First Community Conversation Reveals Neighbors' Insights and Commitment to End Violence
On Wednesday, April 10th, Over 30 local residents and activists came to talk about how gun violence affects our lives and our neighborhood. The crowd at S.O.S.’s first Community Conversation overflowed the Mediation Center’s conference room.S.O.S. Program Manager Allen James invited participants to share their reasons for taking part in the discussions about neighborhood violence – particularly gun violence. In attendance were many people interested in supporting peacemaking efforts and improving life in the neighborhood: experienced community organizers, teachers, parents, service providers, the wife of an unjustly incarcerated man, and young men who spoke of their involvement in street violence.
Columbia University Welcomes Youth Organizers
March 1st, 2013
S.O.S. Crown Heights was honored as the beneficiary and guest of honor at the annual Naach Nation performance and fundraiser on Saturday, March 2, at Columbia University. Naach Nation, now in its eleventh year, is a cultural show organized by Columbia's South Asian classical dance fusion troupe, Columbia Taal. This year's show featured dance and musical performances by eight groups from a number of universities. It included a cello quartet, an a capella group, and dance troupes from Tufts University, MIT, Drexel University, and the University of Massachusetts.
S.O.S. Crown Heights was honored as the beneficiary and guest of honor at the annual Naach Nation performance and fundraiser on Saturday, March 2, at Columbia University. Naach Nation, now in its eleventh year, is a cultural show organized by Columbia's South Asian classical dance fusion troupe, Columbia Taal. This year's show featured dance and musical performances by eight groups from a number of universities. It included a cello quartet, an a capella group, and dance troupes from Tufts University, MIT, Drexel University, and the University of Massachusetts.
The event organizers selected S.O.S. to be the recipient of the funds raised by the show. They praised S.O.S. for its work making New York City safer and invited outreach members to speak at the event. Hospital Responder Kenneth Edwards and Youth Organizer Bernadette Benjamin spoke to the audience gathered in Columbia's Roone Arledge Auditorium to explain their work, why the anti-violence movement is critical in so many parts of the world, and why they personally were motivated to join S.O.S. and YO S.O.S. They received a warm reaction from the diverse audience.
Before the show, the members of the CHCMC who traveled to Columbia for the event were treated to a campus tour by members of Respecting Ourselves and Others Through Education (ROOTEd), a student group at Columbia dedicated to open and honest discussions of power, privilege, and identity. The student guides aimed their tour especially at the youth organizers, since they will be going to college in a couple years. CHCMC Director Amy Ellenbogen, who attended the show and tour, was able to contribute as a guide as well, since, as a Columbia undergraduate, she was a founding member of ROOTEd.
All who went had a great time at Columbia and Naach Nation, and S.O.S. Crown Heights is very grateful to Columbia Taal for their generosity and support.
Crown Heights found peace and relaxation on Wednesday evening with acupuncturist Timothy Mckeon of Brooklyn Open Accupuncture, who provided free acupuncture services as a gift to the community. The event took place at the local Grace Tabernacle church on Pacific Avenue, the church of S.O.S. Clergy Action Network member Reverend David Wright.
Participants in the group acupuncture session sat in a circle of chairs in the dining area. As guests trickled in, McKeon discussed the mysteries and effectiveness of acupuncture with CHCMC staff. One staff member was eager to start right away, and within minutes grew so relaxed that he dozed off. Some local residents who arrived were new to acupuncture and hesitant to try it, but when the coordinator of Grace Tabernacle finally conceded he fell asleep instantly, saying afterward that this had helped him realize how stressed he had been. He insisted that he would visit Mckeon’s acupuncture office soon after his experience, and convinced several other church members to join in the activity. The event was so successful that it ran overtime, but after our acupuncture session no one felt stressed about the change of plans.
S.O.S. Presents at Wingate High School
February 27, 2013
S.O.S. Hospital Interrupter Kenneth Edwards and CHCMC staff member Ariana Siegel visited the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts at George W. Wingate High School on Wednesday. The pair visited three classrooms, where Kenneth presented a powerful testimony on his experience in S.O.S., and the violence in his former life that led him there. Demonstrating the importance of anti-gun violence work, Kenneth asked the students to raise their hands if they'd ever heard gun shots, and in each classroom almost all of the students raised their hands.
