WEDNESDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2012
Editor's Note
Welcome back Beat editorial note readers. We are thrilled to bring you our latest installment of writings that cover a huge chunk of California and beyond. Most of it comes out of the weekly workshops, for issue 17.05 and 17.06. In a few short moments, we'll fill you in on the topics/writing prompts that we discussed in those workshops. We also are really digging the latest batch of writings way in the back of this issue, or shall we say the real backbone of this publication, The BWO! This editor was left speechless by the great installment that is featured in this knock-out of an issue. We also encourage you to read Maria's courageous piece, "Twisted," truly cautionary and horrific.
Now, given how invested many of you readers are to the publication, we want you to know that the writing workshops and this publication would not be what it is today if it weren't for you contributors -- our amazing facilitators (many of which are volunteers and interns), our loyal typist/editors (who show up daily), and our volunteers/interns -- to take on the batch of writings that come out of the hall each writing session. They embrace the piles of letters we receive daily from many old and new friends outside of the institutions we visit each week. The writers send us thoughtful commentaries and poems to publish in our BWO section.As many of you know, we work very hard to give you readers the best publication possible. It has been our motto since our inception in 1996. Frankly, and we stand by this, there is no better publication in the world that best represents the youth of today -- who find themselves trapped inside the juvenile justice system. Now, if we can only get the support to get your voices out to a wider audience!
Speaking of a wider audience, a couple weeks ago we had the privilege to visit the campus of UCSB in Santa Barbara, CA -- around a five hour drive south of San Francisco. We were invited to speak about The Beat Within, to nearly a hundred students, as guests of instructors Cissy and Richard Ross. Richard, by the way, is a well known photographer, whose latest work documents inside juvenile halls around the country. We must say, his work is incredible! As for our trip to UCSB, it was such an honor to share, as always, the work and the journey of The Beat Within. It was even more exciting to turn the students onto this important work, and to hear their enthusiasm and interest. Our lecture ended with still many-many hands in the air having questions for us. The Beat definitely brought a buzz to UCSB, that still to this day (two weeks later), we are still fielding questions on how one can participate/volunteer/intern with us.Well, that is our goal. UCSB is interested in working with The Beat Within. As we begin our initial steps in building a partnership with not only the school, but also with the Santa Barbara County juvenile hall and camp.
The following day we met with leaders in their probation department, received a tour of Los Preitos Boys Camp, and the end result looks quite promising. We were asked to return to meet and conduct a trainer with their staff. We are looking at a possible return date in late February, early March.Though our plates are incredibly full, we embrace this opportunity to expand our work into the Santa Barbara community.
Now, here are our topics for 17.05.1. "The Real Me" - Does anyone in your life know the real you? Locked up or not, we all wear masks and it is sometime difficult to let down your walls and be open with people. Is there anyone in your life who knows you without the mask, who knows the real you? Who is that person? Were you always so open and honest with them? If there isn't someone who you can be totally real with, why not? Now tell us about the real you.
2. "My Destiny" - The definition of Destiny: The events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future. Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that your life is planned out for you ahead of time, or you do you believe that it is within your power to change your life at any given point? Or, do you believe that there is something you are destined to accomplish in your life--a purpose for your life that you need to work to achieve? Tell The Beat how you feel about destiny, and what is your purpose.3. "My Teacher" - Is there a teacher who had an impact on you? Did they help you out when you were struggling in a class, or in school? Did they listen when you needed someone to talk to? Did they offer valuable advice? Tell The Beat about a teacher you had who was exceptional. Give us the details.
For 17.06... 1. "Teach Your Children Well" - What things as a society are we NOT teaching our children? What are the things you think are most important for every child to learn in order to be successful and happy? What was not taught to you by family/community, and how has that affected you? We look forward to reading your commentary and/or stories on this important issue2. "Overcoming Fears" - What are you embarrassed to do in front of other people? you not like speaking in front of a crowd? What about asking out that girl/boy you're into? Do you prefer to dance in front of a mirror alone? Or are you shy about the art that you draw? All of us have things we much rather not showcase to the world/our friends or to that special person, so tell us what it is for that you are most embarrassed about doing in public. and if you did it, how did you overcome your fears? Give us the insight how you overcame your insecurities.
3. "The toughest lesson" - What have you learned from being in the system? What have you learned about yourself, your friends and family and the system itself? What are the things you are going to take away from this experience. Think about who you are and the things you knew before you came to this hall--how have you changed?4. "I can't do without..." (Please keep this one Beat appropriate)
All right friends, this issue goes out to the late great Don Cornelius, founder of Soul Train. His tragic passing brought back a flood of memories for a number of us. His long running television show, "Soul Train," which ran for 35 years, was influential in many of our lives, especially those of us growing up in the '70s and '80s. We will part to you Beat readers the way he parted each Soul Train show, wishing his audience, "love peace and soul."WEDNESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2012
Editor's Note
Greetings Beat editorial note readers! We are thrilled to be back with a host of great writings from our many contributors who have showered this latest issue (17.03 and 17.04) with plenty of their truths, as they either take on one of our prompts from the writing workshops, or have come up with their own words and wisdom on their own subjects that they felt the need to share with The Beat readership.
Late last year we were approached from our friend and colleague, Eddy Ameen, who lead Beat workshops a couple years ago in Miami, Florida. Well, Eddy who is currently living in Washington DC, was working on a story for the Youth Rising blog for SparkAction wanted to feature a young person who had come out of The Beat Within. Well, we put him in touch with our old friend Chris, who was willing to share his story with Eddy.Well, this morning, while checking our emails, we saw an email from Eddy who informed us that the story on Chris was complete and up on the blog. Now, given most of you do not have access to the blog, given you are incarcerated, we reached out to Eddy, who in turn reached out to his editor, to seek permission for us to run his story in The Beat Within publication. With that said, the following article was originally published on SparkAction.org, an online journalism and advocacy site to mobilize action by and for young people. We encourage you readers to visit www.SparkAction.org when the time allows, plus, they are big fans of our work!
