Express Yourself Rain Barrels: Our Newest Youth-Driven Social Enterprise

The KI EcoCenter utilizes the social entrepreneurship model as an ethical and grassroots tool to generate resources that support the crux of our work; to provide youth with the skills and tools necessary to be sustainable in a resource strapped world. The KI Community School (KICS) strives to be the academy that cultivates that educational process.

As KICS continues to endure its share of ebbs and flows, an educational methodology has found root and begun to flourish. The following is a list of theories and applications that have sprouted from the daily interactions at our school. We believe practicing some or all of these are essential for preparing future change agents.

It truly takes a village
On any given day the KICS students will interact with a 70-80 year old for a lesson in the kitchen on how to properly steep beans, with a 50-60 year old on how to interface with a community leader to find out about neighborhood issues, with a 30-40 year old on how to manage time and be productive and with a 20-30 year old that utilizes Systems Thinking as a tool to teach critical thinking. Some would call that a well- rounded education. Fundamentally, the KI Community School exists because of its intertwined community connection with the KI EcoCenter. Our students have access to a plethora of homegrown , enriching experiences that provide intergenerational opportunities and community asset development.

Students perform better when their individual voice is cultivated and valued.
We don’t condone status quo conformity, nor do we attempt to indoctrinate with any ideology, rather our school is an open forum for dialogue, discourse, deal making, agreeing to disagree and do! Our centers’ strategic process is reliant on the input and opines of our youth members. KI students are immersed into minimal risk roles in our social enterprises with built in accountability and profit measures that place the onus of progress on them. Subsequently, their efforts and executions are measured by the resource profitability of their contributions

Focus on “how to learn ” rather than what to learn
We realized that once children have their learning light “turned on” they will learn whatever they want to learn no matter how difficult or abstract. That said, we have only achieved this understanding by making content secondary to the process of learning. Many of our new students have been accused of not being able to learn. Those accusations are dispelled in our facility. Our strategy has been:  : first creating an environment for learning ( which could involve a multitude of nuances ) next,  figure out how the student learns ( aptitude/ability assessment , multiple intelligence assessment , interest inventories ) then,  , create a plan that is inclusive of goals , objectives , needs and wants and finally set accountability standards. Once the plan is in motion , implement a consistent review and tracking of progress. We can say that each of our students whether long or short term will attest to some increment of learning, development and growth.

Point of engagement begins when children have personal interest and investment
Well behaved children will keep the peace and zone out and disruptive children will become more disruptive when they are disinterested. Even the most disruptive student will pay attention to anything that even remotely interests them. Some of our previous and current students represent particular sects of inner city culture. That culture brings with it certain elements that perpetuate the negative aspects of inner city life. Those students express recalcitrance and disdain until they have found something to attach to. One of our social enterprises - TPOF Records - is a digital record label started by some youth members of the KI EcoCenter. One of our former students found solace from a very violent and tumultuous home life in the confines of learning Pro Tools and Fruity Loops ( music production programs ) while also being responsible for learning vocabulary and using problem solving tools to correct technical issues

Agree to disagree with feisty pre-teens
A harmonious learning environment is essential for high order learning. Classroom drama must be nipped in the bud rapidly. You can either prepare to engage daily with the contrarian nature of hormonal, pre-teens or get smart and do away with the power struggle. Strong teachers impart their authority not with words but with strategic action that creates and respects parameters.

High school students need relevant internships that force them to think about their post high school plans in a realistic and relevant point of view
Our high school age students are currently obtaining practical skills and experience in real life work opportunities. They have become more responsible and focused as they are beginning to experience the trials and tribulations of balancing school and a work like environment. In that, they are learning direct skills , time management , and examining the potential of particular careers. They have become vested in their own life process.

Critical Thinking is as or more important than any other skill associated with self mastery and self sustainability
Critically thinking children become problem solving adults. When students are challenged mentally they are forced to think and act. At KI, we are minimally concerned with right or wrong answers. For that matter , answers are irrelevant, however: to think about a question , to have a an answer challenged, to change an answer because of a new thought or perspective, is what it takes to become informed and empowered in critical thought.

