Unity Day 2010
Friends, family, neighbors, current and alumni members and staff of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol gathered together this past Saturday at Riverside State Park for our annual Unity Day Celebration. Unity Day is an opportunity for us all to bond together and celebrate the end of programs, and the beginning of the summer. We barbecue, play games, bask in the sun, and catch up on our experiences throughout the year. To view more photos from Unity Day and other Bro/Sis events, go here!
Tweeting Teens: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
by LaShae Adams
I was exposed to different social networks at a young age. I didn’t think anything of it, and just made accounts because my friends had them. Little did I know I would be using them nonstop just a few years later. At first, posting pictures of myself on the web just didn’t seem right to me. I thought that I would get into trouble if my parents found out. But my parents reacted differently than what I thought they would. They were ok with me having social network accounts as long as I was careful and didn’t do anything to jeopardize my life.
Facebook is a social network website founded by Mark Zickerberg. It has been around since September 2006 and is used by people around the world. Facebook is designed for adults, but anyone over the age of 12 with an email address can create an account, and most children and teens have them. Users can find and add friends, send messages to people, and update their personal profiles with whatever they’d like to share.
Twitter is another social network that lets people share and discover what’s happening with their friends in the moment. Twitter was also created in 2006, and is very popular worldwide. Users are allowed up to send and receive messages that are known as “tweets.“ Each tweet has a 140-character limit, forcing users to shorten their messages to a single phrase or sentence. There are different topics people can tweet about on Twitter. They are known as “trending topics.” For example, #youremember is a trending topic where people share what they remember and ask friends if they remember it too.
Both Facebook and Twitter can be accessed from mobile phones as well as computers. A recent study showed that Facebook was the most used social network, followed by MySpace. Between November 2006 and January 2007, the number of daily page views rose from fewer than 20 million to around 50 million per day.
The Good
There are a bunch of benefits to being a member of Facebook. A lot of people use Facebook as a way to stay in touch with family and friends. Most people live far away from their loved ones, and Facebook is the only way they can actually keep in touch. People use Facebook to reconnect with old classmates as well as favorite teachers. Also, Facebook can be used to get some positive feedback and build self-esteem by expanding your network. Oftentimes, people may be going through something serious and may need some help and support with their problems.
Facebook also helps you organize. Posting events on Facebook is a lot easier than sending out invitations through the postal service. You have to worry about having the correct address and whether the other person received it. With Facebook, you don’t have to worry about that. A lot of celebrities have Twitter accounts. Many of their fans and people they connect with follow them on Twitter. Also, upcoming artists use Twitter and Facebook for publicity.
The Bad
There’s always a negative or downfall to social networks. Sometimes people post things on Facebook that are about other people. It can either be direct or indirect, leaving people to wonder who’s being talked about. Also, the kinds of pictures people post can either be attractive, or can be the sort that makes you to want to report the person. [You can report images that are sexually inappropriate or racially offensive.]
A lot of colleges check Facebook to see the kind of profile potential students have. If they come across something that they find unpleasant, that might effect whether or not they allow the student to attend their school.
Facebook and Twitter do have an effect on students’ grades. Most teens are easily distracted when it comes to social networks. Being that Twitter is fun to be on and a lot of people have accounts, most children are on Twitter all day everyday. Students tweet while they're in school and in classrooms. That means work is not being done. This causes low grades on exams and report cards. The majority of my friends fail their classes because of the amount of time they spend on these sites.
The OK
For every social network, there is privacy protection of some sort. As for Twitter, you have the option of protecting your tweets, so that only the people you approve will receive your tweets. You will not appear on the public timeline. Also, you have the option of blocking someone, reporting them and unfollowing someone. If you do any of these things, the person will not be able to contact you on Twitter. Facebook has a complicated privacy system that is customizable for every friend you have.
I've come to realize that I need these social networks in my life. If I'm not on at least one of these websites every day, then there's a problem. I love to tweet and like to be on Facebook. Each and every day I post something different, whether it's something funny that happens throughout my day or whatever comes to mind. Even if Twitter or Facebook gets old one day, I know there will be at least one social network for me to say how I feel at the present moment.
LaShae Adams is a senior at Richard R. Green High School of Teaching. She is also a member of the Liberation Program and the Media Team. In years past, she attended the International Study Program to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. This year she will be traveling to Ghana.
Planting Day 2010
On May 19, 2010, The Brotherhood/Sister Sol celebrated our annual Planting Day. Planting Day is a time when the entire Bro/Sis family and the elders and children of West 143rd Street gather together in our community garden to engage in games, eat delicious BBQ, enjoy live performances for and by staff and program members. Most importantly, guided and assisted by Nando Rodriguez and Junauda Petrus, members plant herbs and vegetables such as mint, thyme, basil, and tomatoes that grow abundantly throughout the year. This year at Planting Day, Bro/Sis was visited by a reporter from City Limits. Check out the article here! To view more photos from Planting Day and other Bro/Sis events, go here!
Free Young Minds
by Valerie Caesar | originally posted on March 30, 2010
In Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, families have been fighting for eight years to have a jungle gym with the word “JAIL” painted on it removed from the grounds of a preschool playground at the Tompkins Houses. Over the years, a few parents have taken the initiative to paint over the words, only to have them repainted by the New York City Housing Authority [NYCHA].
