Growing up in East Oakland, Dre Johnson, "the violence and crimes that go on, you don't talk about. You're just not supposed to name names, you're not supposed to say shit out loud.” He says his spoken word allowed him to express his feelings about "how the shit went down.” Poetry became one of the few ways he saw to address some hard experiences.
Some of Jill’s students have terminal conditions, which affects her deeply. “I get incredibly emotional," she said. "There is often all sorts of other things going on in the family. You’re in their house. You get very involved with these kids. I had a student who was getting dialysis six days a week, and there were four other sons. I couldn’t help but try to do all sorts of things. I bought groceries, helped with their other kids.” Jill often finds herself offering comfort to the family. “The mothers cry, and I cry. A lot of students are dealing not only with being ill, they feel like they’re being punished. And the parents often feel so guilty, feeling ‘how come I, as a mother, couldn’t have prevented this?’”
I have lived in this community for over 20 years, and I have definitely seen many changes over time that do not aid in improving the health of my neighborhood. For example, over the last year, there has been a rash of break-ins and robberies. In one instance, a family was at home when would-be robbers tried to kick their door in.
It seems that if you’re not killed by a cop, you’re a just a garden variety homicide victim. People don’t get too upset. You might get an impromptu curbside memorial. The local TV news might mention the killing in passing. And then, the victim of the day will be forgotten until the next man, woman, or child gets shot and killed. People seem to get up in arms only if a cop does the killing, à la Oscar Grant or Alan Blueford. If it’s black on black, it’s business as usual. But if it’s cop on black - oh, damn, it’s on!
Bishop Williams says his movement is asking for "$21 billion per year from Congress each year from now on to build and rebuild for us homes, businesses, schools and all the things we need throughout the community." That is a tall order!
For two soul-filled hours, the audience is treated to the raw talent that each and ever singer possesses. Each act brings to the stage their passion for helping others and for singing. The energy is infectious as the singers lead the near capacity crowd in rock, R&B, and jazz songs. With their voices, the singers unify the audience in song, and in the spirit of giving.
