I don't know if anyone is
like destined to be a leader,
but,,
yeah, I could definitely could become a leader, yeah.
And I'm going to the Black Lives Matter Camp.
I'll be a youth leader there,
which means like I'll be helping,
the regular like, leaders,
with like teaching the kids how to like,
go around the camp and like, some of the activities.
I haven't like ever gone to a Black Lives Matter Camp.
I've been to some of their like events and stuff
but like, I've never actually been in the camp.
Since it's our first day,
thanks everyone for being patient for the bus.
First, maybe we can just go around and say our name,
so we can get to know each other and then we can do
our opening activities that we do every day.
My name is Leroi,
I'm the Coordinator of Freedom School
and I work in the, serving the people,
in the big kids room, the Freedom Fighter room.
It has to do with the quality of education
that our kids receive.
(hands clapping, singing)
Talking to parents and being a parent myself
and being an educator as well in the system,
we notice that black kids often don't get a chance
to learn very much about ourselves,
and our histories and our culture at all.
And when we do,
we most often learn about enslavement and oppression.
We are deeply inspired in the work that we do here
by the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense
and the school that they created called
the Oakland Community School.
And in their party, they had a 10 party platform,
where they had 10 things that they believed in
to lift up black people.
So, we have a kids version of the 10 point platform
that we say, to remind us of our purpose.
Moon?
We want Land.
We want land.
- Bread. - Bread.
- Housing. - Housing.
- Education. - Education.
(drum sound)
Having arrived at 13 for Moon and witnessing him
going through 13...
It's so important to have a space where he can lead,
while learning.
Because developing your autonomy,
developing your sense of self,
those things are important.
And so to be in a space that will nurture that,
but also challenge irresponsibility,
and also challenge a lack of empathy and
challenge a lack of compassion
and to challenge that in a gentle
and supportive way.
I think that's healthy, that's how we grow.
So I really am excited at this journey for him.
So on your orange paper,
you're gonna think of the characters who you want
to be prominent in your story.
Remember to include yourself.
So we're talking about respecting the power that
kids have to envision another world and to
envision a future that could be different
for black people.
They're watching a lot of really violent things
happen to their communities and their people.
We want to sit back and listen to
if you got to create a world for black people,
what would it be like?
How would you solve your problems?
If it's not with police, how would it be?
If it's not with prisons, how would it be?
So you want it to be in where?
- Zimbabwe. - Okay so, Zimbabwe.
Years in the future, start with that.
Years in the future.
A young black boy, which is you.
That's me. Zim-bab-we.
Z - I...
So you guys could describe what you think Zimbabwe
looks like in the future.
Okay.
And rid Zimbabwe of prisons, which made the land...
absolutely stunning.
A young black boy will rise from the ashes
and take down the system.
That's what I was gonna do.
Just like that.
Yup, with a flash of light.
No, a flash of darkness.
(both) - Ooooo.
Teaching kids that black is beautiful,
and to love themselves
and not only that black skin is beautiful
but that black people's history,
and experience and culture and family is beautiful.
What do I look like?
I think you look really nice.
You look strong!
So we believe in centering black kids in
talking about the experiences of African people
and people of African descent.
My mom teached me how to draw.
Your mom taught you how to draw?
Cause she's an artist.
How often to do you learn about black people in your school?
Well, they really don't talk about black people
in that school.
Because that's a white people school.
How are different ways that you show yourself,
your black life matters or that you love yourself?
- Yeah? - Sometimes, like eat good food.
Okay, so one way that Phoenix
shows himself that his black life matters
is eat healthy food.
What other things could you do to show yourself you matter?
Transformative justice would be like,
if someone does something that is wrong
or hurts another person,
then we would teach them what they did wrong
and what they can do to
make that thing better.
The story sounds really incredible.
I'm sorry that you got hurt,
can you say sorry to Sarayah?
No she did it to me.
I want you to say sorry to her
- I didn't! - It's not about first,
it's not about first.
- Actually, I didn't. - That's okay,
you can still say sorry to her
so you can both feel better, right?
Sorry.
There've been a few incidents since like,
the start of the school,
so they've put me out front to talk to the kids
and whenever I'm talking to them,
I don't want it to seem like the person
who's trying to be like "authority",
and I try to make it seem like
I'm actually trying to make things right.
I was not being mean I was just telling her how
I feeled when she was being mean.
I don't hear anyone. Say it loud!
I'm black and I'm proud!
I'm sorry, that's not loud enough, I said say it loud!
I'm black and I'm proud!
- Say it loud! - I'm black and I'm proud!
Come inside, let's do this.
I think that there needs to be a massive overhaul
of the education system where its self-determined.
And we get to decide what our kids are gonna learn,
how they're gonna be engaged,
and who's gonna be in the classroom with them.
We need to be in the classroom with them.
Parents need to be in the classroom with them.
I can't read how you feel right now
because of your glasses.
Yeah, that's why I wear them.
No, that's actually why I wear them.
- Are you good? - I'm in pain right now.
Why?
Reasons.
Not emotional.
- Heartbreak? - Not emotional.
Okay, good.
Moon get some Tylenol!
(light rain falling)
(background chatter)
(background chatter)
(background chatter)
(background dance music) (background chatter)
(background dance music) (background chatter)
(background dance music) (background chatter)
(steady bass beat) (cheering)
(steady bass beat) (cheering)
(steady bass beat) (cheering)
(loud cheering)
(cheering)
(cheering)
(cheering)
And we also wanted to say a big thank you.
There was many staff who helped us over these three weeks.
Doing everything from cooking for us,
driving us, taking care of us, teaching us,
helping us learn, everything.
Moon Anita, Africa Freedom.
(cheering)
They learned a lot about Black liberation.
They were really engaged
in the programming that we were doing.
They were really comfortable.
It felt like a family that we built over the
three weeks that we were together.
I have something for you.
Yeah, do you want it now?
Based on your work this is a gift from me to you.
Congratulations!
You can open it later, you know what it is!
I'm so proud of you.
(low background music and chatter)
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