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INSPIRING
NewOrleans artprogram building up incarcerated youths
BY JONIHESS Staff writer
The news of a17-year-oldgirlshot deadinbroaddaylight fueled the inspiration behind aJuvenile JusticeIntervention Center mural.
The girl’sbrother,adetained youthat the Gentilly-based center,led advocacy efforts for the mural weeks prior as a waytoexpress ruminating thoughts he confronted each nightinhis cell.
“Hemanifested this project andneeded it, but he didn’tknow that he would need it,” said Journey Allen, directorof youth education at Arts New Orleans and the artist behind numerous murals across the city.
In the early days afterthe shooting, Allen said the boy didn’t wantto participate with the group in creating the artwork he once pushed for,but eventually, he was able to join them.
Graveyards to gardens
The project,called, “FromGraveyards to Gardens,” is one of multiple vibrant artworks plastered along the walls of the center that were painted by youth selectedfor theYoung Artist Movement program through Arts New Orleans.
Together,they blended the colors ofa large snake overlooking aset of tombstones, replacingthe barrenwall outside the center’scafeteria.
“R.I.P.neglect;R.I.P.the oldme; R.I.P.drugs; violence; poverty,” the tombstones readunderneatha lightning cloud. Graveyard vines sprout up from the dirt andintertwinewith aset of praying handslikerosary beads. On the other side is arainbow and butterflies —a“garden”asreflected in the piece’stitle.The group members wanted to show their transition from who they weretowho they would become.
The murals are supportedthrough
the Young ArtistMovement Diversion program, aprogram of thenonprofit Arts New Orleans that was initiated bythe OrleansParish District Attorney’s Office two years ago.It’sfunded by commissions,private donations and foundations.
Theprogram’s premiseisrootedin healing and resilience through artistic expression. Those who participate in the full project receive an $850 stipend upon completion —oranadjusted amount for how long they worked.
Moving parts
ForAllen,a former NewOrleans public school teacher,the murals represent amix of realitiesthatare both beautiful and tragic.
In the facility’ssanctuaryroom,she pointstothe stained glass paintings ofthe teensblanketing the walls. The project is unfinished,partly due to some of theartists’ transition to Orleans Parish Prison after theyturned 17. Under Gov.JeffLandry’s administration, 17-year-oldscharged witha crimeare nowtreated as adults. The newlaw took effect earlier this year
The self-portraits depict parts of their individualidentities outside the facility —brands of clothing, favorite things they enjoy “You’re here, but it’s likeyou’renot here because no one can know your name. No onecan identifyyou because everything about youisconfidential, but they’re choosing to present who they are,” Allen said of thefacility’s protocols.
The paintings, touched by three or fourcohortsofdetained youth, also reflect the many movingparts of the pre-trial facility from arrival, to awaiting sentencing and potentially being transitionedtoadult prison, Allensaid.
Inbetween those moving parts, the center attempts to changethe trajectory of many who are temporarily pulled
“You’re here, but it’slikeyou’renot here because no one can know your name. No one canidentifyyou because everything about youis confidential,but they’re choosing to present who they are”
JOURNEY ALLEN, director of youth educationatArtsNew Orleans
away fromthe influence of their home environments —a challenging task for those who areoften released back into those same environments.Othersmay receive lifelong sentences for their crimes.
Youthcrime wave
According to data from the New OrleansPolice Department Analytics Unit, crime ratesacrossthe city show steep declines compared to August 2022, yetjuvenile murders reached a 15-year high lastyear.
Areport compiled by Jesse Chanin Research andConsulting earlier this year found that city-funded juvenile justice programs were underserving New Orleansyouth, stressing that early interventionand family therapy are worthyofmoreinvestments.
Butintergenerational poverty, among othercompounding factors, is atthe cruxofyouth violence, said Asia Baker,mother of Malik Baker,who was recently released from the center after11months.
Baker saida lack of recreational opportunities for impoverished kids is alsoanissue.
“When we were young,wehad so many free summer camps. We were able to go swimming all the time,” she said. Chris Carter,a family friend and
Be a beginner
Igrewupina small, rural town in Mississippi thatdidn’toffer a lot of fancy lessons or organizations forkids.
In elementary school, Itook dancing fortwo years. Iwas neververygood,but Itookitand can still shuffle ball chain with the best of them.
Itook piano foreight years whenIwas growing up, practicing almost everysingle dayfrom the time Iwas 8until Iwas 16.
Though Idon’t have apiano in my home anymore, Ican still sit down andsight read most songs. All those yearsofplaying the piano andhaving music in my bonesalmost daily changed who Iwould have been otherwise. In Brownies andGirl Scouts, we learned howtodosomething different almost everyweek decoupage,woodburning, sit-uponsand more. Adult volunteers, mothers of friends, gathered the materials andguided us through the processes.
Come summertime, Iwas able to go to anon-fancy summer camp where my fellowcampers andIlearnedtocanoe, shoot a bowand arrow, hand build with clay andhaveour creations fired. The point is, while growing up, Ihad the opportunity to be abeginnerona regularbasis.