Now lets get to what Eddy wrote for SparkAction.org, who so kindly has allowed us to reprint the piece! We hope you like it as much as we enjoyed the read, and BIG props to Chris for once again stepping up and sharing a part of his life with us readers.Youth Rising: Writing Your Way out of Juvenile Detention
Author's Note: A few years ago, I facilitated a weekly workshop with teens in a Florida juvenile detention center. The experience humbled me. I asked a youth who participated in similar workshops in California to tell me what it did for him.Chris, a 20 year-old from Alameda County, California has a reason to be thankful for his participation in The Beat Within, a magazine written by and for incarcerated young people. He said that the magazine helped him find a voice, gave him his first real job when he was 17, and then provided him the confidence to get on his feet.
Finding Meaning in a Magazine's PagesChris, who asked that we not print his last name, said when he was 12, he became involved in drugs and gangs. At age 13, he lived in a group home in Washington State. At age 15, he had a two-month stint in juvenile hall, followed by another year-long lock up.
"I never made it past freshman year of high school. There are things I have done and seen that no one should have to see or do," he told me.Enter The Beat Within. The magazine was started as a nonprofit venture in 1996 in San Francisco when a detention advocate named David Inocencio (who still serves as director) reached out to a media organization. David brought writing workshops to incarcerated youth in the Bay Area. The first magazine resulting from those workshops was six pages long, and mainly focused on young people's intense feelings on the recent death of Tupac Shakur.
Now roughly 700 youth participate in adult-led workshops each week in facilities across several states. The "Beat" workshops channel youth's written and drawn responses on various topics. Facilitators submit products from the workshops, and young editors and designers compile the magazine. Every two weeks, over 1200 copies—60 pages long, with story after story of hope and heartache—roll off the presses and back into the facilities where the works were created.According to their website, The Beat's "mission and commitment is to provide incarcerated youth (and youth in general) with the opportunity to share their ideas and life experiences in a safe space that encourages literacy, self expression and healthy, supportive relationships with adults and their community."
From Inmate to InternChris was initially skeptical about participating in The Beat workshops and did not consider himself a writer at the time. "I wasn't open to anything at that point, but five to six months in, I figured I might as well come out [of my cell] and give it a try."
He remembers that writing while incarcerated brought him to a place that was otherwise inaccessible to him on the street:"All you're thinking about is your freedom and what's going on on the outside. When you're out, your freedom is not that important – because you have it. You've got a million different kinds of things going on in your head. The quality is a lot deeper than it would be for someone out of juvenile hall," he said.
He recalled that the workshops were run peacefully. "Nobody is fighting each other and it makes the day brighter."When his first piece was published, Chris remembered how "cool" it was that other youth around the country were reading his work. Little did he know that another milestone was right around the corner. Many of the people who put the magazine together are youth who've been invited to intern or work for The Beat. Chris is one of those people.
"About two months before I got my release date, one of the facilitators offered me an internship at The Beat due to my situation. I was able to get released a little before that, except there was nobody to release me to. The judge ordered me to go to a homeless shelter when I was 17," Chris said.He quickly completed an application with David for an internship. After he left the shelter each morning, he'd arrive at the office and type up the pieces The Beat received from detained youth. He doesn't remember it being easy work. "You've got two-week turnarounds, and sometimes you're the only one writing and typing. It can be 8-10 hour days, and sometimes I'd take my work home with me because there was so much to do."
Despite the grind, Chris found meaning in the magazine he was helping to create. "In juvenile hall, you get told what to do, and when to do it. This gives you a chance to express yourself. We're taking the time to listen to them, to ask them what they feel." His responsibilities grew, and soon enough he was managing other interns, and coordinating the office and events under the program director.All the while, "I was still selling drugs." He didn't realize the contradictions in his life until he typed up adults' submissions for the magazine's section called "The Beat Without." "I was typing [these] pieces, listening to these grown men talking about the regrets in their life, basically begging these younger kids not to take the road they took, and that's what really hit home for me."
In a self-study that David provided me, there is a note about Chris. "One of the most perceptive things he ever told us – at a time when he could barely afford the BART ticket he needed to pursue job interviews and dead ends was: 'I got 40 dollars in my pocket to last the week. And all I gotta do is make one phone call, I could have $300 in my pocket in an hour.'"The internship—combined with marriage and a child on the way—helped Chris find the focus he needed to leave the street behind. He also credits some support provided on-site from volunteers helping the young interns to develop college and career plans.
He continued his internship for one year, which helped him save for an eventual apartment and transform his honed leadership abilities into other opportunities, including the job he has held since finishing at The Beat.From Intern to Manager
Chris now works as a department manager at a large home improvement store. "I am probably the youngest person in the building, telling 46 year-olds what to do. At first they looked at me. I have long hair, and I might look like a gangsta to some people. But I do know what I'm talking about. I go to meetings with other store managers and other districts. The Beat really helped me talk to adapt and talk to different people differently."In many ways, Chris defies the stereotype of a young offender. "I think I've accomplished more than some 40-year-olds have."
In other ways, he sees his story as common: "They want to know why drugs and crime are so prominent…You think I wanted to sell drugs? Rob somebody? I didn't have no money. If I were able to get a job, then I wouldn't have been doing that stuff."Chris emphatically believes that youth need more programs like The Beat Within. "Any program where kids can come in and get help, and get the training they need. There needs to be more programs that prepare you career wise or job wise. It would be huge." According to Chris, a good program is one staffed by people who "show you they care, that go the extra mile, that don't let age and being homeless hold you back."
When he has the time, Chris has taken his gratitude on the road with him, meeting young people around the state, advocating for youth programs, and traveling to Atlanta to speak at a youth media conference."Coming out of juvenile hall, living in a homeless shelter, I doubt I would have found a job within a year or two. I think that [The Beat Within] is the only reason I am making it right now."