Afterwards Ariana told the youth about ways that they could be empowered to help end gun violence, presenting the Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets program and the CHCMC’s Arts to End Violence festival. The students were again asked to raise their hands if they had any artistic talent, whether in visual arts, performing, poetry, or otherwise, and again almost all of the students raised their hands. To practice using creativity around gun violence, Kenneth asked the students to "come up with their own slogans" for talking about gun violence, and the students impromptu suggestions were creative and catchy; our favorite was "Silence the Violence," though there were many great ideas. Teacher Elizabeth Giancola generously volunteered to open up her classroom to students once a week after school so that they could work on Arts to End Violence submissions.
After the presentations, Kenneth and Ariana met with Principal Ann-Marie Henry-Stephens, who was enthusiastic about S.O.S. and invited them to present the S.O.S. anti-violence work to the other principles on the Wingate campus. Together, we will discuss the ways that schools can partner in the battle against gun violence, and spread the message to Stop Shooting, Start Living.
Before the show, the members of the CHCMC who traveled to Columbia for the event were treated to a campus tour by members of Respecting Ourselves and Others Through Education (ROOTEd), a student group at Columbia dedicated to open and honest discussions of power, privilege, and identity. The student guides aimed their tour especially at the youth organizers, since they will be going to college in a couple years. CHCMC Director Amy Ellenbogen, who attended the show and tour, was able to contribute as a guide as well, since, as a Columbia undergraduate, she was a founding member of ROOTEd.
All who went had a great time at Columbia and Naach Nation, and S.O.S. Crown Heights is very grateful to Columbia Taal for their generosity and support.
Crown Heights found peace and relaxation on Wednesday evening with acupuncturist Timothy Mckeon of Brooklyn Open Accupuncture, who provided free acupuncture services as a gift to the community. The event took place at the local Grace Tabernacle church on Pacific Avenue, the church of S.O.S. Clergy Action Network member Reverend David Wright.
Participants in the group acupuncture session sat in a circle of chairs in the dining area. As guests trickled in, McKeon discussed the mysteries and effectiveness of acupuncture with CHCMC staff. One staff member was eager to start right away, and within minutes grew so relaxed that he dozed off. Some local residents who arrived were new to acupuncture and hesitant to try it, but when the coordinator of Grace Tabernacle finally conceded he fell asleep instantly, saying afterward that this had helped him realize how stressed he had been. He insisted that he would visit Mckeon’s acupuncture office soon after his experience, and convinced several other church members to join in the activity. The event was so successful that it ran overtime, but after our acupuncture session no one felt stressed about the change of plans.
S.O.S. Presents at Wingate High School
February 27, 2013
S.O.S. Hospital Interrupter Kenneth Edwards and CHCMC staff member Ariana Siegel visited the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts at George W. Wingate High School on Wednesday. The pair visited three classrooms, where Kenneth presented a powerful testimony on his experience in S.O.S., and the violence in his former life that led him there. Demonstrating the importance of anti-gun violence work, Kenneth asked the students to raise their hands if they'd ever heard gun shots, and in each classroom almost all of the students raised their hands.
Afterwards Ariana told the youth about ways that they could be empowered to help end gun violence, presenting the Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets program and the CHCMC’s Arts to End Violence festival. The students were again asked to raise their hands if they had any artistic talent, whether in visual arts, performing, poetry, or otherwise, and again almost all of the students raised their hands. To practice using creativity around gun violence, Kenneth asked the students to "come up with their own slogans" for talking about gun violence, and the students impromptu suggestions were creative and catchy; our favorite was "Silence the Violence," though there were many great ideas. Teacher Elizabeth Giancola generously volunteered to open up her classroom to students once a week after school so that they could work on Arts to End Violence submissions.
After the presentations, Kenneth and Ariana met with Principal Ann-Marie Henry-Stephens, who was enthusiastic about S.O.S. and invited them to present the S.O.S. anti-violence work to the other principles on the Wingate campus. Together, we will discuss the ways that schools can partner in the battle against gun violence, and spread the message to Stop Shooting, Start Living.
Visionary Organizing: Lessons from Detroit
Last Week the CHCMC hosted special guest Matt Birkhold at our staff meeting, a community organizer from Michigan, now living in Brooklyn and working toward a PhD from SUNY. Growing up in a small Michigan town, Birkhold lost many friends to bullets or the penitentiary, and only narrowly escaped a similar fate—mostly, he said, because he is white. His grief and anger at these losses and their connection to a system of white supremacy galvanized Birkhold to become an activist, but also caused him to feel numb to the pain of the situation. The organizer said his efforts around issues like affordable housing and police brutality “weren’t very effective,” because he was numb to their real-world effects. It wasn’t until he learned to open up to emotions, learned to build relationships and organize around community that he began to see results.
