The Room leading to my heart is my library.My library is not organized but everything is scattered and all over the place. My library is only open to people i can trust and have a mutual understanding to. The books in my library express my personality such as comedy books, i can sometime be funny ya know.The music in my library express how my soul feels. Music is my escape from the world and all the people that try to break me down.
BCCP hosts the First Annual René Peñaloza-Galván Awards
Thursday, June 2nd marked the First Annual René Peñaloza-Galván Award Ceremony. René worked for BCCP from Fall 2007 through Fall 2009 as a teaching artist at Wingate, Erasmus Hall and New Utrecht High Schools. He was an incredible inspiration to all who new knew him: students and colleagues, friends and family. Tragically, René passed away at the end of June of last year. He was a brilliant, funny, generous, creative and deeply caring person who was taken away from far too quickly.
It was a beautiful ceremony with BCCP COO, Diane Reiser, hosting the event, BCCP Deputy Director Steve Ausbury delivering a dedication and former students, Noziare Dolce and Lateef Wearien, speaking and introducing a tribute video. René’s parents flew up from Mexico City with friends for the event and his father Edilberto Peñaloza spoke with eloquence and grace about his amazing son. An award of $1000 for Excellence in College-Prep and Career Promise was given to New Utrecht student, Katia Cuellar and $500 for Excellence as a Teaching Artist in the First Year at BCCP was given to Alejandra Ugarte Bedwell. To learn more about René, visit: http://www.persistenceofvision.org/2010/07/rene-penaloza-galvan-1976-2010/
In Rivers Gallery hosts BCCP’s First Gallery exhibit
BCCP had it’s first ever Art Opening at a Brooklyn gallery on Wednesday night, May 25th at In Rivers Gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Congratulations to all the students at Bushwick HS campus, IS 291, and IS 246 who participated and celebrated their success at the opening! BCCP @ Bushwick teaching artist, Giancarlo Romero, graciously offered his gallery space and served as chief curator of the exhibit. BCCP teaching artists, Isabel Moros-Rigan and Meaghan Lorenz contributed to the exhibit and and did a terrific job all year with their great teaching and youth development work! Mr. Martin and Ms. Printup from Bushwick HS campus also showed up and contributed students’ work from their art classes and entrepreneurial project. Bushwick site director, Nate Klooster, did a great job co-organizing the event!
Please visit In Rivers for the first ever BCCP art exhibit in a private gallery from Wednesday, May 25th through Sunday, May 29th .
The Black Jackets do it again! Win 1st Prize for Audio PSA in Crown Hts Mediation Center’s S.O.S Anti-violence campaign!
S.O.S. stands for Save Our Streets. Gun violence is up in Crown Heights, so long-time BCCP partners Crown Heights Mediation Center started a peer-to-peer anti-violence program and public anti-violence campaign, to win back safe streets. One aspect of the campaign was a media contest that included best video or audio PSA advocating the values of the Save our Streets campaign. The Black Jackets under the expert production supervision of BCCP teaching artist Entrfied, the God of Sound, took first place! They won $300 and certificates of musical excellence and well deserved! Allen, Ronald, X, Azar, Loyalty and Gavin then performed their PSA live last night at the S.O.S. Art Exhibit Opening at The Launch Pad on Franklin Avenue! Congratulations to all! And thank you CHMC for your incredible life saving work in Crown Heights!
LET ME LIVE!
I wanna live
cause am live
wish I was a cat
I woulda had (9) lives
little kids getting hit
from strays behind
his mom crying wondering
why her baby had to die (Ronald Gilles)
LET ME LIVE!
saliva on my heart (Allen Gorden)
I spit to the beat
I never keep it undercover
but I write it on the sheets
it’s cold cold world
and everybody got that heat
every corner I turn to
they try to put a dog to sleep
LET ME LIVE!
I don’t own a gun (Gavin McClintock)
i don’t think my knife slice
im no gangster
i’m a nice guy
i live a nice life
don’t even rock my ice bright
and i only get fly on nice nights
LET ME LIVE!
U.N.I.T.Y (Xavier Smith)
shouldn’t be in vain
high life so he that biggers the name
use the five senses
just to make change
and bearing the biggest weapon of time
meaning the mind
LET ME LIVE!
On the real baby (Loyalty Jeanamié)
I just want to live
everybody wanna take a life
but why can’t you just give?
heavenly angels help
for close yelling one thing
when they pop off
but it’s to move up the ranks
LET ME LIVE!
THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
S.O.S SAVE OUR STREET’S CROWN HEIGHT’S
STOP SHOOTING START LIVING!!!
LET ME LIVE!
By the Black Jackets
