Common Ground and Carver High School On the Path Of A Budding Partnership

By Marcella Tillett

Riding in on the wave of a very well received previous visit, on January 23rd, Common Ground passed through Carver's gates once again. A couple of weeks earlier, when we entered those gates, it meant wading through a world of various shades of grey, from the cemented walkways to the muted trailers that make up the campus. This is the environment in which the Upper Ninth Ward's young minds are instructed to thrive, or at the very least, keep the order of the day. How many students imagined that Wednesday morning would bring a ray of light beaming down the walkways and shining throughout G. W. Carver High School. As volunteers from Hands On New Orleans splashed bright green, orange, red colors, built vibrant flowerbeds, etched musical images on the school's exterior, Common Ground worked on the inside engaging young minds in a dialog, encouraging them to challenge the status quo, and dare to change their reality.

Common Ground and Carver have begun a partnership aimed at bringing opportunities for vocational training and community service activities to the students. In addition to developing a relationship that will facilitate practical skills developments, a keen emphasis on inspiring hope through sharing space, time, ideas, words and positive energy to the students, who will in turn be an asset to their community. Malik Rahim, Common Ground co founder joined Sunni Patterson, celebrated New Orleans spoken word artist, to engage in an ongoing discussion with students about developing tools that will enable them to do more and be engaged in a movement to bring about positive change.

The students were inquisitive, as opposed to suspicious, a sharp contrast to what is represented by their bright orange, prison like school uniforms. The general approach to dealing with black youth in this society which consistently attempts to criminalize their thoughts and behaviors, was on this occasion, banished from existence.

Common Ground's various community projects were discussed as well as the construction skills training classes that will offer opportunities to the students on Saturday afternoons.

Malik then introduced Sunni who was instantly captivating, speaking of burdens, hardships, survival, hopelessness, loss of faith; concepts these young people are all to familiar.

She spoke out to "those who have given up on life and still wonder how they are allowed to open their eyes in the morning…Its not yet time to die, for seekers of a better way, for speakers of new words and creators of another way, awake from your slumber, massive in number, as brave as thunder, as courageous as hope, as audacious as faith". This poem inspired the group to recognize their potential and become active. Sunni and Malik represented to these students 'the speakers of great words, advocates of another way', experienced minds who have led by example, raised from some of the same backgrounds and neighborhoods that these youngsters are now being challenged to recreate. They stood as role models who motivated these students to accomplish positive things, and overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

They were urged to envision a better future, fight for their peoples' survival, thrive in the face of adversity, persevere and fulfill their destinies as vessels of endless possibilities. Observing to them 'I see heaven in your face, how does it feel just knowing wherever you go the holiest of holy is present in the form of you, you and your worth is nothing less than divine', Sunni seemingly spoke directly to their conscious and they enthusiastically embraced her words.

Malik and Sunni were there to demand wonderful accomplishments from them; reaching down into the depths of their souls and bringing out those subtle talents that these students often harbor and protect for fear of criticism. The students responded by sharing some of their own works. A young woman presented a piece she wrote about the magnificence of black women; another nervously laid out a two minute rhyme of social commentary. A very talented young man left to retrieve his portfolio and returned to present an impromptu exhibition of his work of pastels, charcoal and pencil sketches, wowing not only the guests but also his peers.

Sunni and Malik reminded the students that in observing history, it's been young people like themselves, who have been the revolutionaries, the agents of change; the power to make major societal shifts begins with them.