One of Chris's earlier pieces that he wrote while incarcerated:
When I have a child, I pray they don't ever feel the pain I felt.I hope the streets don't get the best of my child, boy or girl,
But you never know what can happen in this messed up world.
I seen my ninja killed right in front of my eyes.
Bullet killed him instantly, never got to say goodbye.
Gunshot victim won't be my demise
I don't try to act a certain way or put on a disguise.
I don't depend on anyone but myself.
Put too much trust in a ninja and you'll end up in cuffs.
A lot of ninjas be pillow talking afraid to stand up for what they say.
I stand by my word each and every day
I regret a lot of my actions
but what's through is through and what's done is done
I'd give anything to start life over and give it another run.
Tryin' to make it to see 21,
But that's a difficult task not everyone can get it done.
On with the topics, which are condensed... (17.03)
1. "Stealing" - This week we ask, have you ever stolen from a family member—your mom, dad, grandma/pa, brother or sister?
2. "One photo" - You're going on a journey for a long time, maybe through the criminal justice system, maybe a trip around the world. If you could only carry one photo while on this journey what would that photo show?
3. "Parents" - Parents have a great influence on our lives, whether they're in our lives or not. What is something you've always wanted from your parents but never got?
4. "I hate it when..."
17.04 topics, 1. "Luck" - Do you believe in luck? Today we ask you writers to think about what luck is. Do we create luck? If not, who or what does?
2. "Dressed Up"- Tell The Beat about a time when you got dressed up-- not just in everyday clothes, but you had to wear your best shoes, dress, slacks.
3. "The hard conversation you had/need to have" - We know there is that one conversation we all need to have with a certain person or a group of people. Maybe you already had it?
This week we want you to give us a glimpse of what this conversation is all about, and what you hope will come out of the conversation.4. "I'm most happy when..."
All right this issue goes out to the great Johnny Otis and Etta James, both artists passed away last week. Now, if you do not know who these two pioneers are, well, do some research!
Congratulations to Kirstin Dau and Tyler Lenane on your wedding!
WEDNESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2012
For two lectures during the quarter each class will have a guest lecture by one of the other collaborating professors. The goal is to widen the scope of each class and enhance the curriculum of each course by offering a variety of perspectives--photojournalism with Richard Ross, social science writing with Cissy Ross, and sociology research with Victor Rios.
In addition, several experts in the field will speak to the classes. See the line up HERETHURSDAY, 12 JANUARY 2012
Editor's Note
Welcome to the first issue of 2012. It is with great honor to given this platform to INga BUchbinder, who has played such an important role the last six months. We are thrilled about the new year and all the possibilities. With that said, we wish all you readers a wonderful new year, and here is The Beat's Program Director with the first editorial note of the New Year. Take it away Inga!
Once again it's a brand new year. A clean slate. A fresh start. I read someone's status on Facebook that essentially asked why people trip over the first of the year and say they will change all this stuff in their lives—it's really just another day. In some ways, I don't disagree. What really makes January 1 any different from December 31? Every day the date changes. It's always a brand new day, one you have never seen before and will never see again.But on the other hand, January 1 is like another chance—and it comes every year! A whole year ahead of you to make different choices, take a new path. So what choices will you make this year that will make 2012 different from 2011? Many of you wrote about your New Year's Resolutions for this issue and many of those pieces talk about turning your lives around.
The resolutions I always hear about are losing weight, going to the gym more, eating healthy, making money, getting a better job, reading more books and traveling more. All of these things are important, but shouldn't we be conscious about these decisions every day and not just January 1 of every year? Shouldn't we always strive to live a healthy and fulfilling life—however that may be for you. I read a fun fact in a magazine that most people's resolutions don't even make it to February 1. People forget about them, get lazy, give up because it's too hard, etc. That's fair enough, change is hard. Even I'm not a fan of change.So, I challenge all of you Beat readers and writers, even those of you who didn't write about your resolution, to really contemplate how you can make 2012 the best year for yourself, how you can strive to succeed and make the hard changes that will put you on the right track. Don't give up—that's the most important part. Don't get discouraged. Ask for help. Take small steps, believe in yourself. All of you have the ability to complete your resolutions of going back to school, getting your degrees, getting a job and supporting your families, changing your lifestyles, finding things that you are passionate about. So do it. When we inevitably get to January 1 2013, wouldn't it be nice to look back and see how far you've come, how much you did just because you had the ambition and drive in yourself to get it done? Trust me, you'll feel great.
With all that said, here are the topics for this first issue of 2012. Topics from 17.01:"Saved- What does it mean to you to be saved? How do you define saved? Does it mean being saved from ferocious dogs? From being trapped in a burning house? Saved by the bell? Tell us of a time you were saved. Saved from what? How were you saved? Is it true, for many, you have to sin to get saved? If that's true for you what sins have you committed, and how have you addressed the sin? What did you do to get saved? If you feel you have been saved by your God, be specific and tell us how your God came into your life. What did you do to help your God help YOU? Who is ultimately responsible for your salvation (being saved)? Is it your higher power, your family, a teacher, a mentor, a counselor? Tell us about this person, spirit, or thing that has helped/saved you. What transpired? With this said, breakdown what being saved means to you."
"It Won't Go Away - What is something you can't seem to be able to escape from? That is something you don't want around, but won't go away. Think about your habits, your lifestyle, a certain memory, and the people in your life. Now tell us of the thing(s) you would like to change in your life, and in detail give us your thoughts on what it is you wish you could escape from, but for some reason you can't.""A True Leader - Is being a true leader a trait people are born with or a skill acquired through practice? We ask you, if true leaders are born or created? Many people think a leader is something you acquire and are molded for. Have you ever witnessed someone who just naturally takes the reigns and heads a project? Or maybe it's an athlete who has the ability to inspire their team and the team follows them fearlessly? With that said, are you a leader? Give us the details. Now if you are not sure, then tell us (famous or not) who is a leader in your eyes, and what makes him/her such a leader."
