Hear me speak.... | youthfulvoicespeakng

I am young, Hear Me Speak my Truth

(The following pages of "I am young, Hear me Speak my Truth" represent countless hours of expressions, homework questions and reflection from inner city kids participating in an after school program for "at-risk-youth." These writings capture their authentic voices and thoughts.)

Homework:

Look at your society today from your eyes. What makes you unhappy about your society. Five years down the road what do you think your society will look like?

In five years my society will look like me in the University of Oregon playing Division One football. In five years I should be a man with two years of college ready to become apart of the NFL. With time that I have now as a minor I think about my future to become a better person to be more of a man. A lot of people told me that I will never have be an athlete im slow and weak but really I was getting better fighting for a skull until I made horable choices then made myself a leader. Power to the People.

Kwami

6/26/12 Homework:

Define Respect- Regard for appreciation of worth; honor and esteem. I should get respect because I’ a really cool person and because I don’t disrespect others. I should give others respect because in order for me to get respect I have to give it.

Local: There was another legal setback Tuesday morning for the man charges

with assaulting a priest he claims molested him and his brother when they were children. The main man’s attorney asked for a mistrial but it was denied. The man is on trial for felony assault. He is accused of beating a priest who he says repeatedly raped him.

Donald

Local: Unknown date.

A cat from the Bay area was found at a parking lot in another state. It was returned to its owner 220 miles away by a ID and tracking device. The owner lived in California. The officer said that the cat was 2 years old and was found in a parking lot.

Homework:

The accomplishment I’m proud of is I’m in high school for the first time.
The only person I admire is my older brother.
I admire my brother because he watch over me and supervise me how to stay in school and go to college.

Christie

05/15/13

Political:

This year was an brutaly beating on 77th and Bandcroft in broad daylight. A female was getting jumped by two other males but not only that, the fight wasn’t broken up from any male witness. I had to walk away from the scene because it was sad to see that and I pictured my mom n sister in that situation. I know for a fact males know right from wrong and how to keep their hands to their selfs unless self defense but other wise women beaters aint cool because it makes you look bad and that’s what you can be known for. Two hours later I was sent that way to run an aron and I looked on the sidewalk were the scene was and was a small puddle of blood.

Homework:

To me the program means that its helping me decrease my reading and writing to let me know how good I can read and also to me it means my elders care about. The program helped me not fear a crowd to speak in front of and made me a smarter and more educated.