Word On The Street Summer 2014
2014 Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation Participants Aliyah Fard, Kiana English, Kamal King, Tyrell James, Kennon Baldwin Jr., Shoghi King and Kiahn Martinez
Photo by Lens of Ansar
Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation 2014 Summer Journalism Program and Camp is talking about...
sports, culture, gangs, international affairs, marijuana, sex, rape, careers and journalism!
Befriending the Body A 10-week, trauma-sensitive yoga class Participants learn how to: i
Listen to their body
i
Make healthy choices based on signals from their body
Designed to offer youth an opportunity to master the music genre of jazz and gain valuable leadership skills
i
Develop centering techniques
i
(Re)-Establish a connection with self and others For more information:
To schedule an audition for students grades 6 g 12 For the 2014/15 Season contact Music Director, Jeffrey Young at 720.334.7408 or j251bone@msn.com
303-860-0660 (English) 303-718-8289 (Spanish) admin@denvervictims.org www.denvervictims.org
most open
$
5
20pc
hours
20 wins in a row
Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation: A Full Journalistic Experience By Aliyah Fard
Over the past couple weeks, seven students attended a print and digital journalism camp organized by the Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation. This year’s participants, ranging in age from 12 to 16, want to achieve big things in our futures, whether that’s pursuing the journalism field, or becoming leaders, activists or athletes. The camp was created by Rosalind J. Harris, publisher of the Denver Urban Spectrum, in 2001. She organized camps for many summers and then took a break for a few years. This year was the first year since 2007 that the camp was brought back, with lots of new hands-on learning opportunities to match the changing journalism field and the digital age. Our goal is to find and write about diverse topics and issues that are currently playing a big role in our lives, through our perspectives as teenagers. We went on many fun and exciting field trips, such as to the Denver Post to meet the editor Greg Moore, the Denver Mayor’s State of the City Address at the Denver Art Museum, the Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library, and Pioneer Printing and Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming. We have had guest speakers come and talk to us about their professions and how to be successful in any career field. As we continue to write our articles, we are learning how to take photographs, produce a news magazine and promote our stories on Facebook and a Wordpress blog. We are learning how news magazines make their money back through ads, and how to work with layout to make the news magazine look good. About the contributor: Aliyah Fard is... Read more about Aliyah at the end of her story about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Dear Readers,
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek� –Barack Obama
I think this is what sums up who we are as a group. We all have a strong feeling about what we want in our future and we are willing to make the change. I am lucky to be writing this letter for our news also called Word on the Street. Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation is a program for children from the ages 13-17 who learn about journalism and at the end put together a newspaper for you the readers. Our mission is to put out a teens perspective on issues that we feel our relevant to us. We hope by reading Word on the Street you realize that youth has a voice and it needs to be heard. We will be talking about different issues. We will have experienced journalist Aliyah Fard talking about the conflict that is going on in Palestine/Israel. Our energetic Kennon will be talking about the time changes of teenage life. Ty James will be talking about the conflict of weed.Kihan will be talking about the steps to take to get into sports and scholarship and also we have a personal look with his grandfather. Kamal is talking about the conflicts in Denver gang. Shoghi will be talking about being Black in a little “country� town. Hopefully you enjoy “Word on the Street.� Kiana English Editor
Special thanks to
Mayor Michael B. Hancock, City of Denver Dr. Dedrick Sims Sims Fayola Academy Greg Moor, Denver Post Kristy Bassuener, Denver Art Museum Jackie Berz, McDonalds
Kennon Balwin, Jr. Reporter Photograper
Kiana English
Editor Reporter Photograper Graphic Design Ad Sales
Community Leaders
Camp Leaders
Councilman Chris Herndon Andrea Mosby Omar Montgomery Imani Latif Chandra Thomas Dr. Godfrey Fuji Noe Malik Sisk