Topics from 17.02: "The Pen versus The Sword- The old saying "the pen is mightier than the sword" that ink in a pen can be more powerful than the blade of knife or in today's terms, the bullet of the gun. Yet, many of you would disagree. You might feel that the bullet in the gun is mightier, that it can inflict great harm and fear, which the pen can't. Does this saying still mean the same thing today? Can the pen (or writing) be more powerful than a gun/violence? Now from where you sit today, we know you have serious thoughts on the pen and the gun?""The Safe Place - When we get stressed or angry, sometimes we go for a walk, hide in our bed or pick up our guitar, because it's a place that feels safe. What or where is your "safe place"? Is it a real, physical place like your home, your bed, your favorite park, is it a place that you go in your mind when you need to escape, is it an activity that calms you down like playing an instrument or drawing? Why is it a safe place for you--what positive memories do you have about it?"
"Soul - Here's the dictionary definition of "soul": "the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal. A person's moral or emotional nature or sense of identity." How would you describe your soul? Does it have a color? Specific adjectives (happy, beautiful, ambitious) that describe it? Tell The Beat about your soul. My soul..."And finally, "My New Year's resolution is...
In closing, we thank Inga for her kind words, we thank you writers and artists who contributed to The Beat Within's first issue of 2012! Mad props to you all! We can't express this enough, but we do wish you all a great year ahead, and we most definitely look forward to reading your entries and sharing them with the world.This issue goes out to you teachers/you writers and artists who are open to learning and growing as you confidently express yourselves and share with our community, while dealing with the many obstacles, as you move forward with your lives. We could not be The Beat Within without your words and wisdom.
WEDNESDAY, 4 JANUARY 2012
Editor's Note
Can you believe this friends? What you have in your hands is our year-end-double-issue, 16.49/50. We are thrilled to give you readers our 50th issue of this year, completing our 16th season of writing and art from inside juvenile hall and beyond! Who would have thought that we would have hit this magical number, especially this year, when back in March, there was uncertainty in what direction The Beat Within would go. Who would have thought we would rebirth the program and continue the good fight in giving a voice to our many, many contributors, who otherwise would not have such a forum to share and teach their truths with one another.
There is plenty of praise and thanks to go around. We could not be this successful if it wasn't for you writers and artists who take The Beat Within program and publication seriously. From workshops participants, to those of you, who find the time to write and share your thoughts, and then send it out to us via US mail, with the goal of being published, thank you! We trust in ourselves that we will find a better method in 2012 to embrace all the letters and contributions we receive each day.We want to thank every single Beat facilitator who is mentioned in our masthead on page 3, from those of you who work in our office here in San Francisco, to those of you who give your time in your respected communities to touch the lives of the young people who find themselves trapped within the walls of the criminal justice system.
We also want to thank all you wonderful friends and advisors, who have offered great insight and support this past year when we needed it most. We could not walk with such confidence without you all. The time that you have given to The Beat Within means the world to us, and for that we thank you for sharing a part of you, being our advocate(s), in helping us to improve this amazing program as it soon begins it's 17th season.Our past, we do not forget. We thank all of you old writers, artists, facilitators, editors, typists, interns, funders, advocates and friends. You all have played such a vital role in the story of The Beat Within, and for that we thank you. We know The Beat for better or for worse is something you will never forget either, it is such a magical and important program, particularly the writing workshops, where we have this priceless opportunity to go inside juvenile hall and work closely with our young writers and artists.
Speaking of workshops, we are currently in 18 juvenile hall facilities, conducting well over 100 writing workshops a week! None of this would have happened if it weren't for you amazing facilitators. As the year comes to a close, we currently have close to 250 volunteers participating in our program, from the workshops to the typing and editing. Since we are days away from the New Year, we can't tell you how excited we are about 2012 - from reconnecting with you writers and artists, to building off the year end momentum that we have going into the new year, to fostering our new relationships, to seeing where this special program takes us next. We do look forward to more speaking engagements, sharing in our work with communities that do not know of us, to further raising our visibility around the country/world, to traveling around the country and reconnecting with our friends, to meeting new colleagues who have an interest in what we do.Moving right along, we would like to present the following topics, from 16.49 and 16.50. These topics, were presented and discussed as a class with our participants prior to most of the writing featured in this issue. From 16.49… 1. "Risk" - This topic comes to us from one of our Beat Without writers, Josh in San Diego. Pilgrims boarded ships and immigrated to America. They took life threatening risks by enduring long journeys across the ocean. Little did they know about what was waiting at the other side... Describe a risk you took to better (or unfortunately worsen) you situation at some point in your life. Were there any surprising outcomes? How did you feel afterwards? Was the outcome better or worse?
2. "Favorite holiday dish" - We have entered into the holiday season that seems to begin earlier and earlier each year. What are some of the traditional holiday foods you used to share with your family? What is the dish that you looks most forward to eating during the holiday season? Who is responsible for this dish? Can you share the recipe? When do you usually have this dish? Tell us about your favorite holiday meals3. "Time" - When you are in juvenile hall, what does time feel like? Does it feel different if you are looking at getting released in a couple weeks, a couple months or a couple of years? If you feel that it passes slowly, what do you do to pass the time? Do you love time, hate time, don't think about time? Tell The Beat about your relationship with time.