It is important to either know or understand hip – hop/rap/hood culture when teaching urban students
Urban culture has become the mainstream media culture in America. We are more influenced by the media more than ever. The social lens our children are looking through is, at some point in the process, filtered through America media. Children today have an innate revolutionary spirit. They are changers and concern themselves with very few limitations and barriers. Urban children don’t have the same allegiance to respecting authority as past generations. They are guarded and very loyal to family and family like members. Certain codes of respect have more value than any school rule or law. These are characteristics bred in the anthems of rap music and hip hop culture. Hip hop culture represents the primary social construct of the 40 and under generation and the most influential sect of our society.

Planning and organization are essential to child centered education
In an environment that perpetuates high functioning improvisation and an often unpredictable flow. Teachers and accountable adults have to be clear about the agenda, the goals and objectives at hand. Those adults have to be tuned into the rhythm of the students and help guide the direction. Child centered education can possess high intentionality toward long term outcomes that are inevitable with cultivation. For instance, a student expresses interest in making extra money for an upcoming trip, A plan of action can be formulated to include the passion of the child and implemented steps to achieve certain profit goals.

Working within an organization whose mantra is “Community Empowerment through Self-Mastery” affords many opportunities for reflective growth and challenges.  The road to self-mastery is one of continual discovery and challenges. As an organization that invests in community development and youth development in particular, the theme or utilizing time effectively and efficiently has become a recurring theme. For me in particular (operating in the roles of a video production manager and full-time college student among other commitments) time-management has been an ever critical challenge to fulfilling these commitments.  One aspect of participating in the KI ‘Bootstrap’ Academy model is a more critical look at the tools available to manage time as the invaluable resource that it is and it’s relationship to self-mastery.

Time is that precious, and for many, elusive resource that frames our very life and existence.  Our worlds are increasingly busy and demanding upon us.  The global interweaving of peoples and technologies has created an environment of economic competition in which people are induced to vie for stability and position.  It is demanded that people continually learn, while moving through the world more effectively and most critically, efficiently.  We must earnestly seek efficiency because while demands upon us tend to always increase, the clock on the wall only gives us a constant steady 24 hours.

Those that seek fulfillment by expanding ourselves increase demands upon our time as we accept roles and commitments that speak to our potential and inner drives. So many have talents and potentials that remain unused or underutilized because they just can’t seem to find enough time to engage in that which would successfully manifest it.

It’s said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Time management becomes the key code to avoiding chain patterns of chaotic scrambling through life.  The relationship between stress in our lives and time management is intricately intertwined. Often people are stressed from the demands on their time as we try to maintain relationships, obtain resources to live, and take care of our health.

Time management is so critical because the reaching of goals and fulfillment of commitments to others relies heavily on it. This in turn will affect our reliability, relationships, and stress levels.  Stress levels affect our health in profound ways.  In all of this we see that time management shapes and affects the very quality of our lives.  Many seek to simplify and live a life that focuses on the things that matter most in their life; but this lofty ambition requires time management to reach that place and subsequently to maintain and sustain it.

I’ve always admired people that could display a wide variety of talents, vocations, and successful involvements.  As I’ve become involved in varied activities and commitments in my own life, the challenge and importance of self-management and the need for mastery has become increasingly apparent.

The ability to seemingly command time and effectively accomplish the things related to one’s self-management is brought about by using tools.  Success comes by first recognizing and utilizing the tools at one’s disposal.  In this recognition, we must distinguish between internal tools and external tools. The internal tools are psychological and relate to self-discipline.

The first step is clarity of intent and purpose, after which priorities can be made clear based on that intention of purpose.  It’s the basic question of, ‘What  am I trying to accomplish in my life right now and why?’.   Until one knows the ‘what’ (intent) and the ‘why’ (purpose), they cannot embark upon a clearly defined course.  Intent and purpose is something that one will need to revisit at times in their journey because as growing human beings our desires and scopes on life change over time but yet this critical stage is the beginning of establishing priorities in one’s life and mapping out the ‘how-to’ of time management.

On the most basic level, one must develop and possess the self-discipline to reign in on competing urges and inclinations that hinder the progress of objectives and accept the opportunity cost of forgoing some decisions over others.  The basis of this power goes back to a personal recognition of purpose/intent, and priorities.  Personal bad habits such as procrastination incubate time management issues.

External tools are just as important as the internal tools.  Simply using a calendar does wonders.  We have at our disposal electronic calendars in our computers and cell phones that can give us a leg up and seemingly small measures taken can turn out to be so critical to execution.  I’ve recently embraced using more of these tools and immediately saw how effective they can be in making a busy schedule with varied involvements work and make better sense.