Aliyah Fard
Reporter Photograper
Tyrell James
Reporter Photograper Ad Sales
Rosalind “Bee� Harris Tanya Ishikawa Lorenzo Dawkins Yolanda Jones Lawrence James Brother Ansar
Kamal King
Reporter Photograper Ad Sales
Reporter Photograper Ad Sales
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Shoghi King
Kiahn Marinez
Reporter Photograper
Acknowledgements
Baymont Suites African Grill & Bar Flava Restaurant Ken Sherod, Pioneer Printing Cheyenne Frontier Days
Tanya Ishikawa Program Organizer
Rosalind “Bee� Harris Program Organizer
1000 Words from the Office of Greg Moore
Denver Post Editor Takes a Seat With Urban Spectrum Campers
Left to Right: Shoghi King, Tyrell James, Kiahn Martinez, Kamal King, Aliyah Fard, Kennon Baldwin, Jr. and Kiana English with Denver Post Editor Greg Moore Photo by Lens of Ansar
The Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation participants had the honor of getting to sit down with Denver Post Editor Greg Moore on July 15. When walking in, we could tell he was a very humble man and very eager to talk to us about his life and his experiences as a Denver Post Editor. Kamal King: Gregory Moore talked about journalism and he said that he has been working in the Denver Post for 12 years. He first worked in the Journal-Herald in Dayton, Ohio where he worked as a reporter covering crime, education, politics, and government. He also spent six years at The Plain Dealer where he began his editing career. He told us he was at the Boston Globe before coming to Denver. I researched online and found out that at the Boston Globe, Moore started as the senior editor in charge of criminal justice and courts coverage. He was named city editor and became the assistant managing editor for local news and coverage for Boston. He was promoted to deputy managing editor and was named managing editor. He supervised the newspaper’s coverage of the September 11th terrorists attacks, an abortion clinic shooting rampage, the racially charged Charles Stuart murder case, and Nelson Mandela’s visit to Boston. According to wikipedia.org, Moore is the founding member of the Cleveland chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and a former member of the NABJ board. For six years he served on the board of directors of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and he has been an instructor at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and the American Press Institute. He joined the Denver Post in 2002 and he managed the biggest breaking news to occur in Colorado. When we visited Moore at his office at the Denver Post, I asked him about why he had that picture showing Barack and Michelle Obama as terrorists. He said that he didn’t like that the New Yorker cartoonist
showed the American President and First Lady as terrorists. He also kept a cartoon that showed the New Yorker mascot punched in the eye by Barack and he thought it was funny. Ty James: As I walked into this huge office, I was welcomed by this tall dark-skinned man that looked like Martin Lawrence. Meeting Greg Moore was an honor and fun; I got a lot of great advice from him. One thing that I learned and will always stay in my mind is: “Hard work is like a duck on water.” What he meant was when you see a duck on water, it looks like his life is great, and no hard work is being done. However, under the water, all this hard work is being done. The feet are moving fast, water is catching at the feet as he’s moving, and he’s making it happen. It’s a great lesson in life. Kennon Baldwin: The trip to The Denver Post was phenomenal; I enjoyed it to the fullest. Greg Moore is an outstanding role model and I was blessed to get to meet him. Moore is a successful father, husband and leader. After about 10 minutes of conversation, I realized that he had a great mind and a vision for the future. One thing that stood out to me was when he talked about how Muhammad Ali was his hero. He believes that since Ali was really good at what he did that “He had the freedom to say what he believed.” What I got out of his response was: anything you decide to do in life, go for the gusto. Make everything you do in life something to be proud of. Like he said, “Tt costs to be the boss.” I am very thankful to Greg Moore for welcoming us to interview him. It was an outstanding opportunity. Kiahn Martinez: Greg Moore has been collecting books since he was 10 years old. His hero was Muhammad Ali, who he met him many, many times. Moore said you should experiment with different things until you find something you like. Pick something that you can be an expert at.