4. "The bravest thing I have ever done was..." Here are the topics for issue 16.50… 1. "Angry" - This week we want you to share with us, the time you made your parent(s) /guardian(s) the most angry you ever seen them. Tell us what happened. Breakdwon the circumstances that brought this anger to your parent(s)/guardian(s). Did they ground you and take away privileges? Did they hit you? Tell us how and why they became so mad? What could you have done different? How did you feel upon seeing this anger on their face? How long did it take for them to forgive you?2. "A bad high" - With this topic, we are not asking you to brag about a time you were incredibly loaded/high, but we are asking you to tell us of a time you had a horrible high/a bad trip. What happened? Was it something that occurred during the time you were high/drunk? Was it because you went overboard with partying? How did you come down from this bad feeling? Was it life threatening? Did this "bad high" later awake you to make better changes in your life? Was it a wake up call?
3. "Thanked in 60 seconds" - You have just been given an award and you have to make a speech thanking the people who helped you get to this point in your life. You're standing in front of the microphone, you have sixty seconds, one minute thank someone who has had a big impact on your life, what do you say?All right friends and colleagues, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! We look forward to seeing you all in 2012. If we miss you, don't hesitate to put your pencil to paper and write us, we'd love to hear from you.
This issue goes out to YOU, for taking this work seriously - from the lead facilitators and editors, to the college interns, to the volunteers, to our many-many young teachers/participants, to our old school writers, to those of you who are great fans of The Beat. We appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts for realizing how special of a vehicle this publication/program truly is - The Beat Within, giving voice to the voiceless, since 1996. We wish you all great success! See you in the new year.WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2011
Editor's Note
Greetings Beat editorial note readers! This week we not only feature the stellar double issue (16.47/48) writings from our various workshops, and top notch BWO contributors from all over the USA, but we have new contributors, that will be introduced by our good friend and colleague Karen Hunt, who has so kindly agreed to write the editor's note. Without further ado...
It is my privilege, as a coordinator of The Beat Within in Los Angeles, to introduce the latest band of youth to join us: a group of students in Belfast, Northern Ireland, led by the most talented and energetic of artists, Clinton Kirkpatrick!I would like to share with you, in a nutshell, the story of how this happened.
Ever since the first day that I walked into Central Juvenile Hall sixteen years ago with the dream of creating a writing program for incarcerated youth, part of that dream was to create a network of communication between our youth in Los Angeles and youth around the world. I grew up in Los Angeles and as a child I was blessed to be able to travel to more than fifty countries with my family. My father, Dave Hunt, is a writer and he wanted our family to gain knowledge and insight from this adventure. It was the tumultuous 1960's and I can tell you that an American family of six, traveling in a bright red VW van was a unique sight in many of the places we visited. Some of our adventures included escaping out of Egypt right before the 6 Day War, living in a 17th century Swiss castle and smuggling Bibles into communist countries. Attending a small village school made me feel like an alien from a distant planet. When I returned home I realized that these experiences had forever altered me as a human being. I now had a world view that most American children didn't have; an appreciation for the richness of diverse cultures and an understanding that, although people might appear very different on the surface, underneath, we are all the same in our hopes and fears, our desires to be loved and to be successful in life.During the 1980's, I lived for eight years between London and a small village in Slovenia. During that time, I visited Belfast for a wedding and I well remember the wall that separated the two parts of the city, conscious that I had walked into the middle of a war zone. I loved all of Ireland. Yes, the countryside is beyond beautiful but more importantly, the people have an openness and generosity that defies the level of hardship they have endured.
For a few years now, it has been my desire to return to Ireland. I thought that if I was ever able to set up this exchange between our youth and youth abroad, I would like to start there. When I was offered a Fellowship at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in the Republic of Ireland, I knew I had my chance. In October, I went to TGC to work on my book, Letters from Purgatory. I cannot imagine a more magical place than TGC; a gabled mansion surrounded by delicate forests and rolling green hills and, best of all, looking down on a lake where birds dip and rise in an out of the mist.After a full day of writing, in the evenings, the writers, artists, composers, dancers (whoever happens to be there at the time) congregate for dinner. And that is how I met Belfast artist Clinton Kirkpatrick! I was drawn to his brilliant talent, his spirit, his energetic enthusiasm for helping young people to express themselves as artists. Over a few pints at the local pub, he told me how he had worked on a project in Kenya and how now he was working with the youth at Impact Training. I told him about The Beat Within, showed him the website and told him about my hopes to expand the program.
From there, it was a small step towards agreeing that it would be wonderful to set up this exchange between the youth in our two groups. I was especially interested in how this exchange would unfold since Impact Training is located in the Shankill Road (meaning "old church") area of Belfast. This is the arterial road leading through a predominantly loyalist working class area of Belfast and it is steeped in a history of bloodshed from the sectarian conflict days. As with our youth, the youth in areas like this, and others around the world, find it difficult to break free of the hardships and challenges that they face in their neighborhoods; and I think you will find as you read the writing from Belfast, that although our youth live on opposite ends of the earth, the challenges they face aren't all that different. The wall that once divided Belfast has been turned into a "peace wall" covered in murals. Clinton worked on these murals with the youth and some of that artwork is featured in this issue and on the cover. I think of the very real walls that imprison our youth and I feel that hearing the stories of how such a wall of division in a far away land was turned into an object of beauty can be inspirational.I remember my dad telling me the story of a man he had met who had been imprisoned and tortured. The man said, "When you are tortured they can do things to make you say whatever they want you to say. But do you know what they cannot do? They cannot change what you really think inside your head. They can't take away your freedom of thought."
My focus has always been on finding ways to break down walls and build bridges of understanding. We might not be able to physically destroy those walls, but we can through words and through art. This has the potential to last long after the walls have crumbled and decayed. And with technology, we can now create a world-wide network where our youth speak out on the issues that matter to them, share their stories and learn from one another, building those bridges of tolerance and understanding.So, it is with great pleasure that I introduce our newest group from Impact Training, who recently started meeting with Clinton twice a week. At present, they are learning drawing and are starting with apples. I love this concept! In a world filled with so much chaos, the perfect simplicity of an apple brings us back to a place of stillness and clarity of thought.