Tools that allow you to see the “big picture” facilitate an all-around better decision making process and foresight.  As far as having multiple assignments and projects over a span of time, unless one has photographic memory, a system of some sort to coordinate and keep track of details is going to be necessary for success.  To neglect this reality is to embrace pile ups of work, frantic scrambles to complete projects, stress, and potential failure.  In the daily basis, setting your phone or computer to give you a notification of an approaching deadline or appointment can mean the difference between a critical ball-drop or a missed opportunity.

It becomes necessary to develop a highly personalized system that works for the individual that’s using it.  It’s not about using the latest tools presented, but about what works for the individual.  A pen and paper check-list and calendar is just as well for some people depending on the user and the complexity of one’s schedule.  It’s about making it work.

One critical aspect that speaks to the interface between internal tools and external tools is the ability to assess and estimate how long pieces of one’s schedule and task will take.  When mapping out one’s schedule, unrealistic projections will cause the whole endeavor to be ineffectual in the end.  Careful consideration of time requirements and estimates is critical to successful time management.  The understanding to know the pace that one works at and interfaces with their environment must be present; along with mental discipline to assess time needs conservatively as opposed to desirably optimal levels that paint an unrealistic picture.

The ancient mystic traditions repeatedly tell us that time is of an illusionary nature and that past, present, and future are on some level unified.  Another way of saying this in a more familiar and experiential context may be to say that, “It is always now”.  We experienced our past moments as an active “now” and will experience future moments in time as we experience this moment now.

Effective time-management through embracing relative tools allows one to look at their ‘now’ with a fuller understanding of the various pieces and wider scope that takes into account future demands.  It is a methodical means to appreciating the present more for what it’s worth. Through mastery of self through time management, one can better utilize and find opportunities in the present to access that internal and eternal reservoir of creativity and beauty within that gives our limited time meaning and allows us to manifest good in our worlds.  It is an invaluable key in fulfilling our potential and in serving others.

Time is that precious, and for many, elusive resource that frames our very life and existence.  Our worlds are increasingly busy and demanding upon us.  The global interweaving of peoples and technologies has created an environment of economic competition in which people are induced to vie for stability and position.  It is demanded that people continually learn, while moving through the world more effectively and most critically, efficiently.  We must earnestly seek efficiency because while demands upon us tend to always increase, the clock on the wall only gives us a constant steady 24 hours.

Those that seek fulfillment by expanding ourselves increase demands upon our time as we accept roles and commitments that speak to our potential and inner drives. So many have talents and potentials that remain unused or underutilized because they just can’t seem to find enough time to engage in that which would successfully manifest it.

It’s said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Time management becomes the key code to avoiding chain patterns of chaotic scrambling through life.  The relationship between stress in our lives and time management is intricately intertwined. Often people are stressed from the demands on their time as we try to maintain relationships, obtain resources to live, and take care of our health.

Time management is so critical because the reaching of goals and fulfillment of commitments to others relies heavily on it. This in turn will affect our reliability, relationships, and stress levels.  Stress levels affect our health in profound ways.  In all of this we see that time management shapes and affects the very quality of our lives.  Many seek to simplify and live a life that focuses on the things that matter most in their life; but this lofty ambition requires time management to reach that place and subsequently to maintain and sustain it.

I’ve always admired people that could display a wide variety of talents, vocations, and successful involvements.  As I’ve become involved in varied activities and commitments in my own life, the challenge and importance of self-management and the need for mastery has become increasingly apparent.

The ability to seemingly command time and effectively accomplish the things related to one’s self-management is brought about by using tools.  Success comes by first recognizing and utilizing the tools at one’s disposal.  In this recognition, we must distinguish between internal tools and external tools. The internal tools are psychological and relate to self-discipline.

The first step is clarity of intent and purpose, after which priorities can be made clear based on that intention of purpose.  It’s the basic question of, ‘What  am I trying to accomplish in my life right now and why?’.   Until one knows the ‘what’ (intent) and the ‘why’ (purpose), they cannot embark upon a clearly defined course.  Intent and purpose is something that one will need to revisit at times in their journey because as growing human beings our desires and scopes on life change over time but yet this critical stage is the beginning of establishing priorities in one’s life and mapping out the ‘how-to’ of time management.

