Teen Rap Crisis II
St. Louis Storytelling Festival
Saturday, May 5, 2018
2:00-2:30 Kranzberg Arts Center Gallery
PUBLIC PERFORMANCE / Q & A
501 N Grand Blvd., St. Louis 63103
For The Talking Cure exhibition
All ages. Free.
__________
Rachel
Gun Violence
15-years-old
It’s no justice in this world man it’s just us,
Being a black girl in this country shawty its gettin rough.
I learned from young age I gotta woman,
Gotta be prepared to see my people in cuffs.
They say the good die young why can’t we live forever,
It’s ashamed we afraid of a piece of metal.
Face on a shirt RIP in bolded letters,
Another man behind bars ain’t gonna make it better.
That was Lil Tay brother and he out for revenge,
It’s a continuous cycle so tell me when will end.
Moms crying cause kids dying the reps trying,
The thought of me in the streets is terrifying.
Every black boy he wanna be a hero,
But the S on his chest man it represent struggle.
He try to help out but all they see is trouble,
His heart gone cold so let the world crumble.
Black bodies on black bodies, black bodies,
One shot in the chest, that’s a dead body.
No finger on the trigger man it shouldn’t be a hobby.
Guns flying out the window at a block party.
__________
Saint Louis Story Stitchers is working collaboratively to create an approach to health issues affecting Missouri’s urban youth. Story Stitchers bring the humanities to the forefront through a unique form of “urban storytelling”.
Teen Rap Crisis II is a humanities-based program designed to give voice to concerns and triumphs, uncover facts, and build awareness of public health issues as seen through the eyes of contemporary African American youth, ages 15-24. Reflecting on the original 25-year-old Teen Rap Crisis, participants will partake in thoughtful discussion and collaborative learning experiences through writing with Story Stitchers artists Bobby Norfolk, KP Dennis and Howard Cox, leading to a poetic performance and a post-performance discussion with Professor Sean Joe from Washington University, a scholar in Black male adolescent self-destructive behavior and related societal causes and implications. Activities take place both inside and out of the City of St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center, providing an opportunity for youth to explore topics related to individual lives and society at large through writing, discussion, performance and learning. The program is a part of the St. Louis Storytelling Festival.
The goals of the activity are to bring attention, clarity and opportunity for meaningful action to the issues surrounding the challenges faced by youth, especially African American youth in urban environments through documentation, storytelling, performance and discussion. The program also creates opportunities for intergenerational interaction and collaborative storytelling through the collaborative learning experiences and discussion.
Saint Louis Story Stitchers is supporting this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the St. Louis Storytelling Festival, Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and Missouri Foundation for Health and in collaboration with the City of St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center and the City of St. Louis Department of Health.