Most of us do as kids.
But as adults, thatchanges. The opportunity to be abeginner doesn’tarise nearly as often as it did back in elementary or even juniorhigh school. Once most adults hit their stride and establish acareer,theyhavesettledon their hobbiesand routines. Even in whatcould be describedasa rut of adulthood,mostofusglide right alongina comfort zone. Though there areexceptions, the longermostadults stay in their comfortzones,the more intimidating the unknown becomes.Being abeginner is good forusonsomany levels. It strengthens ourhumility muscle. It reinforcesthe importance of patience, endurance and the way we can bounce back from mistakes —all traits thattendto make us betterversions of ourselves.
Starting something newhas the capacity to awaken our curiosity anddabble in the space of imperfection. Being abeginner allows us the chance to delight in the thrill of incrementalprogress, regardless of howminorthe progress maybe. It also allows us the chance to marvel at the people who do it well —tobein awe. Rabbi AbrahamJoshua Heschel wrote that, “Awe is more thananemotion; it is away of understanding, insight into a meaning greater than ourselves. The beginning of aweiswonder, andthe beginning of wisdom is awe. Aweisanintuition for the dignity of allthings, arealizationthatthings notonly are what theyare but also stand, however remotely, for something supreme. Aweisa sense for transcendence, for the reference everywhere to mystery beyond all things. It enablesustoperceive in the world intimations of the divine,tosense in small things the beginning of infinite significance, to sense the ultimate in the common andthe simple: to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal. Whatwecannot comprehend by analysis, we become awareofinawe.”
Being abeginneratalmost anything affords the opportunity for more awebecause we have an inkling as to what’sinvolvedin doing this newthing well. n Want to learnhow to throw a
ä See RISHER, page 3G
Recent artwork in progressby incarceratedyouth.
STAFF PHOTOSBYMATTHEW PERSCHALL
Artist JourneyAllen stands in front of amural at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center recently in NewOrleans.
211crisisnetwork expandsfor Louisianans
BY MARGARETDELANEY Staff writer
232-HELP is aLouisiana-based crisis and disaster hotline for Louisianans. It now serves as partof the 211 crisis network. People anywhere in Louisiana can dial 211 and be connected to resources.
Operators are trained to sort through Louisiana resources and speak to people abouttheircrisis and disasterreliefneeds: the motherwith three children about to lose their home, the elderly who can no longer afford dentalcare, the unhoused living on the street in need of shelter for astorm, the grandmother looking for food stampstofeedher grandchild.
Pierre Coleman, the call center lead for the organization, explains alittle more aboutthe nonprofit and how Louisianans canreach out to access someofthe 1,500 resources available What is 232-HELP,and what services does it provide? How is it connected to 211?
232-HELP began in 1965. It was started by Jewell andBob Lowe, who were trailblazers inthe Acadiana area, andoriginallycalled Southwest Louisiana Education and Referral Center There was avision of providing help when people are facing some sort of crisis. When Isay crisis,I don’tmean amedical emergency
We are looking at people whoare about to lose their homes —they are unhousedortheyhave they lack access to food.
Those types of crises are affecting what we consider the social determinants of health. Thisorganization began wayback to help people navigate the way to charitable organizations that were providing social services. We have been doing that for over 50 years. In 2001, 232-HELPwas giventhe 211 dialing code.
211 is an easy-to-remember number that is available nationwideinthe United States and
Canada. It is afree, confidential servicetoget accesstoresources.232-HELP is the211 service provider for Lafayette parish and nine other parishes in the Acadiana region.
This is the work that Ihave been doing —making surethat we can guide people to resources. And, if there arenoresources,wehave the ability to trackunmet needs. What arethe most common resources usedby232-HELP/211?
We make alot ofreferrals for shelter: Catholic Charities, the Outreach Center and similar organizations who are part of the continuumofcare.
In Acadiana, our partner,Second Harvest, does amazing work for people who havebeen calling about food. That’sanother big one. People have also been struggling to pay their light bills. We are all aware that there has been discussion in thepast coupleof years about the rising costs of utilities. That is aprettyconstant need that people have.
Is this service for just the Acadiana region, or does 232-HELPalsoassist other areas ofLouisiana?
The Louisiana 211 system is a very strong system, and we work extremely well together.Itdoesn’t matter where you are in the state of Louisiana.
Let’ssay someone is visiting Lafayette,but they’refromShreveport. When they call 211, they are going toget us at 232-HELP in Acadiana.Wehaveaccess to the resources in Shreveport, so we can search through those databases and find those resources. No matter whereyou arein Louisiana, you can getinformation andresources from where youreside. We do disaster work too. If you are displaced by ahurricane, we have stillhave access toarea-specific resources to connect people to. We share information on adaily basis. What happens when someonecalls 211 forhelp?
If someone dials 211, or they call our local member,within usually 60 seconds, they are going to
speak with alive agent. That live agent is trained and has ascript. When someone calls, they are going to hear: “Thank you for calling 232-HELP Louisiana. My name is Pierre. May Iask who I’mspeaking with?”