On the most basic level, one must develop and possess the self-discipline to reign in on competing urges and inclinations that hinder the progress of objectives and accept the opportunity cost of forgoing some decisions over others.  The basis of this power goes back to a personal recognition of purpose/intent, and priorities.  Personal bad habits such as procrastination incubate time management issues.

External tools are just as important as the internal tools.  Simply using a calendar does wonders.  We have at our disposal electronic calendars in our computers and cell phones that can give us a leg up and seemingly small measures taken can turn out to be so critical to execution.  I’ve recently embraced using more of these tools and immediately saw how effective they can be in making a busy schedule with varied involvements work and make better sense.

Tools that allow you to see the “big picture” facilitate an all-around better decision making process and foresight.  As far as having multiple assignments and projects over a span of time, unless one has photographic memory, a system of some sort to coordinate and keep track of details is going to be necessary for success.  To neglect this reality is to embrace pile ups of work, frantic scrambles to complete projects, stress, and potential failure.  In the daily basis, setting your phone or computer to give you a notification of an approaching deadline or appointment can mean the difference between a critical ball-drop or a missed opportunity.

It becomes necessary to develop a highly personalized system that works for the individual that’s using it.  It’s not about using the latest tools presented, but about what works for the individual.  A pen and paper check-list and calendar is just as well for some people depending on the user and the complexity of one’s schedule.  It’s about making it work.

One critical aspect that speaks to the interface between internal tools and external tools is the ability to assess and estimate how long pieces of one’s schedule and task will take.  When mapping out one’s schedule, unrealistic projections will cause the whole endeavor to be ineffectual in the end.  Careful consideration of time requirements and estimates is critical to successful time management.  The understanding to know the pace that one works at and interfaces with their environment must be present; along with mental discipline to assess time needs conservatively as opposed to desirably optimal levels that paint an unrealistic picture.

The ancient mystic traditions repeatedly tell us that time is of an illusionary nature and that past, present, and future are on some level unified.  Another way of saying this in a more familiar and experiential context may be to say that, “It is always now”.  We experienced our past moments as an active “now” and will experience future moments in time as we experience this moment now.

Effective time-management through embracing relative tools allows one to look at their ‘now’ with a fuller understanding of the various pieces and wider scope that takes into account future demands.  It is a methodical means to appreciating the present more for what it’s worth. Through mastery of self through time management, one can better utilize and find opportunities in the present to access that internal and eternal reservoir of creativity and beauty within that gives our limited time meaning and allows us to manifest good in our worlds.  It is an invaluable key in fulfilling our potential and in serving others.

Our Panel of Mid-North Residents (left to right): Carlos Permell, Denise Whittaker, Jim Naramore, Amy Rubin, and Menelik Adisa

Reflecting on the job creation panel at KI EcoCenter on October 12, I recalled a few interesting perspectives.  Such perspectives were centered around topics like corporate accountability, new urban developments, social entrepreneurship, the new economy and the overall future direction.

It’s clear that the issue of the economy and jobs is heavy on people’s minds. The room was packed with more than 20 people from the Mid-North Neighborhood and beyond. Heated and critical conversations filled the evening as the panel shared their personal struggles to create economic opportunity for themselves, their families, and their community.

Audience members asking questions and putting in their two cents.

As the realities of the present continue to remind us that the past is no longer, we are being forced daily to reevaluate our value systems and how we would like to shape our future.  Of course, there wasn’t unanimous agreement among the panelist or audience in terms of which way we should move forward; however, all agreed that the “glorious” days of bourgeois lifestyles based on consumption are over.

The greatest challenge we face collectively is creating the needed change for our families and communities.  What are we doing daily to bring about the change we hope to see?  What relationships are we forming? What are we willing to let go of?

by Jim Naremore

For decades, parts of the Indianapolis urban core have been host to an array of projects designed to impact or create “community revitalization”.  Projects large and small, relating to issues such as housing, healthcare, education, employment, economic development, and neighborhood beautification, to name just a few of the focus points or topics, have been enacted with varying levels of success.

Here are the facts: according to the 2010 census and the 2008 Indianapolis Revitalization Summit report, most of the Mid-North neighborhoods lead the city in categories such as families living in poverty, lowest household income, unemployment, and residents returning from incarceration. Educational levels, both academic and vocational, and access to jobs in the community are low.  Dropout rates are high.  Many residents are seniors and living on low fixed incomes.  These are people living in the neighborhoods.  And these are their challenges.

