Getting Involved in Our World::Educating Our Youth

Since viewing Brother Rashidi’s video, the elder,teacher, writer accepted my friend request on FaceBook and opened the doors for communication, exchange and insight into his life, and research abroad in search of our “African faces in Global places”.  It has been exciting and confirming seeing the African 1Billion strong on all corners of our globe.

My own life had taken turns that seemed to go back through history bringing me closer to the rural South many African-Americans left behind in search for the new opportunities promised in the North during the migration period of 1915 to 1930 . I too found out that my Yankee urban-suburban lifestyle would be challenged by the legacy still present in the cities of the South today. In cities like Augusta little had changed. Although the dream of segregation was realized “where little white boys and little black boys” could attend the same school education, communities, and opportunities were still very much marginalized along the train tracks, leaving disproportionate numbers of African American’s socio-economically disadvantaged, the incarceration of community youth skyrocketed with a 30% increase in juvenile crime and gang violence, while unemployment  and educational standards decreased in the public school systems who also lost city funding for summer school and youth job programs.

These truths touched home when meeting my nephew for the first time as he headed between states for two different juvenile offenses. He laughed softly while I made him breakfast as he explained that my sons had no ’swagger’ which was the beginning of our debate about African American role models, the media, Hip Hop and identity. My father couldn’t stay silent and reiterated his views on responsibility and what being a father meant to him and should mean to all. But what topped it off was the call from my mother to join her in her study as we gathered around the computer to see the video “A War for Your Soul-Birmingham Version”. What was even more interesting was the fact that my 18 year old nephew and my 15 year old son had to be scolded and ‘threatened’ to enter the room and watch a video about their history, ancestors and African American story. The elders and I shook our heads in shame, cheered on, “ah-humed” and “amened” the parts we knew to be true in our hearts that those words might shaken up the minds of our boys to understand simply the larger picture of the world as a connection to their lives and choices!

Our lives definitely have value; more than we can begin to know. We have a social responsibility to teach our youth, our history, our truth!

One Love,

Ria Takharu

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A War for Your Soul — Birmingham Version

Follow the Link to watch Video

Notes from Erisai Films:

• This video was created to inspire young at-risk African-Americans not to fall prey to some of the problems they face in society. The use of the voice “Master of Darkness” represents the abstract concept of evil.
• This video should not to be used to divide people (Black & White).
• This video should not be used to criticize all aspects of hip-hop culture.
• This video should not be used to condemn the millions of Black youth that are striving for excellence in their classrooms and communities.
• This video should not be used to degrade the millions of children that do not have the proper educational resources offered in their community.
• This video should not be used to scare our precious Black youth into a position of change.
• This video should not be used to allow the rest of society to escape from their responsibility, to reach back and help with financial & academic support.
• This video, if used properly, will allow our youth to see some of the horrific conditions that our ancestors fought through & some of the horrific conditions we face today.

All Americans should be upset, that Black children are being murdered in Chicago, Detroit, Birmingham, Norfolk, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, New York and many other cities throughout the nation.

All Americans should be upset, that in many of the above mentioned cities, schools are struggling for proper funding, thus leading to an unfair start in our academic based society.

Many have asked “Why should I care?”…but can you imagine, the first person to find a cure for cancer, could be living in one of these areas, that we are afraid to reach out and help.

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