As we go along, I look forward to introducing our youth to the youth at Shankill Road and to seeing their exchange of writing and art unfold. Not only will Impact Training youth be contributing to the The Beat's publication, but they will be involved in an exchange of writing and art between youth at Central Juvenile Hall, Los Angeles and at another new location, which we will feature in a later edition: Pacific Lodge Youth Services in Woodland Hills, where the boys will be working on writing and art.I want to thank David and all the great people in the office, like Inga, for helping to make the first step of this vision a reality. Thank you Clinton for jumping on board! I also want to thank the Good Works Foundation, who helped in this endeavor with a grant. I love working with The Beat! What a powerful force for peace and unity. I can't wait to see who will join us next!
Thank you Karen, Clinton, and the young people from Impact Training, whose thoughtful writings are featured on page 4. We could not ask for a better way to end the 2011 year, with this amazing partnership. We at The Beat are thrilled about all the possibilities, and the bridge, thanks to the publication we have created for all of us associated with The Beat Within.Moving right along, the following topics you will soon read were used in our workshops prior to the writing that is featured in this fabulous issue. Issue 16.47: 1. "End of the world" - Do you think that there will be an "end of the world?" For many years various songwriters, authors, movie directors, religious folk, fortune tellers, scientist, and even journalists have predicted that there would be a time the world will come to an end. Do you think that in our future the world will come to an end? What does it look like if it were to really happen? Share your thoughts. Now, If you are one who doesn't believe that world will come to an end, explain your argument as well.
2. "A Must" - What are the things that every human being has a right to have access to? Food, water, shelter, education, jobs? What are the things that YOU think are important to living? What are the things that all human beings should have access to, to live healthy long lives.3. "Stress" - The definition of stress is "the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain." What are some of the things about being in the hall that put stress on you or on the people you love? What was stressful about NOT being in the hall, living on the outs? This week we want you to define your stress and possibly what it is that is stressing you out.
Lastly, 4. "When I was very young I wanted to be (fill in the blank) when I grew up…"
Issue 16.48: 1. "Winner" - Tell The Beat about a time when you were the winner. Maybe you won a game of scrabble, or your team won a basketball game. What did you win? How did it feel to win? Who did you share your excitement with? How did you celebrate? Give us the details of a time you (and possibly your team) came out the winner. Was it hard work to get to be the winner? Tell us about the effort or practice you put in to becoming the winner.2. "Changing" - The Beat and Beat writers are always talking about change and why someone should change. Maybe it's for probation, for your family or your children or for your future. This week The Beat wants to know HOW does someone change, knowing very well it is hard to make a change, when we are so use to living one way. Or, if you refuse to change, tell us why you are against changing.
3. "Taking a look at myself" - A couple weeks ago The Beat asked you about the labels you carry with you--how you think you are judged. But what would you do differently if nobody judged you? If you could be whoever you wanted to be, without any judgment, who would you be, and why? Would you stay the same? Change yourself totally and be another person? What qualities would you keep and which would you throw away? However you answer this topic, would your loved ones be proud of you, or disappointed, and why?4. "The hardest thing I've ever done was…."
All right, this issue goes out to Karen, Clinton, and the young people at Impact Training in Belfast Ireland.FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2011
Thanks to John Fleming and our friends at the JJIE, which is a part of the Center for Sustainable Journalism, on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, informed us of this powerful photo exhibit, "Juvenile-In-Justice," which is currently featured on their website. The photos, by photographer Richard Ross, are of juvenile detention facilities and the young people within the juvenile justice system throughout the USA. The photos speak volumes.
The whole exhibit.The exhibit also features the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center.
We encourage you to take a look at the great work of Richard Ross.
WEDNESDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2011
Editor's Note
Given the excitement around The Beat Within being honored by the SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists), Northern California Chapter tonight, at an awards dinner in downtown San Francisco, we feel it is our obligation to fill you a bit more about the award, and of course give some thanks where the thanks are due!
On Tuesday, The Beat Within was honored with one of the SPJ's highest honors, "The Silver Heart" award, for giving voice to the voiceless. You could not ask for a more appropriate award.Over the last 16 years, The Beat Within staff has dedicated itself to touching the lives of young people (and you devoted elders aka BWO writers) who find your selves within the criminal justice system. Early this year, we at The Beat were not even sure how we could keep our flame going, given there was an immediate need to downsize the program. It was quite a challenging time to say the least, and to have to say farewell to a number of amazingly committed individuals who for years played significant roles in the program.
With the support of The Beat Community, a number of funding partners, and an amazing volunteer core, we were able to keep the fire going, and during that time we truly re-birthed the program, and during the changes going on we surprisingly kept the workshops and publication going strong, though we made the decision to no longer be the weekly publication many of you have come to know us as, and now to come out twice a month, with double issues!In June we brought on our Program Director Inga Buchbinder who took over one of the biggest responsibilities in The Beat, keeping track of volunteer facilitators, (as we also built a new and solid volunteer trainer) and making sure our programs are running smoothly in the various institutions we enter each week.
Tonight's award is truly a highlight for the program and our history. Not looking for anyone to feel sorry for us, but we must admit at times we felt under appreciated (and off the radar), though we kept our cool, stayed focused on our mission, and up to this point have stayed true to our cause. Of course it is our goal to keep this program going for years and years to come, as long as there are young (and old) people who find themselves inside the criminal justice system.We want to thank Manen, for his consistently great work on layout of The Beat publication, and in creating our brand new website thebeatwithin.org. Props once again to Inga, our amazing Program Director. A big-big shout out to Mario for his work and support, with translating Beat topics into Spanish each week, and taking care of our mailing, and being in charge of printing, folding and preparing our publication for you readers. There is a host of facilitators, typists and editors that need major props too, and there is no way we can list every single one of you in this note, but we want you to know that YOU ALL are so vital to our success, thank you, from the heart!