Students at the Elementary After School Program at The Brotherhood/Sister Sol spoke out recently about this issue.
I feel that the idea of making a playground that looks exactly like a jail was a bad one. I don’t think this is a good environment for us young black kids. The kids will start to think jail is okay and that it’s fun. For me it is not a good sight seeing black and brown kids playing in that playground. This is a bad influence for us black kids!
- Ariana Hammonds
I feel that if a “play jail” is put in a playground, I think you are sick. I can’t believe that you would even think of putting something like this in a playground. If you think it’s funny to see little black kids playing like they’re in jail. You are very sick. I am very mad as an 11-year-old black kid. Why did it take eight years to take this thing down? It should have taken one second to take that down. I hope you don’t make a mistake like this again.
- Jared Toussaint Bower
I am very disappointed that you wanted to have a park that looks like a jail. I think you’re sick because why would you make a play jail - that’s just wrong. I think black children deserve better.
- Armani Caldwell
Valerie Caesar is a Chapter Leader and the Media Program Coordinator.
Zora Howard: Youth Poet Laureate of New York
by Enmanuel Diaz | originally posted on March 8, 2010
Founded on the belief that teenagers can and must speak for themselves, Urban Word NYC has been at the forefront of the youth spoken word, poetry and hip-hop movements in New York City since 1999. The NYC Voter Poet Slam program was intended to engage and celebrate youth voices. VAC and Urban Word recognize that youth voice and community engagement are vital for increasing voter participation … and empowering young people to effect positive changes in their communities and beyond.
The dictionary defines a poet laureate as “a poet appointed annually as an honorary position, and typically involved in the promotion of poetry.”
Zora Howard, age 17, senior at LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and the Performing Arts, is New York’s first Youth Poet Laureate. She beat teens in high school and college from all five boroughs for the title. The Voter Slam competition was held at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and co-organized by Urban Word NYC and New York City Voter Assistance Commission.
The 2009-2010 Youth Poet Laureate Slam Participants were Christian Eatman from Talent Unlimited High School; Lauren Anderson from The Beacon School; Justin T. Long-Moton of Belmont Preparatory High School; Salma Elmehdawi, a student at Fordham University; Dom O Briggs, a graduate of Transit Tech High School; Thaihera Nurse, a student at Townsend Harris High School; Ishmael Islam of Pratt Institute; Nina Spierer from Barnard College; Jordan Franklin, a student at Brooklyn College; Cynthia “Ceez” Keteku, a graduate of South Bronx High School; Jesica Blandon, a student at Dream Yard Preparatory School, and Zora Howard of LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and the Performing Arts.
“It is an unbelievable honor and I am humbled by it,” said Zora. “I am so excited to see what this will bring!” Zora was recently accepted to Yale University and plans to attend in the fall.
At The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, Zora Howard is a member of the International Study Program [Brasil 2009], the Liberation Program, as well as Writers Collective. Zora’s linguistic skills, her metaphors, alliteration, similes, and plays on words make her a great writer as well as an insane poet. She makes tears trail down faces, laughs lighten up sad faces, and causes people to scream for more. Zora is one of the examples that the youth of New York are not only setting examples all over the nation, but also writing their names in stone in the arts. We are revolutionizing poetry, music and visual art.
Enmanuel Diaz is a member of Writers Collective. He is also a member of the Strive 2 Thrive Cipher chapter of The Brotherhood, and he participated in the International Study Program trip to Brasil [2009].
Writers Collective: Love Poems
by Enmanuel Candelario | originally posted on March 8, 2010
February is both Black History Month as well as the month of love. So it was a great time for the Writers Collective to read Nikki Giovanni’s “Love Poems.” Being inspired by Giovanni’s poems, members of Writers Collective wrote poems based on the lines of their favorites from the book.
A popular line that many of the writers connected with was “and i’ve begun/(as a reaction to a feeling)/to balance/the pleasure of loneliness/against the pain/of loving you” from the poem Balances. They spoke to many of the complex relationships that young people face, like loving someone who takes you for granted or disrespects you. The exercise was the perfect occasion for the members of Writers Collective (WC) to explore their expectations for and as girlfriends, boyfriends, and partners, and to lay the foundation for healthy relationships. Some of these poems are about innocent high school crushes, and some give poignant insight into long-term relationships. All of the poems demonstrate WC’s talent at wordsmithing and speaks to their development as reflective, thoughtful, and loving young people.
“Love Poems” by Writers Collective:
a small collection dedicated to all our family and loved ones.
One is to four
As 1 is to love
One is to three
As three is to you
I love you equals being scared
Scared is to hope
That love will never let go
Letting go sometimes is better
Then to hold on is to give up
But moving on leads to learning
And discovering that true love will soon come
Kisbel Garcia
I have seen beauty at its fullest,
I have stood at the face of the omniscient god,
Shaken hands with the devil,
Surrounded by the darkness,
Yet I walk in the light,
I have touched the stars
And I have left footsteps on the moon.
