YouthMediaGuide

Youth Media Summit July 9th 2011 Columbia College Chicago Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor 11am-4pm

Youth Participation & Action Sessions For Group Facilitators:

Below are some sample talking points and discussion questions to help guide the break-out group conversation. Each room will have an Interrupter present, and a recorder should be chosen to record the conversation on the post-it note pad in the room. These will be collected at the end.

Give the ground rules • Respect each person’s voice • Ask that each participant listen to each person fully before replying • There are no right nor wrong answers Share some statistics •

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In 2009, 7.2 million Americans—or 3.1 percent of all adults—were under the jurisdiction of the US corrections system, including 1.6 million Americans incarcerated in a state or federal prison. Of that population, nearly 40 percent were black, even though blacks make up only 13 percent of the American population. Blacks were six times as likely to be in prison as whites, and three times as likely as Hispanics. For some perspective, consider what author of The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander wrote last year: "There are more African Americans under correctional control today—in prison or jail, on probation or parole—than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began."

Nationwide, the unemployment rate for black workers at 16.2 percent is almost double the 9.1 percent rate for the rest of the population. And it's twice the 8 percent white jobless rate.

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Nearly half of black teenagers in Illinois are unemployed. In Chicago the number is even worse: 89 percent don't have work. A stagnant economy, under-resourced communities and lack of opportunities are all factors. Not getting work skills at an early age can be an economic disadvantage for a lifetime.

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According to the Children’s Defense Fund, a child or teen is killed by a firearm nearly every three hours—almost eight a day.

Gun violence touches every demographic but it's felt most deeply in impoverished communities of color, where rates of shootings and incarceration are disproportionately higher.

For twenty-five years, homicide has been the leading cause of death among Black males 15–34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has analyzed data up to 2005.

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Reaffirm their voices • Today is about you. Today is about listening to youth voices and talking about the actions that you are taking, or want to take, to make your own lives and communities healthier and secure.

• As adult allies we want to help you make a difference in the world, you care about your communities and the people who live in them.

• Thank them for their attentiveness and open by gaining some first impressions from the film (scenes, quotes, subjects).

Campaign Background: The Interrupters Engagement Campaign‘s objective is clear: to further efforts that reframe urban violence from a moral issue to a social and economic issue, and to support community efforts to understand that violence can be reduced and that everyone can be an “interrupter” in their own community as mentors, entrepreneurs, advocates, volunteers and educators.

Discussion Questions: • • • • • • • • •

After seeing The Interrupters what scenes most resonate with you, and why?

According to the Chicago Police Department, Chicago gun violence is decreasing, does it feel safer in your community?

Who should see this film? How do you think they should see it? (schools, churches, homes? ) What actions do you think as media makers you can make to reframe this issue Tell us your story and what brought you to this youth media summit?

What are some of your experiences with violence?

What actions can youth take to reduce the violence and animosity in schools and on the blocks in your communities?

How do you think that the web and new media tools can be helpful to connect youth and young adults around these issues?

Would a digital remembrance wall be something that you think would engage young people?

*Feel free to allow the conversation to grow organically as well.

We hope from these discussions each group will create a list of ways the film can be used in their communities – via screenings, digital networks, and television to help start conversation and make change.

The overall goals of the Interrupter engagement campaign are to: 1. Reframe the national conversation on urban violence away from a moral issue to a larger economic and social-justice issue; 2. Help Americans understand the social and economic conditions that feed a cycle of violence; 3. Help viewers understand that violence can be reduced and that everyone can be an “interrupter” in their own community as mentors, entrepreneurs, advocates, volunteers and educators; 4. Raise the visibility of successful prevention initiatives and the need for increased resources for innovative efforts in neighborhoods plagued with violence; 5. Engage young people (particularly African American and Latino youth) in reflection, critical thinking and discussion around the social factors that foment violence, and offer practical strategies to stop the cycle of violence in their schools and neighborhoods.

After the Summit: We will: - Follow up with each youth media group - Add your email address to The Interrupters mailing list - Keep you updated via the mailing list, the facebook group and twitter about the progress of the campaign - Reach out to involve youth in future events and screeningsas possible moderators, panelists, etc.

- Use the input you’ve shared with us today to help guide the campaign in Chicago and nationwide to better help youth who are dealing with violence in their communities every day.

- Work on ways to feature your media work and give it a broader audience as a part of the campaign.

You can: - Tell your family and friends about the film - Please stay active in the campaign via facebook and twitter - Email us ideas and suggestions for the film and the campaign - Continue doing the great work you’re doing everyday in your schools, families and communities.

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Facebook campaign group: theinterruptercampaign@groups.facebook.com Twitter @theinterrupters and #youthinterrupters Facebook film page: www.facebook.com/Interrupters Film website: www. interrupters.kartemquin.com Kartemquin website: www.kartemquin.com

Made Possible with support from:

Hosting Partner:

And participating support from:

With donations from:

The goals of the Interrupters Engagement Campaign are:

1. Reframe the national conversation on urban violence away from a moral issue to a larger economic and social-justice issue; 2. Help Americans understand the social and economic conditions that feed a cycle of violence; 3. Help viewers understand that violence can be reduced and that everyone can be an “interrupter” in their own community as mentors, entrepreneurs, advocates, volunteers and educators; 4. Raise the visibility of successful prevention initiatives and the need for increased resources for innovative efforts in neighborhoods plagued with violence; 5. Engage young people (particularly African American and Latino youth) in reflection, critical thinking and discussion around the social factors that foment violence, and offer practical strategies to stop the cycle of violence in their schools and neighborhoods.

List of Participants Contacts www.betterboys.org www.nlcn.org www.columbialinks.org www.cfwchicago.org www.ctvnetwork.org www.freespiritmedia.org www.openyouthnetworks.org www.swyc.org www.truestarfoundation.org www.wethepeoplemedia.org