The specific, tangible project garnering recent attention is cleaning up and revitalization Fall Creek, part of the “Destination + Fall Creek” project.  A central goal of the project is creating an outdoor green space and park-like feature that would beautify the communities, serve as a destination and focal point, increase desire to move into the neighborhood and provide outdoor education and art opportunities, many associated with Ivy Tech’s campus.  While these improvements do not directly address the most pressing problems associated with the residents of the area, it cannot be argued that this project is a bad idea.  It is a wonderful idea, actually, that has the potential to help, in one way or another, anyone living in the community.

To begin the process towards these goals, and others forming part of the Reconnecting to our Waterways initiative, Eli Lilly is providing nearly 2500 volunteers into communities to clear, clean, mark drains, and generally do the basic work needed to make the site ready for improvements.  This is all part of Lilly’s Day of Service program.  The efforts will be led and aided by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

Lilly and its employees should be lauded for their commitment to service and volunteerism and efforts in the community, and KIB is certainly a great leader for this effort.  But in reality… Most if not all of these Lilly workers do not live in the Mid North communities.  Most if not all of them are highly paid and educated professionals.  These are wonderful dedicated outsiders to this community.

However, this project is not “holistic.” It neither addresses the greatest challenges of the whole neighborhood, but also, in bringing in outsiders to perform the work, does not recognize the Mid-North as a self-sustaining system, one whose parts are interdependent in making up the whole.

But…. It COULD be better.  Here’s how.

A conservative estimate of the one-day salary for 2500 Eli Lilly employees is between $50,000 and $75,000.  Rather than send people, Lilly COULD send $75,000 to the MNQOL leadership coalition to help create the “Mid-North Employment and Training Collective” (a non-existent entity I’m using as an example here) and pay for direct work-related stipends.  The Collective could then recruit potentially hundreds of local Mid-North residents without jobs who are in need of employment, job training and job readiness supports to do the basic work needed at Fall Creek.  The Collective, with the help of KIB AND local business, such as landscapers, yard-workers, handymen, trash and debris haulers could help provide needed supports and stipends to these unemployed residents for their work.

It is of vital importance that ANY “community revitalization” effort MUST also be looked at as a potential economic development effort AND a long-term driver of training, education or jobs.  This infuses money into the community by paying stipends and contract fees, and keeps it in the community by using local residents and local contract businesses.

Lilly employees will also be painting murals and creating art projects.  The Mid-North area has local artists who could be used to create meaningful community-intrinsic public art either for a fee or for the cost of supplies and publicity.

Lilly employees have specific skills needed in the community:  business skills, administrative skills, educational and mentoring skills, technology and training skills. These administrative skills could be used to help bolster the administrative and professional efforts of the Collective and other neighborhood initiatives. THESE are the areas most in need of Lilly volunteer efforts. Lilly professionals could strengthen the community business base in this way.

Long-term, the “Mid-North Employment and Training Collective” could provide work within the Mid-North area by contracting with large employers, such as Ivy Tech, the Children’s Museum and IU Health for services like landscaping, maintenance, laundry, or any other service that these anchor institutions regularly farm out.  It could also provide services to local homeowners for yard work, hauling, maintenance, alley clean-up, vacant lot weed control and any other community- based needs and issues.

The Collective could further help foster the creation of new small businesses and enterprises in the community. Stipends, salaries, or job readiness and job training for unemployed residents to do good work within the community, with a built-in connection to Eli Lilly and local anchor institutions; this was the concept of the Collective. It was part of a larger concept and multifaceted neighborhood development strategy, “UrbanKind,” first explored by Whitepaper Bluesky, an idea shop located in the Mid-North, during the MNQOL planning process.

Beyond that, when local residents take part in the revitalization and clean up of their own neighborhood, it creates a sense of ownership and pride and connectedness to the energy in that community… rather than watching a group of wonderful well-meaning outsiders, who look nothing like the residents themselves, come in and do it for them.

The chance that this Fall Creek project would be viewed as a TRUE community effort—and not some form of gentrification of which to be suspicious and avoided—would be greatly increased.

This kind of effort; this kind of plan; this kind of project and project thinking is more inclusive, more helpful, to improving the quality of life for the current, challenged residents of the community.  It helps to address the (still valid) fears associated with gentrification, and… most importantly… it is truly holistic in its thinking.