Moon walked over the surface of the sun,
Smiled at the point of death,
Yet it can’t compare
To one look, one glance, one touch.
She washes my pain away,
With small gestures.
Enmanuel Diaz
L.O.V.E. = LOST OF VIRTUE ENDING
Taina Duarte
You are the reason why I save money for 365 days
For something that will make you feel
The same way as I do for only 3 seconds.
You are oxygen to my lungs,
Melody to my ears,
You are also my biggest fear.
Because with one word you can end my universe.
You are radiant light,
That shines up the moon at night.
Lighting my path so I don’t get lost.
You are my reason to laugh, cry, and dance.
You are that tingling sensation
That my soul gets every time
You say,
I love you.
Maxwell Veloz
I like the way you look
I like the way you smile.
We don’t have to talk,
But I’ll listen to you.
I would want you to be my valentine,
But who knows maybe one day it’ll be more.
Tyrone
Enmanuel Candelario is a chapter leader and Writers Collective program facilitator. He is also an alumni member of Lyrical Circle, the original Writers Collective group, who have since performed in venues and colleges across the country, and authored and published Off the Subject, a collection of their poetry.
Snow What?
by Valerie Caesar | originally posted on Feb 16, 2010
On Wednesday, February 10, 2010, a blizzard dumped 15 inches of snow on New York City. Approximately 1.1 million school children enjoyed a rare snow day when the Department of Education made an early decision to close New York City public schools and after school programming.
Over in Harlem, staff of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol braved the storm to open our offices. Although very few kids came through, the ones that did enjoyed a cozy afternoon with hot chocolate, fresh baked bread and cookies, and homemade lentil soup, watching the snowflakes fill up our community garden.
Valerie Caesar is a Chapter Leader and the Media Program Coordinator.
Winter Solstice @ Bro/Sis
by Alberto Alcantara | originally posted on Jan 31, 2010
Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the tilt of the earth’s axis is farthest away from the sun. It is also the point at which the days begin to lengthen and the nights get shorter. This usually occurs around December 21st or 22nd. Winter solstice is also a time of celebration to many people in different cultures, because solstice stands for the idea of rebirth and renewal.
At The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, we think of Winter Solstice as a time when we can relax, have fun, and reconnect with each other. Winter Solstice is open to everyone in the organization: staff, the elementary school kids, the teens, as well as their parents, friends and other family.
This year, our Winter Solstice Celebration took place on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009. There was music, food, performances and much more. What felt like hundreds of members and their family gathered together in our brownstone to celebrate the coming of the New Year. After we ate delicious food, everyone got together on the first floor to watch the Talent Showcase, which has become a tradition at every Winter Solstice. Damond, who is a chapter leader and boxing instructor for teens, was the host and the master of ceremony, and in addition to introducing each performer, he would tell funny jokes that had everyone laughing. Some highlights from the performances were LP alumni Leslie, Sherelle, and Zakeya, as their band Seven Little Kitties; elementary schoolers Zoe and Makia sang “A Kid’s Life,” and Rashad, also known as “Young Bread,” performed a hip hop tribute for The Brotherhood/Sister Sol called The Bro/Sis Anthem.
Members of the Writers Collective performed selected writings and Christian from the Elementary After School Program brought the house down with a dance tribute to Michael Jackson.
Winter Solstice at The Brotherhood/Sister Sol was something to go and see. Many parents came to see the celebration, and members worked hard on their performances. Overall, winter solstice was a great celebration, and it’s going to be even better next year.
Alberto Alcantara is a sophomore at Mott Hall High School. He is also a member of The Strive 2 Thrive Cipher, Liberation Program, and the Media Team.
Haiti’s Disaster: A Reflection From Elementary ASP
by Ariana Hammonds | originally posted on January 31, 2010
On January 12, 2010, at 4:53 p.m., a 7.0 average earthquake hit Haiti. The earthquake was so severe, it broke buildings, houses, and much more. About 200,000 innocent lives were lost. Buildings crashed on top of people. On the news, they found a man under one of the buildings, and he was under there for one and a half days. I can’t believe he survived!
I’m glad that some schools and some countries are donating money, water, and food to them so they can get better. I feel very sorry for them because they barely had anything. Now since the earthquake, it has gotten ever worse. If I were there, I would love to help them with cleaning up and doing my best to help feel safe even if things go wrong. I would be happy to contribute and do my part to help them. I wish and hope they get better.
Ariana Hammonds is a member of the Elementary After School Program.
ASP Collage Self-Portraits
by Junauda Petrus | originally posted on March 12, 2009
On Friday, March 6th, the Elementary After School Program had an opportunity to see Barkley Hendricks’ exhibit at the Studio Museum in Harlem entitled The Birth of the Cool. Hendricks is a world-renowned artist whose subjects are representatives from communities seldom depicted in the art form of portraiture. He chose people whose personalities and styles he found creative and iconic, and painted them against solid color backdrops. He also incorporated many influences within his pieces, from soul and jazz music to art styles from around the world.
The children used the inspiration of his work to create portraits of themselves using the medium of collage.
Click here to see all of their art!
Bro/Sis Photo@Random
