Stephanie Baker- Y.P.P Greater Boston Summer Workshop Facilitator
8.11.09
Can you recount the last time you went out into the community to make it better? I am not talking about huge gestures or street marches or anything of the sort. I am talking about the little things that go a long way. Can you remember the last time you made the commitment to volunteer with kids, or help tutor struggling students, or give out food to the homeless at a food bank? People often write off these types of activities as minuscule. Some say you aren’t solving any problems by just handing out food or playing with kids. I beg to differ. You can’t quantify putting a smile on someone’s face. You can’t know much it means to them that a stranger cares. We can’t truly know how this can give people hope.
This past Friday, Boston MLWs put some smiles on the faces of homeless children in Cambridge. The Salvation Army in Cambridge has day care for homeless children that offers educational activities, nutritional lunches, and recreational games. The excitement was clear on the faces of the children when we arrived(ranging from infant to five year olds). By just giving individual attention, talking to them, and chasing them around the playground we brightened up their lives. For a moment, we helped them not think about what they would go home to at the end of the day, instead we just let them be kids. No, we did not solve homelessness, but I think we brought some joy to their lives for a day. Maybe they will remember it, maybe they won’t, but they might carry that feeling with them for a long time.
One thing holding communities back is people forget about the small things. People want to work only on the big issues. However, there are things to be done every day to change your community and the world. We must to educate ourselves on issues in our streets and streets around the globe. We must give back to the community no matter how big or how small. Below, Boston MLWs recount their volunteer experience and commit themselves to give and to become leaders in their community. What will commit yourself to doing to make sure your community grows for the better? What type of leader will you be?
I had a great time at the Salvation Army. I loved playing with the little kids. They were so open to having us and always had something for us to help out with. I definitely think I will volunteer again because I had a fun experience. What I will continue to do to keep myself educated on social justice issues is to read the paper and avoid Fox news. I will also continue to have conversations about what is going on in the world with my family and friends. I feel I am most civically when I voice my opinions with my familiy/friends because then I hear other opinions that my reshaped my own, and with my opinions, bring them to the community. I will be a visionary/teacher because I have strong beliefs and I am willing to explain them to others.
--Emily McHale, Boston MLS
My volunteer experience was very fun because I have a huge interest in infants and toddlers. The things I would do to keep myself educated on issues of social justice and civically engagement is to save my money and watch how I spend it. I will also try to become an good leader that everyone wants to follow because of my good actions.
--Boston, MLW
Today when we were volunteering it was great. It reminded me of my baby niece. They where crying, eating, fighting just like any other cute baby would. I also would volunteer again because I really like little kids. I usually watch the news because there is a lot of crazy things happening now a days. After I watch the news I go and tell my friends about it because like things are crazy now a days, and we need to do things to make sure we will make it threw. I would say I’m going to be warrior because I will fight for all my rights.
--Boston MLW
I enjoyed volunteering. The kids were really sweet and it was sad to know that these young kids live such hard lives. I would definitely volunteer again. Its nice to know your making a difference in someone’s life.
To make sure I am educated I watch the news and read the paper. My family also reads and watches foreign news since America can be really censored. Since I know things others don't I encourage them to read about t or just talk about it with them. I let others know what goes on so they can let others know so it's a domino effect of good. I have a commitment to myself to not be another ignorant American.
--Boston MLW
My experience today was very different. Honestly it opened my eyes to the pain people (kids) go through. Not having a home and/or family can be hard. I would definitely love to go there again and play with the kids. I think I will begin to read more into the news and stay updated in general.
-- Boston MLW
My volunteer experience at the Salvation Army was fun and I enjoyed playing with the kids. It did make me want to do more volunteer work. In order keep myself educated on issues of social justice and civically engagement I will do some research online as well as keep myself informed through other people/resources. I will be a teacher/healer in my community by voicing my opinions but also helping people in need. My personal commitment is to help out my community as much as I can.
