D’Neise Robinson has something to say. Tornadoes ain’t got sh*t on me. I’m poverty. Her peers snap their fingers to show they’re impressed by her skills. In the front row are some of her closest girlfriends, ready to perform their poetry at the RAW Talent slam. A few days earlier, a fellow slam student named Dimarea Young was gunned down close by. Police crowded his neighborhood, middle-aged men openly regretted their involvement in the crack epidemic, and Young’s girlfriend shrieked…
Rodrigo Dorador remembers the night he almost had a panic attack in Arizona. A sheriff’s car was trailing behind the van he rode in with his mother. They’d been at a football game — despite his undocumented status, Dorador attended one of the most prestigious Jesuit schools in the state, Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. His mother looked at him as the car trailed, inching closer and closer behind. Dorador returned her nervous glance. Wouldn’t it be ironic, they both…
Last week, RAW Talent hosted its second open mic night. Kids from across Richmond and the East Bay came out to share original poems and songs. Organizers hoped the event would be a safe place for kids to be creative and show off their talents. http://vimeo.com/62392823