Youth Poets Take the Stage in Long Beach This SATURDAY, APRIL 10TH!

Ages 13 to 17, from Torrance to Watts, from Compton to Long Beach,
these seven youth cried and laughed, listened and shared, wrote and performed,
came together against all odds to endure eight long weeks of introspection,
connection of the self to our greater communities and struggles,
and personal transformation as more conscious, mindful writers and people.

We are proud to announce the culmination of their efforts:

One Imagination’s First Ever
Our Word is Our Weapon
Youth Community Performance

Saturday, April 10th, 2010
6:00PM – 10:00PM
@ Catalyst Space:
430 E. 1st Street,
Long Beach, CA 90802

featuring:
Abrielle Quinn
Cree Lee
Daisy Farias
Desmon Murphy
M, Thalia B.
Stephanie South
T-Jay Ley

Please join us in an evening of spoken word, music, and poetry to celebrate the voices, not only of the future, but of today – our youth:

“But all the while you sit in a big leather chair behind a brown desk inside of a white house and stare, / Stare at the misery that the children my age have and only because this government is so racist” – Daisy Farias, age 14

“I am from broken homes and apartments to the loving generous family members that take my sister and I under their wings while others are off getting clean.” – T-Jay Ley, age 17

“‘She aint one of us. Oreo from head to toe! How a black chick gonna sink to the white girl’s low? / Try to talk black, would you please? It would put these crackers and Negroes at ease’” – Cree Lee, age 17

“You little boys with your new socks and your shoes— / I bet that Mommy bought them for you / and I bet she thinks you’re the greatest little shits ever.” –Abrielle Quinn, age 14

“We are slaves to a free America. We are slaves to our happiness. We are slaves to ourselves. To our individuality. We will all die alone, if we can never accept that we are the same.” – M, Thalia B., age 14

“I am from Compton / Where Bloods and Crips are fighting for land that isn’t their own” – Desmon Murphy, age 13

“Since actions speak louder than words, you might be able to make a difference in your society without even saying a word. Sometimes the lawmakers aren’t always right. Sometimes the normal, everyday citizens of our country have the better ideas.” – Stephanie South, age 17

Our Word is Our Weapon (OWOW), a youth leadership and writing project of One Imagination, exists as a hate-free, anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, safe space for young people to create, grow, change, cultivate, reflect, and transform through art as critical and conscious expression. OWOW exists at the intersection of art and activism, individual growth and community empowerment. For more information, contact One Imagination at oneimagination@gmail.com.