This is the direction urban revitalization plans need to take in the future.

Recently, we gave a workshop on the KI approach to urban agriculture at the National-International Urban and Small farms conference held at Growing Power in Milwaukee. Growing Power is a non-for-profit organization that gives trainings to urban farmers, gardeners, and anyone interested in creating community food systems and growing food in a sustainable way. I personally have done a few Growing Power trainings and have gained a lot out of them.

Our workshop at the conference was titled Urban Ag Wit Hot Sauce. The hot sauce part of the title is a bold expression of our perspective on agriculture and food justice that reflects urban culture. We had a panel of young black men from our Bold&Clear lecture series speaking about the roles we play in KI Urban Ag.

Diop, one of our social entrepreneurs and community teachers, talked about the history of the Kheprw Institute, the philosophy of our bootstrap model and touched on some of our plans to develop an agri-business incubator in the future. Chinyelu, a student at KI Community School, spoke about becoming our 12-year-old lead Aquaponics expert. Kevin, another student, talked about his experience in the summer program where we hosted a food justice summit and canvassed in the neighborhood interviewing community members about food and gardening.

Rasul, our most senior student, talked about how he uses his technology and computer programming skills to develop mobile applications. We hope to design an application to connect gardeners in the community together and link them to resources. As a community teacher at the school, I spoke about my personal journey learning skills in agriculture and talked to the importance of young people working to live in a sustainable way.

I ended my presentation with a poem about my personal perspective on urban ag work. For the most part it was received well but there was some controversy behind my choice of words. In the poem I described how people in the neighborhood, where I run a composting operation called Kheprw Compost, perceive me and the work I do. The line went:

Me and my little compost cart, zoomin’ and boomin’ through Highland like a determined yellow jacket

While everybody on the block stares and says “Who is this nigga I keep seeing with the yellow wagon”

During the Q&A a few people asked questions about agricultural approaches and how to engage youth from the inner-city through gardening. We shared our lessons and experiences, but the main focus turned to my poem. At this point in the workshop there were about six participants in the Q&A. Some of the African American elders who attended the workshop didn’t appreciate the fact that I used the word nigga. And because of their strong resistance to the use of the word, they missed the context it was used in.

One of the black elders in attendance expressed his frustrations with my use of the word nigga and asked whether I knew how destructive that word can be.

I responded by saying, “Yes, I understand the historical context and different connotations of the word. If you listen to how its framed in the piece you could see that I was using it in a certain way to drive home a point.” The gentlemen’s reaction to my comment was that the word nigga can’t be used in any other context without invoking its historical baggage and to think otherwise is foolish. A few of the other black elders in the room cosigned.

The gentleman went on to connect my use of nigga to hip-hop and how hip-hop is to blame for the problems in the black community today. The man gave a passionate speech about how his generation died for us to live a life of dignity and respect. He claimed every time a young person uses the word nigga or acts outside their expectations we spit on the progress they fought to push forward.

This ignited a spirited inter-generational discussion about the role of elders and youth in bridging gaps of understanding between different value systems and perceptions of problems. At KI we have a open forum style discussion that we call “Real Talks” where we sit in a circle and have honest conversations about issues and challenges. So in the middle of this lively debate we rearranged the room from a panel-audience set up to a circle.

When we opened the circle it helped release some of the frustration and pain that people had around the subject.That same energy from the KI Real Talk then animated the workshop. By that time attendance went from six to 20 people due to people walking by hearing the emotion and subject matter of the discussion.

Although the dialogue had strong positions on either side there was a common baseline of resistance and a desire to want to see things change. I always find it interesting to to be apart of conversations where people who lived through the turbulence of the 60′s and 70′s have talk with youth making their way through the dynamic evolution of the 21st century. Two of the most pivotal and radical times in recent history, both sides presenting their their take on what the solutions should be from the wisdom of their generation.

The elders, so often not listened to, felt that young people don’t understand the struggles that their generation went through for them to be able to live the lives they do today. In their eyes, the way that the black youth have chosen to respond to the systematic hardship placed on them further perpetuates the strife.

The youth felt that they were more than aware of what they are up against and, because of the rawness of the times, were making a conscious decision to take power in their own hand instead of just reacting what systems say they are. Trying to find ways to express that self-empowerment through mediums like music and language i.e. the redefinition of nigga. So seldom do communities actually get a chance to flush out the wounds in their communication and just talk to one another, especially in the black community.

