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.
The Will To Survive: A Review of “Precious”
by Nijah Valencia Keye | originally posted on Jan 31, 2010
Many have heard about the movie “Precious” based on the book Push by Sapphire. This past November, members of Sister Sol’s Soul & L.I.F.E. and Soul Apoyo chapters took a trip to see “Precious.” Before going to see the film, we read the book Push. The film is an uplifting, breathtaking movie about the need to overcome one’s obstacles. It is about a Harlem teenager named Clareece Precious Jones, who is the victim of incest. Precious is impregnated by her own father twice, and as if being raped by her own father was not bad enough, Precious also suffered physical and emotional abuse from her mother, played by famous comedian Mo’Nique. Precious, who can neither read nor write, and is constantly teased because she is fat, must find a way to break through.
When Precious is kicked out of school for being pregnant, she entered Each One Teach One, an alternative school. There, she learned to read and began to use writing as an outlet for her emotions, with the help of an inspirational teacher named Ms. Blue. Later in the film, Precious finds out that she was infected with the HIV virus by her father. Upon finding this out, Precious believes no one has ever loved her, or ever will love her. Through the support of her new friends at the Each One Teach One alternative school, Precious soon learns that her life is full of love: her teachers and friends at Each One Teach One love her, and most especially, her new baby boy loves her, and as his mother, she must return his love in the best way she can.
Precious confronts very serious issues that affect many people in urban communities. Teen pregnancy is one such issue. According to the CDC, the rate of teen pregnancies in urban areas is rising. When teens become pregnant, they might react in a couple of different ways: either they don’t take it seriously enough, or automatically they think that their life is over. Well, not Precious. Even though Precious went through so much, she kept pushing forward and did what she needed to do to get her baby back, and so that her and her children can live a better life. This goes to show you that with hard work and the strength to carry on, anything is possible. Precious wasn’t raised in the best home environment and because she didn’t have the best, I believe she wanted her children to have the life she always wanted. I honestly believe that Precious’ true inspiration was her own mother. If it had not been for her mother’s neglect, she might not have been so strong-willed.
Nijah Keye is a junior at Mott Hall High School. She is also a member of Soul Apoyo and the Liberation Program. She will be studying abroad in Ghana with its International Study Program in summer 2010.
Human Trafficking
by Moussa Sidibe | originally posted on Jan 31, 2010
I had no choice.
I didn’t want to do it.
I didn’t want to do it.
But I had no choice.
That’s it, I thought.
I’ve changed,
I’m a different person.
Human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked or forced into prostitution with little to no pay. Human trafficking is a big international problem, happening in countries around the world, including Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kuwait, North Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Venezuela, and the United States. It has many features of slavery which is mostly illegal in countries, but nothing is being done. Things such as prostitution, forced labor, and selling children are done. It is terrible and it’s even more shocking that it hasn’t been stopped.
You might be surprised by the last country I mentioned, but it’s true. Many people in this country, especially women, are affected by trafficking, and it’s amazing that many people don’t know that it is happening. Every morning, a large number of women across the United States wake up knowing that she will be forced into sex. You may think to yourself “These women are stupid. Why don’t they just resist, or tell the cops, or something.” It’s harder than you think. One reason why it’s hard for them to resist, or run away and report it, is because they are dependent on and often under the control of someone else, and are often drugged. They never know the person they’re having sex with. It’s always an anonymous customer. Afterward, they rarely see the person again. The victims never know the name of the person they’re having sex with, or any other information. The person just pays to have sex with them and they will never see them again.
Before last month, I never knew anything about human trafficking. I never even knew that the term existed. When I first heard it, I thought it had to do with cars. On November 10, 2009, I, along with the members of the Strive to Thrive chapter at Mott Hall High School, visited the Journey exhibit with our chapter leader Enmanuel Candelario. The Journey exhibit was on display for just five days, from November 10th through November 15th in New York City, in Washington Square Park. It was created by Emma Thompson, an Academy Award-winning British actress. As a community activist, she decided to focus her awareness campaign on human trafficking, because she wanted people to know about it and how wrong it is. In an interview about the exhibit, she made a good point that stood out to me. She said human trafficking is a much easier crime to commit than dealing with drugs or weapons: “You can make $150,000 from one girl in a year, because moving people around the place is easier than moving guns around.” It’s true and makes the situation even more difficult to change and the criminals harder to catch.