--Eliza, Boston MLW
My volunteer experience was exhausting. The kids were so fun. I would definitely think about volunteering again. But like I said the kids were fund and they had fun with me so I am happy. I will look up issues pertaining to me and my community that have to do with social justice. I will be an active leader, one that takes part in society. I will volunteer more. I want to be a visionary.
--- Dre, Boston MLW
I had fun volunteering at the Salvation Army because I felt bad that those kids don't really a home they an really go to, but at the sa me time it was good for them because I seen that while they are there they are learning a lot. The three to five year olds were learning Spanish. That surprised me because I don't even know Spanish.
Stephanie Baker- Y.P.P Greater Boston Summer Workshop Facilitator
8.4.09
There is one thing that is almost irrevocably linked with power; and that is education. What do Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and Barack Obama have in common? They all saw the importance of schooling in their lives. They recognized that any change in society must come from an understanding of society and knowing your rights. So how does this relate with power? There is a reason that those who control the workings of society deny certain people an education. There are reasons why teaching slaves to read and write was criminalized, and why for a long time, and still currently around the world, women have been excluded from education. There is a reason why civil rights activists fought for equal education, and why girls in Afghanistan risk their lives every day to go to school. It is simply because the greatest way to marginalize portions of a society is to deny them an education, and the truest path to self-empowerment is knowledge. If only an elite few are educated, then they know how to decipher laws and policy, then only they can control it.
But there is also more to power than just being educated. The great leaders mentioned above have something else in common. They had an unwavering ability to share what they know and educate the people. Positive change comes through the diessemination of knowledge, and oppression comes from its monopolization by a few. These leaders were able to uplift people through sharing their knowledge. You can have all the information in the world, but if you can’t share it then it is pointless.
There is also more to education than what you learn in school. In addition to reading, writing, and math you need to know our legal system and your rights, thus knowing how to change they system. However, there is another type of education. Take Obama for example. In Dreams From My Father, there is a specific point when Barack Obama is a community organizer that the community he is working with has a breakthrough. Before this moment, Barack was at an impasse with the people in the South Side of Chicago. Racial differences and others issues blocked the community from going forward to create a positive change to their environment. However, when they sat down and began to share with each other, they saw how much they had in common. Barack recounts the experience: “stories full of terror and wonder, studded with events that sill haunted or inspired them. Sacred stories…as people listened to my stories…they would nod their heads or shrug or laugh…Then they’d offer a story to match or confound mine….a knot to bind out experiences together…I found that these stories, taken together, had helped me bind my world together…There was always a community if you dug deep enough.”
It is vital that one educate themselves on the stories of those that live in their community. The beginning of real change is also listening, finding out what fears and hopes people have. This past spring, in a class at New York University called Journalism, Lyricism, Activism and Power), my classmates and I embarked on such a journey to learn about the NYC community. Our teacher , Kathy Engel, assigned the class a writing assignment in which we had to write letters to anyone on a subject that is important to us. I wrote about religion, others wrote about the environment, the death of loved ones, and to family. Each letter had a therapeutic quality, we all told personal stories that related to a larger issue in the local or national community. We decided to create a book of letters from residents of New York City, from business men ,to college students, to a class of middle school students from the Bronx, and beyond. We learend and connected with each other in a way that we didn't think was possible. I presented the same prompt to the Boston MLWs. Below are some touching stories that demand to be heard and demand action. I implore you after reading these letters to go out into your community and find out people’s stories. Only then, can the community really grow.
Dear Cris
I would like to see a lot of changes inside the school system. For example, I don’t like the new tardy systems that the school is upholding. Some students live on the other side of Cambridge and it takes them a long commute to get to school and should be penalized for that. Also, I would lie to see more classes about African culture. I am tired of going through the same boring American history classes year after year. I would like to learn about my ancestors and other parts of the world.
From Stephan
Dear Person,
I am writing to you of how gang violence is affecting so many places and people that I love. So many of my friends too have lost family and friends to this problem. The worst part is that is really impacts on the children of today. So many kids I know and don’t know are trying to be “cool” or “gangsta” even though they have no idea what either of those tings are and the only solution I can think of is that we sit them down and explain to them what “gangsta” really is.