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Rappers spend hours and hours in the studio and they read books and watch movies to find more knowledge. That tells you that nothing is easy in life. I think the most important thing that Moore said was that everyone should be like a duck on water; you want it to look easy but work hard all the time. Kiana English: Walking into Greg Moore’s office, my first thought was ‘Wow, this is where I want to be. A powerful Black man has this whole office to himself.’ As a young Black woman who goes to a predominantly white school and has been in predominantly white places my whole life, it was surprising to know a Black man ran the Denver Post. To me, that was the most inspiring thing I have ever seen. Seeing a Black man being sucBy Aliyah Fard cessful in something other than a sport and not being a rapper – that is what we as African The television shows a lot of news about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. The reporters cover the vioAmericans need to see, espelence and protests going on in a place that some call Palestine, others call Israel. cially in this generation. Moore is probably one of the There are so many factors in this conflict that make it so complicated to understand. To understand the core most humble people you of the conflict, it’s important to know the basic facts of who is involved and what the fighting is all about. will ever meet. Basically, two groups of people are involved in the conflict, Palestinians and Israelis. A Palestinian is someone Answering the question: Do you identify yourself as who was born in Palestine, or has ties to that land. An Israeli is someone who was born in Israel, or has a special your job, as an editor? connection to that land. Moore said, “No.” He conThe origin of their fighting starts back after World War II and the Holocaust ended in 1945. European Jews needsiders himself a family man, a Christian and so ed a place to live. Israel was seen as a safe haven for them and a place where they could try to overcome the crisis much more then his title. that happened to their people. The international community allowed the Jews to move into Israel. However, at that Shoghi King: Since time, Palestinians were already occupying that land, and had been living there for a very long time, calling it Greg Moore was a kid he wanted to do many differPalestine. ent things from a boxer What happens when you build a refuge for a group of people in a place where another group of people already to an astronaut. He said lives? This is the core of the conflict. As the years have gone on, conflict kept building and just in the past two weeks his co-worker dared him to jump out of a plane so there has been so much violence and many people have been killed. In mid-July, it was recorded that more than he tried to do it and he 250 Palestinians and about 13 Israelis were killed from a war that was prompted by the killing of four Israeli said it was the best thing youth. he ever did. He liked it so much, he wanted his wife Many Palestinians are not angry about the fighting, but about the fact that many innocent civilians are being to experience sky diving. He targeted and most happen to be Palestinian. As a result of the killings, many people from Palestine and many blindfolded his wife and other different countries have started protests to try to stop the violence. drove her to the airport so he could surprise her. Though As of the writing of this story, there is no conclusion to this conflict, and we don’t know when it is she didn’t want to do it, he going to be resolved – if it can be resolved. This issue is ongoing and there are many new discoveries made her do it and she really and conclusions everyday. liked it, too. Moore’s idol is Muhammad Ali because he is the best Black About the contributor: Aliyah Fard is 14 years old and will be a freshman this year at boxer. Moore told us: do what you Colorado Academy. Some of Aliyah's goals are to become a lawyer or a journalist. This is love, take risks and don’t be afraid of doing something that you love. Aliyah's first year being in USYF, and she enjoys writing about recent topics that affect In order to be a good writer for a many people and topics most people don't know about or don't fully undernews magazine, Moore said that you stand. Aliyah feels that if people know what's going on, we can all come must write about what you know. He also stressed that you must write simply, and not together and make a change. Aliyah wants to make sure that the next uses very complex grammar. Lastly, he told us four years of high school are the best ever. to be passionate about what we write about. He said since you are in the Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation journalism program, you can work here when you’re grown. He said it is pretty hard working at the Denver Post, but he loves it. I am impressed that he said we can work there when we graduate from college. I think that is a good opportunity and I plan on doing it.
Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
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Denver’s Gang Activity – A Constant Threat By Kamal King
“Thirty years ago, Denver had about 200 gang members, and now there are over 20,000 people in the Denver gangs,” said Reverend Leon Kelley, one of Colorado’s leading authorities on gangs and gang violence. “There are Asian gangs, Black gangs, Hispanic gangs, White supremacist gangs, and the Crips and Bloods.” Gangs have continued to be a presence in Denver, since street gang activity received statewide attention in 1993 during the “summer of violence”. That first major season of increased public awareness of gang-related violence in Colorado led the state to enact penalties for crime by juveniles. Denver had 331 murders from 1992 to 1995, many allegedly due to gang activity. In 2001, news reports estimated 11,700 Chicano gang members were in the city. They belonged to 160 gangs. In 2003, news reports estimated 14,000 gang members in Denver were affiliated with 220 gangs. The Crips and Bloods were among the first well-known groups in the city. Violent crime has been a constant consequence of gang activity. A boy was paralyzed in a gang-related shooting in 2005. There is also a gang known as the Gallant Knights who were responsible for crack cocaine and firearms trafficking, homicides, drive-by shootings, aggravated assaults, home invasions, and robberies in Denver. On New Year’s Day 2007, there was a drive-by shooting of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams by members of the Tre Tre Crips, an East Denver street gang. Another gang called the North Side Mafia has been involved in various criminal activities such as homicide, robberies, and drug trafficking. A gang originating out of Los Angeles called The Eighteenth Street Surenos has a large presence in Denver because of probation problems in southern California. In recent years, Denver’s gang activity expanded to the surrounding cities of Aurora, Commerce City, Edgewater, Lakewood, Sheridan, Twin Lakes, Sherrelwood, Thornton, and Federal Heights. Gangs are in all areas of Denver except for the neighborhood of Cherry Hills, according to Rev. Kelly.
