Two weeks ago, I went back to my old neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, to support the launch of the pilot program of the national Peacekeepers, an initiative that seeks to deter crime and violence by introducing a strong presence of community men into unstable neighborhoods to make their streets safe for women, children and seniors. I was inspired to fund the pilot program after the wave of youth violence that has engulfed our nation. I, like so many community members, am fed up.
First, it was the brutal death of 16 year old Derrion Albert in Chicago, who was clobbered over the head by a 2x4 in an after school melee. Then it was the killing of thirteen year old Kevin Miller in Hollis, an innocent, young man walking home from school who was shot in the back of the head from a bullet that was never meant for him... a passerby in someone else's gunfight, however the someone else happened also to be young, 16. Then it was the brutal gang rape of a seven year old in an empty apartment in Trenton, New Jersey. And there are countless others in between.
When I saw the creator of the movement Capt. Dennis and 200 men, in bright orange jackets, walking through my childhood neighborhood in Queens, I knew we had brought some hope to a situation that at times seemed hopeless. These men and some women walked /marched practicing ahimsa, dispensing love in the community. This yogic practice of non-violence, where community members exuded love to its own community members was so well received... no harmful thoughts or action could come back to them. We were there to spread love and just talk to the young people who stand on the corners idly for hours and days on end. And we were there to build a stronger relationship between our communities and those who are ordered to protect and serve them. Somewhere along the way, we have lost the relationship with the police that we had when I was growing up, when the police not only protected, but also served. The fear between the police and the community has alienated both groups from each other for many years now. The Peacekeepers can be the liaison between these two groups.
No more than a few hours after the launch occurred in Queens, we received phone calls from cities around the country asking to bring The Peacekeepers to their communities. This past weekend, we were welcomed into the City of Trenton by Mayor Douglas Palmer and many prestigious members of the community, after a horrifying incident of the gang raping of a seven year old rocked the city to its core. It was a powerful day as 1000 people showed up at a local community center to show support of The Peacekeepers and belief that the city could heal from this deep wound.
We are now pushing to make this program national, as the need is too great and the consequences of inaction are too severe. We will need partners, we will need funding, we will need the men and women to join and we will need a willingness of cities to work with us. What we have seen in Queens and Trenton already inspires us to move forward, because with love all things are possible.
For more information on The Peacekeepers please email pr@globalgrind.com
Follow Russell Simmons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unclerush
With men often not assuming their rightful roles as fathers and heads of families and single mothers, working and running households while raising their kids something has to give. It is very hard for a woman to raise a child, especially a son anywhere but worst of all in America where the culture tolerates children’s bad behavior. Children disrespect and even physically fight with parents and teachers. There’s hardly any respect for elders any more.
Another issue is children raising children. Teachers say many parents are too young, not well mannered themselves and have little discipline to pass on to the child. They are more focused on living their lives than being parents. Also, teachers say when parents are asked to come in to discuss their children's bad behavior they are mad at the teacher. Even at church children's events, parents drop of their children off as early as possible and pick them up as late as possible after being called several times. They want someone else to deal with their rude and unruly children.
Sorry to sound cynical but Capt. Dennis and Russell, it’s great that you are doing your part but the problem and the solution is much bigger than the Peacekeepers.
The kids need to be needed. That's the key. This culture tells them over and over every day, in every way, we don't need them... white kids as well as black. We have no room for them. We have no jobs for them. We have no vision of who they can be.
You are an antidote to poison.
Personally. I think the federal government should have some type of...control.
control.
www.rhymesandpolitics.com
Maybe, hopefully, you have had a change of heart, but I think you and any other rapper that gets involved in such causes is two-faced. One face is the one that donates and brings attention to these causes, and the other is the money hungry, business side that will produce and market any message, despite of the social consequence. Just something to think about.
The story about the 7 year old being gang raped is devastating - one I first crossed on HuffPost and one I couldn't get out of my head for days, and one my sister couldn't bear to hear. I needed to talk about it, but my sister just couldn't hear it. The story is unfathomable and horrific.
I'm glad somebody in the public eye, somebody prominent, somebody with access to money actually cares enough to take such an initiative. All that most of us really do is reflect then return to our daily routines.
I use to be obsessed with macro level solutions, starting with "culture" and government involvement. But the longer you stay on the planet, the more you realize that power and interests are more complicated than the problems that plague societies themselves. And that's without even bringing "racism" into it.
Grassroots movements like Mr. Simmons' do impact people's lives - one person at a time. ALL of us in this world - black, white, rich, poor, old, young - are looking to be inspired.
And with all that's been going on lately or perhaps all that's been made very public lately, these communities - where apathy runs high - need tons of inspiration. As small as people marching through communities in bright colours seem, maybe it's just what one group of kids need to look at their lives and
1) people used to dress " casually" only when playing sports and taking out the trash, but wore clean, well cut clothing and well shined shoes .every day. There was pride in looking good.. Today, most people look like they're just about to take out the trash .. ALL THE TIME!
Food has been purposely chemicalized with additives. Pharmaceuticals have taken over human lives, affecting the entire organism, with an unprecedented wave of obesity, worldwide. Americans today use limited vobabulary, bad Palinesque grammar or ghetto slang, and think they're the real Americans. Our grandparents knew better..
Read about El Sistema, the creation of Dr. Abreu, a method rescuing youth from violence, drugs and early death, by teaching them to play classical music, saving many thousands of kids' lives. The US and other countries are sending representatives to learn El SIstema to save their kids' loves through this system. The training, love, discipline of playing classical music instill joy and a sense of purpose that inspire the kids, whatever path they follow.
The countries espousing pop trash, all suffer unprecedented youth viiolence, drug consumption, and waste of young lives. Music can heal or destroy.
Wake up, America, the clock is ticking!