Birkhold, who is currently writing a dissertation on community organizing in Detroit, believes that the creation of meaningful jobs is the key to uplifting a community. He described the way that the current economic system barred access to African Americans, causing them to feel purposeless and fall into self- or communally-destructive behavior. Finding jobs that helped youth work not only to make money, but contribute to their communities, would remedy social ills like drug addiction, domestic abuse and even gun violence. Birkhold described programs in Detroit like a bicycle shop and local bakery that empower employees to help their community while also generating financial capital. Such initiatives, he said, could also help uplift Brooklyn and urban communities all over the US.
Youth and Clergy Stand Against Gun Violence
January 3rd, 2013
January 3rd, 2013
Devastatingly, in the late evening of New Year's Day, two 17-year-olds were shot and severely wounded while sitting in their car on the corner of Troy Avenue and Park Place. Two days later, S.O.S. stood on that same corner alongside local youth and members of the clergy to show the community that shootings will not go unnoticed or be tolerated. S.O.S. Clergy Action Network (C.A.N.) leader Reverend Kevin Jones, joined by Bishop Billips and Reverend Mathew Burke, appealed for peace through the S.O.S. bullhorn. Reverend Jones recalled growing up in the neighborhood, and, looking at a dilapidated building, noted how it had changed. “This was my block. I used to shop at that supermarket,” Jones said. “I’m still here… and now together we have to work together to stop the gun violence, and make our community whole again.” 
The crowd standing against gun violence that night had a youthful energy, as it was filled with Youth Organizers, local high school students involved in our program to generate youth leadership in the struggle against gun violence. Marlon Peterson, deputy director at the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center, gathered the youth organizers together and told them that, because in this instance of gun violence both the shooters and victims were young people, the neighborhood might come to fear and shun people of their age. "Your presence here tonight shows the community that there is another way, there is another path for young people here. Youth don't have to be the face of violence. You're showing them tonight that youth can be the face of peace."
S.O.S. Holiday Party and Toy Giveaway
S.O.S. spread the holiday spirit in Crown Heights on Friday, December 21st, when the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center (CHCMC) opened its doors to children and families from the community for a holiday party and toy giveaway. Children poured into the Center wearing bright holiday smiles and transformed the space into a festive party full of music, food and laughter. CHCMC and S.O.S. staff quickly adopted the mood, leading the children in interactive games, carol singing and learning activities about how to make the neighborhood a safe and friendly place. At the end of the party the children lined up excitedly to collect gift bags that the S.O.S. team was distributing. The children were delighted with their gifts, leaving the Mediation Center with hands full of new toys and hearts full of Christmas cheer. We thank the shoppers and merchants of Park Slope and the Park Slope Civic Council who generously donated the toys and gifts that made this event possible.
Appreciation for Sharon "Ife" Charles
On November 28th, the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center held a special appreciation ceremony to honor Sharon "Ife" Charles, the former Deputy Director of the Mediation Center. Ife has been promoted to work as the Citywide Anti-Violence Coordinator for the Center for Court Innovation where she is helping to start the S.O.S. South Bronx project and the Brownsville Ceasefire program. Ms. Charles dedicated 13 years to the mediation center, during which time she uplifted the Crown Heights community and touched countless lives.
Evidence of her impact could be seen in the large number of people who came to pay tribute to her on Wednesday. As they enjoyed hearty food and wine, guests shared personal stories of their relationships with Ife and wrote notes to her on paper leaves that were appended to a tree blooming with gratitude.
Among the evening's guests were ten youth organizers from our “Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets” program. The Youth Organizers helped run the event, greeting guests, making sure everything ran smoothly, and creating the leaves upon which people wrote notes to Ife. Their positive energy lifted the crowd.
During the formal ceremony Ms. Charles was awarded proclamations of merit issued by the New York City Council Members Christine Quinn, Jumaane Williams and Leticia James, as well as New York State Senator Eric Adams and State Assemblyman Karim Camara for her contributions to the community. Ms. Audre Andrews from the Lincoln Place block association also presented her with a special acknowledgement of her contribution.