Then, usually,people kind of tell theirstory. It’stalking to an actual person. From there, active listening is taking place to see whatever situation that person is having. Once we have all that information
—and we know what that person needs —wejust need their ZIP code. That is the quintessential data point. We ask for that ZIPcode because they can put that ZIP code in the system and it will pull the resources that they canaccess. We try to find the resources that are local to that person. If we can’t find anything, we’re open and honest. We might be the experts, but
that doesn’tmean that weknow everything. It would be adisservice to the community to assume that we know everything. The magic happens once that person answersthe phone. They are just talking human to human. It’snot arobot. It’saperson that can be empathetic and just provide alistening ear above all. Calls to 211 are answered 24 hours aday,seven days aweek.
INSPIRING
Continued from page1G
mentor to Malik, pointed to a city that lacks adequateexperiencesand pathwaysfor youth togrow out of poverty
“The whole New Orleans vibe is just not kid-friendly,” he said.
While detained, Malik was away from the distractions of the streetsand doing well while enrolled at the Travis Hill school within the facility.Somuch so, thathis mom asked thejudge to allowhim to stay an additional two months to complete LEAP testing. The requestwas granted and he passed Malik participatedinthe
YoungArtistMovementDiversion program at the center, an experience thatgavehim a “clearervision of life,”and led to his continuedinvolvement with the organization on the outside
Through the program, young creatives areprovided with job andeducational opportunities wherethey can learnentrepreneurship, digital literacy
andleadership skills
Their colorfulpublic art projectscan be seen on buildings and other prominent locations across NewOrleans and represent an arrayof topics from environmental stabilitytothe harms of incarceration.
Email Joni Hess at joni.hess@ theadvocate.com
HOWYOU CANHELP: VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITIES
Continued from page1G
potona wheel? It will lead to awe.
n Want to learntoshoot afreethrow? It will lead to awe.
n Want to learntoplay the violin? It will lead to awe.
n Want to learntoidentify bird calls? It will lead to awe.
n Want to learnhow to build atable?It will lead to awe.
n Want to learntotango? It will lead to awe.
n Want to learntofold an origami crane? It will lead to awe.
n Want to learnhow to decorate a cake? It will lead to awe. Being abeginneralso encourages us to be more empathetic for others who arelearning things that come naturally to us. Empathy is as powerful as awe, which is as powerful as curiosity threevirtuesthatsimply make living better.
Trying something newonce is awonderful thing, but to getthe full benefits of beginning, go beyond the once. Try it at leastsix times—inclasses, from afriend, via YouTube, by avariety of means. Yes, beginning to learn something has its awkward moments. It’snot always fun, andchances areyou will want to quit before youreach proficiency.Considerthis the nudge to keep going. Being deliberate about creating opportunities to be abeginnerpushesus into newterritory.Wecan grow. We open ourselves up to new experiences, newpeople andnew ways of thinking. Be abeginner. Learnsomething new andkeep going. Do let me knowhow it goes. Email Jan Risherat jan.risher@theadvocate.com
EmailJan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.
LouisianaInspiredhighlightsvolunteer opportunities across south Louisiana.Ifyourorganization has specific volunteeropportunities, pleaseemail us at lainspired
@theadvocate.com with details on the volunteer opportunity,organization and the contact/registration information volunteers wouldneed
Acadiana Magnolia Kids Club,808 Jefferson St ,Lafayette, has amission toprovide free public events tothe community.These events aim to bring joyand entertainmenttofamilieswho maynot havethe means to afford such experiences.With your support, Magnolia Kids Club Inc. will continue to makea positive impactonthe communitywhile entertaining andunifyinglocal families. For volunteer opportunities, visit magnoliakidsclub.com
BatonRouge
Bridgeway Healthcare and Hospice, 4333 AmericanWay,Baton Rouge, has amission to provide individualizedcare to patients withalife-limiting illnessbyempowering the patient and family to livewith dignity and comfort.The goal is to provide supportand care throughspiritual, emotional and physical involvement.Volunteers are needed for companionship visits, community outings, cosmetologists and barbers and for sewing memorybears. Forvolunteer opportunities, visit bridgewayhospice.net.
NewOrleans
Louisiana HoopFest, 3030 HalseyAve., NewOrleans, is a2016 initiativetogiveyouths and young adults from all backgrounds the ability to develop essential life skills through afun sporting event. For volunteer opportunities, visit hoopfeststour.com.
Howdokids heal inside and outwhentheysurvive burns? Camp Catahoula is an outreach programfromBaton Rouge General.Here, kids sharetheir storiesand learncoping skills Thehealingprocess beginswhenyou realizeyou’renot alone Shellisproud to sponsor Camp Catahoula Burns areaninjurythat aremorethan skin deep.
STAFF PHOTO BY MATTHEW PERSCHALL
Artist JourneyAllen explains portions of amural at theJuvenile Justice Intervention Center recentlyinNew Orleans.
Campers, counselorsand volunteers at Camp Catahoula 2024
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