“There are almost 20 drive-by shootings a week. There are roughly a thousand drive-by shootings per year. People are not doing enough to help stop these gangs,” he said. Kelly is the founder and serves as the executive director of Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives, the oldest anti-gang program in existence in the Denver metropolitan area. Touted as a one-of-a-kind agency, founded in 1986, it is a nonprofit and non-law enforcement agency with the sole mission of curbing gang recruitment and reducing street gang violence. Kelly draws from his personal experiences, dedication and faith to act as an agent of change for the community. Still, an episode called “Mile High Killers” of the television program Gangland reported that Denver’s gang violence rose in 2014 by 35 percent. The episode also featured other social service groups engaged in discouraging young people from becoming involved with gangs. The Gang Reduction Initiative of Denver (GRID) is a comprehensive plan for reducing gang violence through suppression, intervention and prevention strategies. The GRID program is targeted towards gang members as well as youth at risk of gang involvement in 10 neighborhoods throughout Denver. Kelly said the work to stop gang activity in Denver is an overwhelming task that is hidden from much of the community. He is committed to continuing that work. He holds events throughout the year to bring attention to the issue and raise money to support positive activities help youth avoid and get out of gangs. His next large fundraising event will be in October. For more information, go to http://opendooryouth.org. Editor’s note: Much online research contributed to this article. Due to time limitations in the journalism camp, exact website references were not available by the print deadline. About the contributor: Kamal King is 14 years of age. He has lived in Buena Vista, Colorado for the past couple years, and is moving to San Diego, California on July 27. He wants to be a news reporter or broadcaster when he grows up. His favorite sports are soccer and basketball. His favorite animal is a chameleon.
Is Weed Helpful or Worsem’? Coloradoans Face New Era of Cannabis Access Has weed (cannabis, marijuana) ever helped one of you family members, close friends, or even you? Did you know it can? The TV news and newspaper articles are filled with stories about children and adults having heart attacks, seizures and other health issues, who start to take weed because it is helps their bodies function or feel better. Wanda James is one cannabis activist who writes a column for the Denver Urban Spectrum. She provides a lot of fact-based information about weed. Medicinal Uses James tells the story of Paige Figi, a mother who speaks out on why she thinks that weed is good. She is pro-cannabis because her daughter was having 900 seizures a month and not one medicine worked. But, when she tried medical marijuana, the seizures went down to two or three a month. Figi’s daughter, who is named Charlotte, became the inspiration for Charlotte’s Web Cannabis Oil, a medicinal marijuana derivative. Popular Culture Many musicians openly sing about the topic of weed.
Rick James sings at least two songs about it: “Lets Get Blown” and “Mary Jane”. Other music artists who are very open about smoking weed are Bob Marley, Louis Armstrong and Snoop Dog. If singers and rappers can make music about smoking, why do we make it such a big deal? Industrial Hemp Industrial hemp is one variety of cannabis. Hemp has less THC, the part of cannabis that makes you high. Hemp and its seeds can be used as food. Hemp provides nutrition and good protein because of the cannabis oil. Different foods that hemp can be found in are a milk substitute, Japanese seasoning and beer. Hemp can be used in clothing, also. When Levi’s first came out, they used hemp to produce their jeans. About the contributors: Kiana English is an 11th grader at Denver School of the Arts. You can see the rest of her biography at the end of her article about Rape Culture. Ty James is an 11th grader and h is 16 years old. He USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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By Kiana English & Ty James
plays basketball, football, and runs track. Ty hopes to go to Texas Tech University or Michigan University. Being a sports therapist, sports agent, or a college coach catches his interest as a career.