Marlon Peterson, deputy director of the Mediation Center, welcomed guests to the event and recalled the support and nurturing that Ife provided him in the years that he has worked here. Amy Ellenbogen, director of the Mediation Center, shared a story about a time when Ife stopped in the street to intervene in a conflict between youth, putting her own life in danger. When the youth asked aggressively, “who are you?” Ife pointed to each youth in turn and said, “I’m your mother, and I’m your mother and I’m your mother.
Indeed, when Ife accepted her awards and called out each of the people who had shown up to support her, she epitomized the way we at the Mediation Center think of her, as the mother of Crown Heights. She will be truly missed at the mediation center, but we congratulate her on continuing on the path of her life’s work.
To read a write up of the event by Greg Berman, Executive Director of the Center for Court Innovation, click here.
S.O.S. C.A.N. "Clergy Breakfast"
On Saturday, October 20th, 30 members of the Save Our Streets Clergy Action Network (S.O.S. C.A.N.) met at the Bethany United Methodist church over a continental breakfast and an agenda that included sections on “connecting,” “learning,” and “doing.” S.O.S. clergy liaison Reverend Kevin Jones (pictured below) thanked the attendees for their work thus far, and then called for further action.
“Pastors, our neighborhood youth need us!” he said. “There is a tremendous need for faith-based leaders to join forces to Save Our Streets. You’ve shown your good faith by showing up at this breakfast, now come stand beside us on our clergy walks, pray with us at our shooting responses, speak to your young people about peaceful living, sit with us and think of ways that you and your congregation can help prevent gun violence.”
Rev. Jones reported on last week’s clergy rally at a neighborhood corner plagued by a spike in gun violence. He also spoke about clergy participation in a recent F.A.I.T.H. (Fathers Alive In The Hood) organized march of black men standing together as community role models. These efforts are an important way to show the community that the clergy do not just “preach to four walls,” he said, but rather that they, and God, care about the realities of the streets.
The C.A.N. members then heard from other powerful community organizers; Pastor Matthew Godwin spoke of his experiences in the biweekly clergy walks, and two young men appealed to the clergy to conduct evening programs that would make churches a safe haven for neighborhood youth. Later, Pastor Carolyn Frasier (pictured, left) shared the way God has influenced her to extend her pastoring beyond Sunday worship. Rev. Frasier recently turned that intention into action when Bible Faith hosted a prayer response to stand against the increased gun violence in their area along with 10 other pastors and their congregations.
More inspiring community organizing experiences were exchanged as Rev. David Brawley spoke of his leadership in East Brooklyn Congregations, which organizes local citizens to hold the government and police accountable to the community. Finally, Dr. Cheryl Anthony led the group in a closing prayer, thanking God for giving us the power to help our community move away from gun violence and toward a better future.
To follow up on their intentions to better the community, several members signed up to be trained in conflict resolution and mediation techniques. Marlon Peterson, the associate director at CHCMC, agreed to lead a workshop at a date and time TBA. Several others signed up to covenant with S.O.S. C.A.N. in prayer and all expressed sincere interest in making a change in our neighborhood.
"It's My Park Day" 2012
CHCMC's new Americorps members, Toluwalashe Davies and Pete Martin report back after spending a Saturday afternoon at Brower Park for this year's "It's My Park Day:"
Brower Park is a true community park, as we found out when we turned out for "It’s My Park Day" this past Saturday, October 20. The event, organized by Friends of Brower Park, brought community members together to clean up the park, plant grass and flowers, and get to know each other. The beautiful weather enabled us to get a lot of raking and planting done, and there was a strong, shared sense of belonging. Everyone was friendly with each other, and there were a lot of positive interactions and teamwork. Since it was our first time at the event we didn’t know what to expect, but we enjoyed ourselves immensely as we got our hands dirty raking leaves, planting daffodils, and learning how to best use a shovel to dig the earth. Nobody had warned us that our muscles would be sore afterwards, but we were happy anyway to have put all our might into our duties for the day!
While there, we met many people who came out to help beautify their park just because they wanted to. We met nine-year-olds who wanted to help plant daffodils, a young girl who likes to sing and loves the earth and its worms, a lawyer who lives near the park and likes to give back to the community, an older lady who thought one of us looked a lot like a cousin of hers, and Phil, who is in charge of Friends of Brower Park. There were about 30 high school students, all helping with the clean-up and the flower planting, and they made the day fun, playing with each other while getting the work done. There were also a lot of adults there, leading by example, and showing the youth that activism does not end at a certain age. Crown Heights is indeed an amazing community of people who trying to make their neighborhood a better place, one daffodil at a time.
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