At this point anyone who expresses disillusionment at noting the chasm between political rhetoric and the real social action that it promises is not considered a cynic, but merely a realist. It seems that decades of inspirational messages and slogans telling us to Believe in The Greatest City in America (just for example) have effectively left us desensitized and unmoved by consistently vacuous, under-funded promises. Nowhere is this reality more evident than in the gap between the rhetoric about the need to educate and care for young people and the actual services, programs, supplies, and opportunities that this rhetoric claims to deliver. It’s beyond cliché by now to say that the youth are the future leaders of America, or that education of youth is fundamental to maintaining not just our fair city, but our entire democratic republic. Bringing up the plight of some schools and after-school programs compared to others with enormous endowments and private funding seems equally trite. Yet, with all this talk about how important it is to care for youth and provide them with opportunities, and with all the data and testimonials documenting the stories of many youth who are still denied these services, it seems that little is being done by our elected officials on the City, State, and Federal levels to rectify this injustice. That is why it is so imporant that organizing efforts in Baltimore include young people.
In this issue, we gain perspectives from both the mentors of youth and the young people themselves about what is needed in their neighborhoods and what can be done (and is being done) to empower them and give them the support needed to have control over their own future. Mike Kaplan, an 18-year-old local high school activist, points out the often-overlooked population of homeless youth in the city. Students at the Community School in Remington offer their perspectives about the election season and how they are working to better themselves and their peer groups through education. With some light shed on the views and thoughts of young people, we turn to adults who have been working to mentor and support youth through various educational and extra-curricular programs. Marilyn Hunter, a former teacher and education advocate, interviews mentors around the city who are working to support young people on their paths to success. Iris Kirsch describes a program that is helping kids stay away from violence and focus on achieving in school to build their careers. Ron Kipling Williams, a youth advocate and writer, points out and clears up some misconceptions about youth advocacy and its relationship with community organizing. For a more self-reflexive look, China Martens, author of a zine about radical childcare, highlights deficiencies she sees among leftists movements regarding adequate care and support for young people (while of course offering her proposed solutions). Lastly, I revisit a story from Issue 4 by providing an update on a program that offers city youth the opportunity to work in solidarity with artists, activists, and farmers in Nicaragua.
To compliment and contextualize our feature articles, we’ve also expanded our news coverage in this issue, providing a broader and more comprehensive look at local, national, and international stories that affect Baltimore’s residents. Even more stories, including video and audio, can be found at our website, www.indyreader.org.
This is the story of not one but a forest of roses growing through layers of cracked concrete. This is the story of “The Children Capitalism Forgot”— children whose neighborhoods have been chewed up and spit out as My New East Side without so much as an invitation to share in the fruits of the renovations. Children whose parents are not available, whether because they are locked away from their offspring by jails or drugs, or because they have to work 2 or 3 jobs to contend with today’s failing economy. Read more
Baltimore is a hard city for kids. Issues of racism, classism, and sexism trickle down to the most vulnerable within each oppressed group. Some of the hardest hit are always the children and, by extension, those who care for them (usually mothers, female relatives, and/or female workers). Caretaking in this society is an underpaid or unpaid task; few even question the invisible workload or lack of value assigned to taking care of children’s needs. Adding insult to injury is that those who live under the most trying conditions are often judged the hardest. Read more
Marilyn Hunter is a former teacher and education advocate. She was active in city-wide parent organizing during the 1980s when her children attended Baltimore City Schools, and she worked for 17 years as an organizer for the Maryland State Teachers Association. She recently retired from that position, but not from the fight for a better world. The following interviews represent a collection of phone conversations, face-to-face meetings, and written correspondence between Marilyn Hunter and mentors of young people around the city. Read more
The following is a conversation between Marilyn Hunter and three students at the Community School in Remington. The school, which combines academic and mentoring programs, offers full-time day classes to youth ages 15-18. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to pass the GED exam and eventually enroll in college. The Community School was founded in 1982 by Tom Culotta along with residents of the Remington community. Read more
You’ve probably heard of the Peace Corps, study abroad programs, and extra-curricular projects, but odds are you haven’t heard about a local program that combines the philosophies and benefits of all of the above. For local young people interested in studying abroad, cross cultural education, and good old-fashioned hard work, a new program has emerged in Baltimore. B’more Cultured, a group created by Baltimore high-school students, teaches the values of solidarity and self confidence while highlighting the rich culture and history of Nicaragua. Read more
Ron Kipling Williams is a political/social performance artist, media activist, and member of the Indypendent Reader Editorial Group and the Radical Artist Movement (RAM). One of the biggest misconceptions about youth advocacy, and as ayouth advocate, I can attest to this, is that adults are manipulating the young people into engaging in actions that are counterproductive and consequently detrimental to their cause. This is not the case at all. First, instead of executing outside judgments, I would invite those who are skeptical to see firsthand what our involvement entails. Read more
Leaked documents reveal US and Afghan government collusion with major traffickers. Read more
Considering the steadily rising prices of gas and the alarming warnings of several politicians and scientists alike about an imminent global catastrophe that is all-but-certain without major reductions in fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions (but mostly, the gas prices), it is absolutely bewildering that public transportation is not a major issue on the national stage this election season. While the major candidates vie for the sparkling “most electable” tiara of their respective parties, the issues are continually dwindled and trivialized. Read more
To participate in and observe what is happening in New York could serve as a pivotal experience for anyone who is feeling moved by the wave of protests and revolutions moving across the world right now. The bus trip is up to $35 round-trip and it's well worth it. Read more