V. alias Khyrst,
Brother Janis & Jr. Mafia’s Chico, spoken word artist Kahlil Almustafa,
as well as singers Rob Lowe, Chapter One, and Nana Soul.
Each and every youth that took part in this summit can feel proud,
for they are seizing control of their own futures and making a positive
difference for others.
