RAP ARTIST TALIB KWELI HELP LOCAL YOUTH SHARE THEIR LIVES
Conscious Lyricist Encourages Teens to Embrace Their African Roots
By: Keith L. Forest

As a veteran music publicist, I always enjoyed booking artists for various charitable and community events at the record label expense. These outings gave artists a chance to touch their fan base while offering the company an opportunity to promote good will.

However, without the financial support of the labels, artists are demanding payment upwardly to 10K just for an hour appearance. Not rap artist Talib Kweli. This social conscious rapper just straight-up agreed to attend Community Works and Ground Work’s local Sharing Our Life East New York/South Africa student produced performance without any fanfare, bells and whistles or forthcoming album to support. He did this at his own expense and even altered his travels out west so that he would not disappoint the kids.

The event featured performances from middle school students that ranged in age from 11 – 13, hailed from Bruekelen Housing Projects and other neighboring East New York, Canarsie communities. For several week students were exposed to a variety of South African art forms including Zulu and gumboot dance; mining chants; and African Jazz; and combined their own special blend of hip hop, spoken word and rap into an infused student produced production on Friday, April 21, 2006 at Florentino Campus of Junior High School 292, in Brooklyn. Mr. Talib, who made a surprise unannounced guest appearance, encouraged the inner city youth to celebrate their heritage and embrace their African roots. New York Councilman Charles Baron took time out of his busy schedule to show his support for local district kids. The afternoon concluded with a special performance by South African dance troop, Juxapower.

In addition to teaching the students art skills, participants are also learning about South African history and experiencing contemporary life through a variety of guest artists and speakers. The cultural exchange is enhanced through video and the internet, with the East New York students and a group of students in South Africa who are participating in a technology program that allows them to document and exchange footage.

Sharing our Lives is a signature arts and literacy workshop program of Community Works, which offers students the opportunity to make connections with young people in other neighborhoods, at home or globally. In sharing letters and artistic expressions that celebrate their own lives, students discover their commonality with young people around the world.
Photo by Images of Us: Pictured left to right - Rapper Talib Kwali (Centered) Community Works Voza Rivers (Right); and Barbara Horowitz (3rd Left) along with Ground Work’s Tonya Wiggins (2nd Left); congratulate Bruekelen Campus students Shakeem Bowers (Left) Diamond Malachi and Jackie Gordon (front) on their afro centric performance.