Rape Culture: Slut Shaming has Become Victim Blaming By Kiana English
Last year, Chesca Leigh was celebrating her 18th birthday with her best friend by going to see a concert. While leaving the concert, she explains, she was beyond drunk and stumbling out. “I completely blacked out. I didn’t know I had sex until the morning came.” She remembers waking up and her friend telling her how much of a slut she was. This is what is called an example of “rape culture”. Rape culture is when the victim is blamed for their own rape because of the circumstances that they were in, such as drinking or wearing something tight that led to their rape. Leading Denver feminist Keely Kritz says, “Rape culture is the overwhelming reality we live in where women are treated as sexual objects more often than they are respected as human beings.” According to the New York Times, one out of six women have been raped. But what counts as rape? If you look up the word rape on Dictionary.com it says “the unlawful compelling of a person through physical force or duress to have sexual intercourse.” In this definition it says nothing about it not counting as rape if the girl was to drunk or was slutty. Still, those are reasons brought up in court about why rape really didn’t happen. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), 97 out of 100 rapists get to walk away with no punishment. Rape culture could be to blame. Keely adds, “Women are afraid to go to the police because of the fact they are afraid they will be labeled as a slut because of fact that as a society we have been blaming the victim instead of the actual rapist. The same reason why 3 percent of rapists go to jail. Women need to feel safe and our justice system today isn’t cutting it.” When asked if she thinks rape culture affects men, she states that men will never be oppressed by rape culture.
Some people are trying to stop rape culture. Slutwalk is a group of women from around the world who come to different places and protest the idea of rape culture. They decided that being blamed for their own rape is not acceptable and they won’t take it anymore. Denver’s branch of Slutwalk had their annual demonstration at the Civic Center on July 21. Many people hope that education and political action like Slutwalk’s will end rape culture and the blame game. Keely says she wants rape culture to end so “Women and girls feel safer in their everyday lives and aren’t objectified constantly.” About the contributor: Kiana English is an 11th grader at Denver School of the Arts. This is her first year being a part of USYF. Hopefully she plans to attend Langston University and major in communications. Kiana loves to write about topics that are debatable and people find hard to talk about. Her dream career is to have her own radio show and hopefully become a talk show host.
Talking Sex With Teens: High Schoolers Get Personal By Kiana English and Ty James
Talking about sex has always been an uncomfortable topic between adults and children. When adults talk about sex, they usually say, “Don’t do it because it is unsafe and you will get pregnant or you will get a STD.” Not a lot of people talk about the emotional side of sex. Hannah Long has had the same boyfriend for four years. She lost her virginity to him when she was really young. They are still together in a relationship. When talking about her feelings before and after having sex with someone she loves, Long said, “Before, I was very overwhelmed and just in the moment but also very excited because I never experienced this before, and I was just ready because it was a groundbreaking moment for me and him. My after feeling was: am I pregnant? (laughs) I was wondering will there be a next time?” She is overall content with the fact that she has had sex with a person she is in love with. When asked the popular question: When are you ready to have sex? Hannah Long explained, “I feel like it matters who you are as a person. I think we are all different and some of us can handle different situations better.” When asked why some girls give sex to get a guy’s attention, 11th grader Anastacia J. said, “Girls can do it for numerous reasons. For revenge, to feel appreciated.” Her classmate, Jarion Hamm added, “It could be just the insecurities that a female can have. It just depends on who the guy is and what he is to her.” About the contributors: Kiana English loves to write about topics that are debatable and people find hard to talk about. Read more of her biography after her article on Rape Culture. Ty James is an 11th grader and is 16 years old. He plays basketball, football, and runs track. Ty hopes to go to Texas Tech University or Michigan University. Being a sports therapist, sports agent, or a college coach catches his interest as a career. USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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Photo by Kennon Baldwin, Jr.
Photo by Shoghi King
Photo by Kiana English
usyf snapchats
Photo by Tyrell James Photo by Kamal King
Photo by Lorenzo Dawkins
Photo by Kiahn Martinez
Back Kenn
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Photo by Tyrell James
Photo by Kennon Baldwin, Jr.
kground photo by non Baldwin, Jr.