Later
Dear Boston Police Department,
In my job we spoke about police men not using their authority properly. I as wondering how many you guys are lie that because seriously I am hoping you guys would od yoru best to protect us not hurt us.
I wonder if you would like have anger management cases for police. I understand that some people lie out the mouth. But guys are supposed to be the better and bigger person.
Now after the gangs and stuff, I understand that you guys are trying or the members to be at peace, what I think you do is have another meeting the one that was held at the courthouse but instead have it in a public open area with like a mic and amplifiers and stuff. It could look like a block party. So year that's like my idea.
I do want to give thanks to you guys cuz its not all bad you do have things under control.
From,
Anonymous
Dear Listener,
A social justice issue that effects me is violence. Violence is like an enemy of life because now in days that’s how most lives are taken. A couple of years ago my Dad was shot nine times and is lucky to be breathing now. When this happened I tired to be tough and not show fear nor tears. When I found this out I prayed and prayed and prayed. This has infected my life dramatically because he is not the same anymore. He’s not in a wheelchair or anything but its just physically and mentally affected. Like about two years after that my moms boyfriend was shot in the head and was found in his back seat of his car. This has affected me and mom because she wakes up knowing he’s ont there and it affected me because he was like my superman when I got in trouble by my mom. Imagine having two parents by affected by violence and losing half of them emotionally.
From,
Anonymous
Dear Gang Member,
I want to know why you would join a gang. I want to know why you feel going through tough prison or jail will make you a better person. Why cant some of you use your brain and realize that being in a gang doesn't get you anywhere but jail or in a casket? I realize that there are a lot of guys my age who are smart enough to be successful but they just don't get the chance or the opportunity to prove themselves. They feel as if their fellow gang friends can relate to them more. Me personally, I find it stupid because it shows you cant be your own persona at a time as if you have to put on an act for people to respect you. I think everyone has a special talent or skill it all depends on how you can use it in a positive way. So dear gang member, I know your smarter then what people think of you and I know this isn’t the life you want to live forever. Trust I can speak on being in a gang, but I can definitely speak about those close to me who were and how they have turned their life around.
From,
Chris
Dear Friend,
I noticed that you like to smoke and sell marijuana. Smoking marijuana is not that bad for you it still is bad for you and I care a lot about you. I never want to hear that you got cancer or are in the hospital do to marijuana. I think you should really stop smoking. I believe you should sthop selling marijuana as wel because selling drugs ends up into serious problems. People around th world are getting killed over selling drugs and arrested. I want you to live your life to the fullest and have nothing stop you. You are too good for all of this. I am here for you always. Whenever you need to talk or anything I will always be here for you. I care about you bro.
Dear Cousin,
I know you don’t mean to go to jail but it is still pretty sad seeing you there. I mean, I look up to you because you do everything I try to do. You are like my teacher. We are very close and I feel abandoned for you doing life in prison. To me, personally, I don’t think you should be there. I try to keep it moving but it is hard to move on when your friend, idol, and family member, has a life sentence in prison. I don’t think it is faire for them to take my other half away from me. I hope you are focusing more on maturity instead on childishness. I hope to appeal works. I don’t want to see my cousins or any of my family members die in jail. You need to change your state of mind. Miss you cousin.
From,
Dre
Stephanie Baker- Y.P.P Greater Boston Summer Workshop Facilitator
7.28.09
Issues are never black and white. It is very easy to create a simple solution for a complicated problem when you don't always have the facts, or when you let your emotions blind you from seeing the other side. Opinions change for various reason, whether it be facts, or hearing and/or reading about a personal story. In any case, lack of discussion and sharing breaks down a community. Last Friday, Greater Boston Math Literacy Workers (MLWs) discussed and debated some controversial issues facing themselves and society. From issues of immigration versus citizen rights, to global warming, gay rights , affirmative action, drinking age versus the age you are available to go to war, to felon disenfranchisement, to juvenile criminals cases, Boston MLWs pushed each other and opened each other eyes to different view points.