The dialogue was cathartic for everyone. I feel like people walked away from the discussion feeling heard. I don’t think everyone left agreeing with each other, but it was an opportunity for people to express their experience and gain insight on a perspective from another time.

In a conventional or linear sense this doesn’t relate to urban agriculture at all. In regards to the work we do at the KI EcoCenter this honest and critical approach to communication is integral to our approach to urban agriculture (hence hot sauce). We focus on raising awareness/educating about the health and nutritional problems in our community and how they relate to to the food we eat.

We don’t expect someone in the neighborhoods we work in, who eats fast food and candy daily, to all the sudden have a desire for a locally grown organic eggplant. We see it as a journey, we walk with people through the process of eating healthier foods and living a healthier lifestyle.

No one guessed that the workshop would have manifested like it did. The dialogue of the workshop was so important because mediums like that allow for us to communicate and teach one another. Agriculture is a place of commonality for all people and ages. None of the work of KI Urban Ag happens without a strong sense of community. There is no culture without agriculture and vice a versa. I had a very insightful time in Milwaukee and was glad we got a chance to expose our young people to the larger movement for sustainable agriculture.

“On July 27^th an idea was conceived in the 317 Media Cafe that filled a void in Naptown’s arts scene that many have tried to resurrect

Satisfied the space between a confused Circle Circle city art and intellect

The makeshift stage was a powerful platform where innermost honest was reverberated through mic with umbilical cords connected straight to the source”

I thought I knew something about open mics but I have never felt anything like what happened at our first OmniMic. OmniMic is a new initiative at the Center that started as a fundraiser during a food justice summit that the Center was hosting. I suggested an open mic night, seeing it as an opportunity to get back into a craft I haven’t practiced in a while. So we set up our bootstrap version of a stage (concrete slab in the parking lot), turned on an old school mix cd over the speakers so it could bump throughout Highland Vicinity and the show was on. People from the neighborhood came out to see what was happening. Participants in the summit came to support. Performances were impressive. Derrick Braziel aka Dream wooed the audience with his Backstreet Boys karaoke which turned out to be a hit. I didn’t know that many people knew Backstreet Boy lyrics by heart as they sang along and cheered Dream on. Some of the neighborhood kids came to see what was happening and wanted to perform but were too shy so they sent their youngest sibling up to ask if she could do something. The young lady’s name was Ryan and she asked our executive director, M, if she could perform. M ask me and I put her on the list. I called her up and she started singing her ABCs. Everybody sung and clapped to the beat of her ABC rhythm. The crowd erupted and then asked her to do it again and we sang along and cheered even more at the end.

We had a surprise birthday celebration planned for our program director the honorable Paulette Fair. That evening was her 69^th birthday. We played “Cutie Pie” by One Way and “In Da Club” by 50 cent which are two of her all-time favorites. We had an impromptu dance party where everyone jumped up and started dancing in honor of Ms. Fair. During the party people came to the mic and expressed their appreciation to Ms. Fair and the impact her work has had on them. Then after we stopped dancing I called Ms. Fair back up to the stage by request of longtime supporter and friend of the Kheprw Institute, Theo. Theo brought a chair up to the stage and began a personal serenade Ms. Fair with his raspy Issac Hayes-like voice. That celebration was real special.

After seeing how the open mics could bring residents together and give people a platform to express themselves we thought it would be good to do them more regularly. Also as a grassroots funded organization we wanted to provide an outlet for people to give back to their community creatively and financially support our youth-based initiatives.

Ergo the birth of OmniMic was July 27^th. It was amazing experience. This time we did it inside and the environment was more intimate but at the same time electrifying. The whole show had an energetic vibe complete with our live house band the Scarabs. The performances were phenomenal. Our first feature was Theone Lee who is one of the dopest artist in Naptown’s poetry scene who ripped up the stage with his dynamic flow and the cerebral messages of his pieces. During Theone’s feature he spoke about broken hearts and then one of our summer Ameri-corp reps threated to break his heart! Please click here to vote for the video she made for the center.