Visiting the Journey exhibit was an amazing and disturbing experience. It made you feel like you were in that person’s shoes. It was told like a story. First, you walk in and see images from the person’s childhood. There are words on top of a keyhole and when you look through the keyhole, you can see dolls describing the words. Then, you enter a room where there was a very dirty bed with condoms all around the place. There were pills, lipsticks, and other dirty things. There was also this room that had a very bad smell. The smell was the mixture of vomit, semen, and other types of things. It impacted me in a big way because it was shocking and interesting at the same time. I had never heard of trafficking before, and now I understand so much.
An organization involved in fighting against human trafficking is Covenant House, which is a large private funded childcare agency in the United States providing shelter and services to homeless and runaway youth. Another organization is Safe Horizon, which assists survivors of human trafficking with shelter, access to public benefits, and many other things. City Bar Justice created a project to assist women and children of abusive parents and victims of human trafficking. Find out more about what these organizations are doing to fight against trafficking by visiting http://www.humantrafficking.org.
Moussa Sidibe is a sophomore at Bread and Roses High School. He is also a member of The Strive 2 Thrive Cipher, Liberation Program, and the Media Team.
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.
Three Rappers Weigh In On Obama
by Que Alequin | originally posted on March 7, 2009
Over the last 8 years, creative artists have had a field day poking fun at our former President George Dubya Bush and the actions he’s taken while in office. That being said, in less than 2 years there have been about a dozen musical artists who have publicly shown their support of the campaign led by Barack Obama. From Jadakiss to The Black Eyed Peas, artists from across the musical spectrum have voiced their opinions about the change our new president has promised, and how they intend to support or challenge him in his efforts. I decided to critique three songs by three different hip-hop artists to see what they had to say about America’s future and our new Commander-in-Chief.
Joell Ortiz - Letter To Obama
Joell Ortiz is a Puerto Rican underground rapper from Brooklyn. Despite receiving critically acclaim, he is yet to get signed to a major record label. His “Letter to Obama” is semi-autobiographical and tells the story of Joell being raised by a single parent in the projects of Brooklyn. He speaks about the things he sees around him as he grows into manhood. His main beef in this song is the lack of positive action, and the negative lifestyle his peers have chosen to live. In 2 minutes and 19 seconds, his lyrics paint vivid pictures of what it’s like to raise a family on welfare; having friends turn to stripping and drug dealing to make ends meet; and spending their youth in prison while others have tried to get jobs, but can’t because of criminal records. He talks about how millionaire rappers spend their money on insignificant trifles, meanwhile he has spent a few thousand dollars buying computers for his community. Despite these struggles, he seems hopeful about our new President. “It’s time for a change/And that change is Obama” is the line that sticks out towards the end of the song. It speaks to the voices of young people across America and the struggles they have to endure.
Jin - Open Letter to Obama
At first listen, the track by this Chinese-American rapper out of Miami, Florida sounds, to put it mildly, homemade. While the lyrics and flow aren’t the best, the song echoes a lot of what young people of color are saying about this past election, this presidency, and the future of the country. Jin puts a heavy emphasis on voting. His upbeat chorus goes “What you gonna do huh?/Take it to the polls.” To adult ears (especially those of us who are hip-hop heads) this song is weak. But it’s a great song for youth because of its easygoing lyrics and catchy hook.
Nas - Black President
Nas brings us the better produced song of this trio. As a more seasoned performer Nas gives us a lyrically and musically solid track. Although marred by controversy because of his last album title: “Nigger” (which has since been changed to “Untitled”), the song takes an honest look at the conflicting emotions that many have about Obama’s presidency. The lyrics “Ya know these colored folks and Negroes hate to see one of their own succeeding/America, surprise us, and let a black man guide us” take opposition to the current trend of “playa hatin’” which is rampant.
To a lot of young people who were involved in voting campaigns over the past 8 years and to people of color who lived and fought through the Civil Rights era, this song expresses the anger felt when an ideal is fought so hard for, and is ultimately met with racism, violence, disregard and disrespect. Nas paints a picture of revolt and the urgent need for change within our government and within our communities.
Que Alequin is the office manager at The Brotherhood/Sister Sol. She is also an alumna of The Liberation Program and facilitates a cooking class for our youth that meets on Thursdays. She enjoys writing and stand-up comedy.
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