Photo by Kiahn Martinez
Photo by Kamal King
The photo class was taught to us by Lorenzo Dawkins, pictured above in the photo by Kiahn Martinez . We as a class learned a lot about the importance of basic photography and video design techniques. We would all like to thank Mr.Dawkins for all his help as not only a teacher but someone we would call a friend. -Kiana English, Editor USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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Football Scholarships – A Way To Get High Schoolers Into College By Kiahn Martinez
Sports scholarships are a big part of high school. Sports are a way that players can show their talents and get to college. A common sport for scholarships is football. A lot of kids want to play and go professional for football. Many Americans think football is a great sport. Former NFL player and CFL (Canadian Football League) great Vince Phason, who was also an Arizona Wildcat, has a few positive words to say about scholarships. Kiahn Martinez: Were you on a scholarship or were you a walk on? Vince Phason: Scholarship. KM: How did you progress in football?? VP: Always doing something in sports. Mostly football, basketball,
and track. Good coaches, they pushed me really hard. KM: Has the sport changed over the years? If it has, how? VP: Yes. The players now are bigger, stronger, and faster. That goes to all the players. KM: Is there a certain way athletes should take care of their bodies? VP: Have a good diet and get plenty of rest. Stay away from drugs and alcohol. Also, train hard!!
Moving To A Country Town
KM: How many schools did you get scholarships from?? VM: It’s not scholarships; it’s letters. I had seven to eight letters. (seven or eight colleges wanted him to play football) KM: Did you play any other sports?? VM: Yes, played football, of course basketball, and ran track. Played baseball when I was younger. KM: What position did you play in all your sports? VM: Football: running back and cornerback. Basketball: forward and guard. Track: sprinter and hurdler. KM: What college did you attend? VM: University of Arizona. KM: Did you play all four years at Arizona?? VM: Yes. Freshman year, I
My Experiences Going from San Jose to Buena Vista
played running back. The rest of my career, I played cornerback. KM: Do you have any advice for high school players?? VM: Let the players know to do their best at whatever they’re doing. You can get scholarships without playing sports. Continue to work hard to achieve your goals. The scholarships will come as long as you don’t lose sight of your goals or what you want to achieve. If you don’t receive any scholarships there are many other ways to get into college. Last, keep those dreams alive!!! About the contributor: Kiahn Martinez is 13 years old. He is an eighth grader at Sims Fayola International Academy. He wants to go play football at the University of Southern California or the University of Arizona.
I tried to join other clubs and groups, but in the end, I experienced a lot of racism in my neighborhood and at my school. At the time, we were the By Shoghi King only Black family in the whole town. I was in Boy Scouts and nobody there was friendly, and in the camp all we had to do the whole day was tie knots. Some people say if somebody gives you lemons you make lemonade. Since coming to Buena Vista, a few Black families have began to migrate Unfortunately, that did not happen when we moved to a country town in here. An African-American girl named Alexis, who just moved from Indiana Colorado. and was adopted by a white family, said while she likes Buena Vista, her Before moving to Colorado, I lived in San Jose, California for five years, neighbors are not friendly and she has had a hard time making friends. where I became accustomed to seeing people of many ethnic and racial Alexis wears long braids and one of the problems that she told me she will backgrounds. Although there were not many African Americans in San Jose, face is that no one in Buena Vista can braid hair. The closest place for her I still had the opportunity go to many events that celebrated my culture to get her hair braided is either in Colorado Springs or Denver. including music, fashion and faith-based events. Another African-American friend named Isaiah who relocatI love big cities because there are more things to do ed to Buena Vista voiced the same concerns. He stated than in smaller cities. For example, when I had a that his neighbors were not friendly and that his Urban Spectrum craving for soul food, it was easy to find a soul family was never given a warm welcome into the Youth Foundation food restaurant in San Jose or nearby cities neighborhood. Isaiah said, “In almost every writer Shoghi King like Oakland and San Francisco. Also, I had neighborhood my family has moved into, we (right) with his friend the opportunity to see Black musicians and were given a pie or plant, but here, we from Buena Vista, Alexis. popular hip hop artists whenever I wanted received nothing. This is how it has been and to. There were many Black radio stations it will not change.” that I could listen to, so I was aware of all of After being in Buena Vista for two years, the trends in music. Another thing that I liked while it has been a challenge to live here, I have was that I could always