Lastly, props to John over at the Whitman Institute for his mentoring, Ben Wong's consulting and coaching, Brittany Jarabek for her super Beat proposals and LOI's, Nancy DeMartini for her special friendship and huge support over the years, Sherman Scholten for coming through when we needed support to fix our in-house printers, the Nelson Fund for their capacity building grant this year to help us understand what it takes to run your own non-profit, Sandy Close for her support of the vision in it's infancy and continuing to believe in the work, and finally to Maria Alvarez for believing in The Beat, and being way more than just the CFO of our parent agency.Last, but not least, a B-I-G thank you to you writers and artists that believe in The Beat, and believe in yourselves as writers and artists. Your courage speaks volumes. With that said, enjoy, even if it's for a moment, what is happening to The Beat Within tonight. Your voice speaks volumes to us and is priceless!
Now on to the topics. From week 16.45: "Inspired -When was the last time you were inspired? Who inspires you - friends, family, celebrities, etc? Did they inspire you to go down the right path? The wrong path? As human beings we all look to be inspired by something, a person, a book, a song.... So tell The Beat what in your life has inspired you.""Family Tree - You all take such great pride in your families, but we want to know where does your family come from? What do you know about where your mother and father grew up, or your grandmother and grandfather...as far back as you can go. Tell us about what you know about your families journeys, where and how they immigrated, what was life like before they came to the States, or what was life like in the US when your parents or grandparents were growing up? Do any of your know anything about your great-great grandparents, uncles or aunts?"
"Celebrities- Have you ever met anyone famous? If so, who was it and where were you? Tell us in detail about the encounter with this famous person. If you haven't, do you know someone who has? What did they tell you about it?"And from week 16.46: "Strength - Sure, we can all lift some weights and gain physical strength, but what things in your life give you emotional strength, the strength to carry on through a rough day at home, in the hall, at court, or preparing for the future? Are there people that bring strength to you? Is there a motto or mantra that you derive strength from? Share with The Beat the things in your life that give you the endurance to go on day after day."
"Family Visit- Family plays such a key role in all of our lives, so tell The Beat about the last visit you had with family members. What was that visit like, happy, sad? Do you look forward to them? Has there ever been a visit you haven't looked forward to? Why? How often does family come to visit? Do you prefer to not have visits? Have you ever turned one down? Why? Who visits you? Who doesn't visit you? Who do you wish visited you? Why do they not visit you?""Your Higher Power - If you could ask your Higher Power one question, what would it be and what answer would you hope to get?"
"The Thanksgiving Question - There are always things to be thankful for, but who are the people in your life, past or present, alive or dead, that you are thankful for? List three people you are grateful to and tell The Beat why you are so grateful to them. Details, details, details!"And finally... "If The Beat Within could bring any athlete and musician into the hall, who would you most like to see?"
THURSDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2011
Editor's Note
Welcome to our TRIPLE issue of The Beat Within. As we are approaching the end of the year we needed to make sure all of your writing got into the last few issues we have left before the holi-daze takes us into the New Year. But before we get into all of the youth writing, we have Lisa Santoya as our editorial note writer this week. Lisa is a facilitator at our workshops in Bernalillo County, New Mexico where she also works as a Youth Program Transport Officer in the juvenile hall. Take it away, Lisa!
I was raised by a pair of strict and old-fashioned parents who enforced stern rules with plenty of guidance. My mother was a no-nonsense type of woman and my father was unassuming and gentle in his ways. My sisters and I were raised in a humble home with a solid approach of correct behavior. I was expected to maintain high grades (no lower than a B), demonstrate good manners, and provide respect to all adults.During adolescence, I did what most teenagers do: I drank alcohol, I snuck out of the house, I ditched school, and I tried pot. This is not to say I didn't respect what my parents instilled in me – I feared my parents! As a result, I did everything in my power to avoid disappointing them and getting caught. Therefore, I've never been in detention. I was also expected to obtain a job so as to acquire "responsibility and the value of money". Subsequently, I was employed at fifteen and haven't stopped working since.
Our generation and times were very different to the current trend. I graduated with the class of 96' with over 400 students, and that was just one high school out of many in El Paso, Texas. Nowadays, the graduation rate is at its low and GED's are at its high. We had writing groups that only demonstrated how to write poetry, instilled grammatically correct essays, and approached literature with detailed explanations. If "The Beat Within" was at my school, it would've helped some friends vent about their situations at home and make them feel accepted and not alone. I was aware of many of them having issues...I have major difficulties understanding today's generation. I work as a Youth Program Transport Officer at the detention center in Bernalillo County in Albuquerque and I am amazed at how parents are raising their kids. There is little to no discipline, minimal support, not much concentration on education, and too much disregard for the law. I take these kids in and out of court and I witness the total lack of accountability of these parents. Most of these parents have severe problems of their own – a broad spectrum of drug users/abusers, prostitution, alcoholism, homelessness, absence due to being incarcerated, physical or sexual abuse, and neglect where they don't have custody. Usually the parents are young (30's) and don't hold their kids responsible for their actions, but then again, they're not role models either.
There are also the other types of parents: the enabling ones. These parents don't enforce any rules; no use of direction or supervision, allowing their kids to do whatever they want, leading to breaking of the law. These parents have become lazy and careless about what their kids do and don't do. They don't emphasize that there's a consequence with every action and they don't convey the importance of education. Instead, they sympathize with their kids and act as if the law were the "bad guys". Nonetheless, there are kids who are burdened with real problems that stem from their parents' actions. These are the ones that need assistance and an outlet.I've seen the residents express their burdens through "The Beat Within" and it always seems to help relieve their tension and doubts. Many times they're suicidal or have been sexually abused and they're able to release deep feelings about their experiences on paper. I've seen residents open-up when they've never opened up to any of the social workers or counselors. Clearly, this program is very therapeutic. I've also seen residents incorporate better coping skills and behave in a more positive manner. They don't seem so angry or hostile. It seems that they're hopeful and willing to go forward, regardless of their troublesome pasts.