The Boston MLWs also tackled two important issues, one well known and one unknown to most ; immigration and human trafficking. Opinions on immigration varied. While all believed immigrants have rights, views on government action differed. The balance between government protection and deportation lies in murky waters. But reading two informative articles from the New York Times helped unclear the waters. One article discussed enforcement, while another discussed the conditions in detention centers.
Many MLWs had not heard of human trafficking. Human Trafficking, as defined by the United Nations, is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.” An estimated 27 million people live in modern day slavery. It is also on the same level as trafficking in arms and drugs in terms of profit world wide. One article from the news source Global Post told the story of a woman from Mongolia who was promised an education in Korea, but instead upon arrival was forced into prostitution.
However this isn’t an issue that just occurs in Asia, it occurs all over the world, a global crime ring connecting every continent. Boston MLWs also learned that it strikes close to them, many trafficked to the Boston area end up in Allston and Brighton. Once the students realized how these issues touched them, previous notions crumbled. Those who were conservative on immigration issues could not discount learning of the harsh treatment of those in detention centers. And, at first students could not see how human trafficking related to them, until they realized that the problem is on the streets where they live. In a group activity students came up with organizations to combat these issues; ranging from lobbying the government to make detention centers more human to a global campaign to educate the world on human trafficking. Although they may not have all the answers, at least they are educated on the issues and thinking of ways they can help. The begining stages of change is arming yourself and your community with information.
Below are some the Boston MLW views on the issues discussed today,on the arrest of Henry Gates Jr., and on the vist of members from a hip-hop/social justice organization called La Lengua De Mi Barrio that has a netowrk including Columbia, Miami, and Boston.
The big issue with immigration is the conception of illegalness. Human trafficking is degrading. ON the issue of Henry Gates, I know friends that were profiled and lead to incarceration for two to three days. The issue around Henry Gates Jr. ahs to do with haters. Society doesn’t want to see somebody doing better than what is expected of them.
-- Dre, Boston MLW
Today we discussed about Columbia and what is happening out there. We also talked about Henry Gates Jr. and how cops still discriminate. I found out today that Columbia is just like over here but a tiny bit different. I also found cops can write what were they feel like in their record books even if it’s a lie.
--Boston MLW
Today I read an article about Human Trafficking which I didn’t know anything about. I was very surprised about what is happenings in Asia and even here in New England with this issue. It is a big issue that needs to be taken care of. As for the situation in Columbia I had not idea about the warfare occurring there and this discussion opened my eyes to the issues in their country. These two topics made me realize how much is going on in the world today that I don't know about. Today’s activities were very eye openings and I am glad that I was a part of it.
Today an organization based in Columbia came to speak to us about hip-hop adn how it can promote postive issues instead of just negative desires. During our multicultrual conversation I learned things about Columbia I never knew. I never knew that Columbia, for 50 years, has been in Civil War. I was told about the corrupt governemtn and crime lords that I didn't realize still really existed. The discussion was extremely informative and I'm so happy I got to experience something like it.
--Emily McHale, Boston MLW
Stephanie Baker- Y.P.P. Workshop Facilitator
7.17.09
Apathy is a consistent problem facing this country. People cannot see themselves in the wide scope of the greater good, and neither can they place themselves in relation to their community and their government. Today Y.P.P MLWs from the Greater Boston area worked in teams to confront this problem. Using examples from the Civil Rights Movement as a guide, they defined the terms social justice, citizenship, and civic engagement. The MLWs defined social justice as the fight for equality and fairness, and rights among people that apply to all regardless of any classifications (such as race or gender). Citizenship entails government protection of basic rights (regardless of race, beliefs, social standing, gender, etc), and places responsibilities on the citizen to be active. These responsibilities are carried out through civic engagement. They defined civic engagement as fulfilling responsibilities through striving to make society a better place though activities like volunteering in the community and voting. Below are some voices of Greater Boston MLWs on what being a citizen means to them and what type of change they want to see in their community and/or society.