get a haircut at a Black the following advice for African-American youth barbershop when I needed one. who may end up moving to a small town in the near That all changed when my father got hired as a dean at future: Colorado Mountain College in Buena Vista, Colorado. I didn’t have a good • Get involved in as many things as you can – you might find something you feeling about moving to a country town like Buena Vista, but I tried to keep like to do and at least you can stay busy. a positive attitude and hoped that I would enjoy my new home. On the day • Be friendly even if they make fun of Black people. If you are unfriendly we arrived in Buena Vista, I thought it would be great because for the first back, you can get in trouble. Always stay positive and others will have more time, we could ride our bikes all over the place, and not worry about getting reason to like you. into trouble. But over time, I began to hate living in a small town because • Try to find a diverse group of people that you can reach out to – you’ll there was absolutely no diversity. I was the only Black in my class, and it eventually find some people that can become your friends. was very hard to make friends. USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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TEEN PERSPECTIVE: Change in Generations By Kennon Baldwin As a teen, I’ve noticed changes that have happened in just two generations have been good in some ways but bad in other ways. On one hand, there is not as mush poverty as in previous generations, and on the other hand, there is far more gang activity. In the ‘70s, people were really worried about being drafted into the military. Now we have to worry about being drafted in a gang or clique. There was a story my mom told me about a bet with her friends. They had a bet about who
was going to have a baby last. I thought it funny because now I’ve heard our generation of girls betting about STDs and who would get them last. Our parents fashion in my opinion was weird. They wore stuff like: Converse shoes, Jelly bracelets, big sweaters and tights, bright colors, Wayfarer sunglasses, and platform shoes. Now we wear: cargos, Levi’s, hoodies, leggings, HUF socks, and Uggs. Another difference is our social skills. In previous generations, they did not have TV, video games, computers, and internet, so they weren’t exposed to all the different languages, but they did have slang as we do now. It has changed a lot. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, they had slang terms like: “Awesome” – used to explain something that is great
“Dude” – another name for your friend “Rad” – a shortened word for radical “As if” – used to say I’d rather not. In my generation, we use terms like: “Or nah” – used to say I’d rather not “Bro/Sis” – another name for a friend, boy/girl “To flex” – to fight “FUFU” – used to call someone fake or soft. One thing my mom always tells me, that has always stuck with me, is: “Time changes but people don’t.” I believe that is still true today. About the contributor: Kennon Baldwin is 15. I can dance, rap, step and act, and have won many talent competitions. I play basketball and football. After high school, I plan to major in aerospace engineering and minor in performing arts. God is my life and I’ll live life to the fullest.
Lost Your Joy? Find it again at the United Church of Montbello! Come as you are and get connected to your best self through great fellowship and the love of Jesus Christ! Sunday Worship: 8:00am (Traditional) and 10:30am (Gospel) Sunday School: 9:30 am • For Children,Youth, and Adult Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00pm
Rev. Dr. James E. Fouther, Jr., Pastor 4879 Crown Blvd., Denver, CO 80239 303-373-0070 http://ucm.ctsmemberconnect.net Friend us on Facebook!
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Community Leaders with USYF Campers
USYF Campers meet Mayor Michael B. Hancock,
Police Chief Robert White,
Sheriff Gary Wilson & Cleo Parker Robinson
State of the City
Photos by
Lorenzo Dawkins and Yolanda Jones USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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Congratulations to
Shoghi and Kamal
Love
Aunt Totsie and Momsie USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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Congratulations
to
Kamal and
Shoghi from
Uncle Dubois (Dr. Eduward Dubois King) USYF Word on the Street – Summer 2014
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Congratulations to the 2014 Urban Spectrum Youth Foundation 2014 Summer Journalism Program and Camp Participants:
Aliyah Fard, Kiana English, Kamal King, Tyrell James, Kennon Baldwin Jr., Shoghi King and Kiahn Martinez
Vocalist Actress,
Producer and Educator
Performing Tuesdays at the Climax Lounge in Denver. For more information visit lindatheus-lee.wix.com/linda, call 303-880-6338 email lindatheuslee@msn.com
Linda Theus Lee
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PERSEVERE HOPE M EA
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Nowling! l o r En HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op is a public, free, non-profit K-12 charter school dedicated to helping you succeed. HOPE has Learning Centers in neighborhoods across Colorado. Enrollment is open now. Join us!