In addition, they encounter other residents who go through similar or worse tribulations and this, in effect, raises their morale and their means to survive. They don't have the feelings of emptiness and they help build each other's strength. It's amazing what they generate from each other—they assemble a power source of endurance. These kids witness their parents injecting heroin into their veins, or watch their mother not defend them when they're getting raped, or they live life without knowing who their father is because he's skipped out on the family, or see their mother prostituting herself on the streets, or have to bear their father getting on top of them. What's happened to this generation?! I just don't get it...Thank goodness "The Beat Within" is actively conducting their program! This program essentially takes a load off the therapists and case managers because sometimes residents don't open up to them and it's not easy to get them to talk about their unfortunate mishaps. They feel vulnerable and exposed as it is, so using the writing method is wise. I've also heard remarks made by parents that their "child is different in a good way" and they don't understand what happened. I know for a fact this program has reached out to an array of residents and has been beneficial to their actual behavior when they leave detention. So major kudos to the staff of "The Beat Within" and everything they do to compose such an exceptional program! Because without you, who knows where these kids would attain their coping skills.
In this issue, you will see writing that relates to one (or more) of the following topics:
16.42"When Have You Felt It Was Okay To Cry?--. What we want to know is when have you felt completely comfortable to express what you were feeling with tears — either tears of joy or tears of pain? Describe what it was the made you feel so strongly. What was is that moved you? Who was around you? How did they react? Were you by yourself? Did crying make you feel better about the situation? Worse? What or who made you feel comfortable about shedding tears?"
"Stereotypes- Is it fair to judge a person based on stereotypes? Have you ever been stereotyped? Have you ever played up to the standardized image of what others think of you, or tried to play down these preconceived stereotypes of who you're "supposed" to be? Have you ever stereotyped someone and found out they were not what you thought?"
"Why Is Life Worth Living?-- Considering all the trials and tribulations that you've endured up until this point in life, is there anything or anyone that inspires you to move on, regardless of the harsh realities that one must live through and learn from? So the question today is this, what is the value of your life and dreams that makes striving another day worth it all in the long run? Is it your loved ones? A role model? Is it proving the system and those who doubt you wrong? Is it freedom? School? What? Tell us in your own words why life is worth living for."
16.43"Age - There are a lot of things that revolve around how old you have to be or can't be. But how old do you feel today? Maybe you feel older than your age, maybe you feel younger. What are the things that make you (or a person in general) feel older than they are? Do you feel those things? Tell The Beat how old you're feeling today and what is making you feel that way."
"Excluded - Do you remember a time when you felt excluded and left out, either by a group of people you thought were friends, your family or someone close to you. What was the situation and why did you feel left out? Have you ever purposely excluded someone else?"
"Walls - There are always times where we put up walls between us and people or situations that we don't want to deal with, but if you could literally put up a brick wall and cut someone/a group/a community off, who would you separate from and why? What would be the benefits of your wall? How would your life change for the better or the worse?""When the power of love overcomes the love of power...." - Jimi Hendrix What are your thoughts on this quote? What does it mean to you?"
16.44"The Field Trip – When you look back at your school/summer experiences what was your most memorable field trip that you took with the group? Where did you go? Who did you go with? What made it so memorable? Had you been there before? Was it fun, special, boring? Did you get in trouble? If you were a teacher or group leader, where would you take the group on a field trip and why?"
"Labels - How are you labeled? What big assumptions do people make about you? Do you have different labels for different places, society, friends, family, school, the hall? Tell The Beat how you feel you are labeled, how does that make you feel or tell us how you wish you were labeled."
"Lies, lies, lies - When is it okay to tell a lie? Tell us a story about when you lied and why you thought it was okay. Who or what were you protecting?"
"The Hurdle - What will be your number one obstacle after leaving juvenile hall/the institution you are in?"In an effort to be brief, this issue is dedicated to our brand new writers from Tuscumbia, Alabama. We are glad to have your voices represented in The Beat.
MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2011
Thanks to our mutual friend, photographer Joe Rodriguez, I had the privilege to meet up with and be interviewed by Peter Brook, as part of his 12-week journalism road-trip through America.
A bit about the project: Peter is working on an ongoing research/blog Prison Photography on the road. From October 1st until December 15th, he is currently driving a loop across the U.S. to conduct research. His goal was not only to interview photographers but people working in prison art, prison education and prisoner rights advocacy. In the end, from his research and interviews, Peter will also be giving lectures at colleges and hope to present the same material in prisons too ... if he can secure access. All content will be free and available to the photo and prison reform communities via Creative Commons licensing.With that said, in late September of this year, Peter conducted a 15 minute audio interview for web-publication with myself, where I had the chance to discuss The Beat Within, the work and vocational trajectory to bring me to this type of work. I also had the chance to share the needs of youth and incarcerated youth, the role of the arts in giving youth a voice and the tangible benefits of these outlets. I hope you like what you hear.
FYI, Prison Photography is a unique platform. Over the past two and a half years, I have built a considerable readership. I was recently awarded a 'Best Photoblog Award 2011' by LIFE, and recommended as one of the 10 best photoblogs in the British Journal of Photography. I have 1,000 visits per day to my website and I expect that to increase significantly during the interactive road-trip. The crux of the research is to engage new audiences in thinking about prison reform through the strength and diversity of images ... and countering the negative stereotypes of mainstream media.Listen to the interview with David Inocencio/The Beat Within
Peter Brook's whole Prison Photography blog
MONDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2011
"Voices Behind Walls is a creative writing workshop that has taken place in juvenile detention centers in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. The workshop consists of writing poetry and the study of literary authors/poets/artist, chess, music (specifically Hip Hop, Soul, Jazz and other genres), beat production, radio broadcasting, film and vocal/audio recording."