We had an intergenerational line up of performers. It was a spectrum of 6-69 years old. Dr. Monday, age 69, delivered his thought provoking poetry about his analysis and deconstruction of the public school education with poems like Thou Shall Not Sag. Chio, 6 year old student at the KI Community school and budding philosopher, was asked by the audience to speak on climate change. I gave Chio the mic and instead of speaking about climate change, he felt it was more important to expound on the life of bees and how they make honey. The audience was charmed by Chio’s surprisingly insightful perspectives on life. The crowd was composed of very diverse and active people from all different walks of life. I remember when I announced the show was over no one wanted to leave so we kept jamming! It felt great to host an event where everyone felt comfortable to share their piece to a crowd with open ears and open minds. I could not express enough how much I appreciated people coming out to experience OmniMic with us and supporting the work at the KI Eco Center.

The next show will be this Friday and I am still trying to figure out what happened at the first one! I guess I am just along for the ride. Our next feature will be singer/poet Nqobi who is going to rock the Center with her tremendous gift. You don’t want to miss this one! I hope to see you this and every 4^th Friday.

Peace

Mat Davis

by Nicole Johnson

On July 24^th, Representative Bill Crawford from the 98^th district came to speak at KI EcoCenter. This is Mr. Crawford’s last of 40 years in office, and because of his political expertise, he was asked to sit on the TIF Study Commission (please see my previous blogs to learn more about TIF). The Study Commission was created to examine TIF polices and processes and to make recommendations to amend some of the issues that have arisen in the past which better processes could address.

As a government representative with extensive experience, Crawford is well informed on TIF policies, and has been able to see both the positive and negative outcomes of Tax Increment Financing. He believes TIF is a useful tool in economic development, but can easily be misused because of loopholes in current guidelines pertaining to accountability and transparency. Crawford mentioned that, in the past, TIF has been used as a way for wealthy individuals to finance personal projects without personal risk. Instead of investing their own money, these individuals or groups have been able to use public funds to subsidize their ventures. In light of this, he calls for more resident engagement and strict policies that will hold both “investors” and the Community Development Corporations that manage the money accountable.

Crawford says that in a TIF district, all new developments will contribute the entirety of their property taxes to the TIF fund. There are TIF districts in existence now that have been around for decades, meaning that, instead of contributing to the general tax base, all businesses or housing that have developed in the area since the inception of the TIF district have contributed their property taxes to repaying TIF debt or funding future development. The TIF Commission recommended that no TIF district be able to extend past 25 years, meaning that these allocation zones can no longer have indefinite sunset dates.

According to the Commission’s recommendations, all TIF proposals have to be pasted through the City-County Council. However, while at one of the Commission meetings,  I listened to Crawford and another member go back and forth about whether or not that should be the case, Crawford arguing that the council should approve all TIF districts and the other gentlemen citing that it was not required in the past and should not necessarily be required now. Although the Commission has made several recommendations to increase accountability and transparency, there is obviously still contention about whether or not these processes should be required. The recommendations have been made, but they are just that, recommendations. There is no guarantee that these recommendations will be implemented, and if they are, does that mean that the new policy will be followed?

During the June 28th Commission meeting, Crawford voiced concern about the procedure for informing residents about TIF implementation, saying that many residents in his district were unaware of TIF allocation zones and were even confused about what TIF meant. However, his view is not one sided. While at KI, he mentioned that as residents, we should work to keep ourselves informed as well. He encourages us to get to know our Representatives and Counselors so that we can stay updated on new developments in our respective areas. With this in mind, regardless of whether the recommendations are considered or followed, we can do our part to stay involved in the process.

Crawford supports Tax Increment Financing, and believes it can be used to better Indianapolis and foster economic development. His participation on the TIF Study Commission has helped give voice to the concerns of residents across Indianapolis and has hopefully impacted the way TIF is used in the future. Despite the uncertainty that has grown concerning economic development, and TIF, Crawford encourages us to not only build a relationship with our area representatives, but to also hold our CDC’s accountable. He affirmed that it is up to us to get involved and demand transparency so that these public funds are used for the public good.

Video of Empower by Diop Adisa

by Diop Adisa

I empower you empower
Write a couple flows and make it shower
And make it shower

Represent or resign
Calculated premeditated
The state of mind
Metabolic metaphors
Illuminating my shine
I’m just stating my Mind
How I feel about the state of the times
Entangled in rhymes
One life u living god given
You get it right
God gave it so keep it tight
Lucid sight developed from earning stripes in my ghetto every night
Dirty water lost daughters
The reason this nigga fight
Keep it tight
The passionate action
Known as activism I ignite
No ether or parables
From a preachers
Just speakers
connected to the soul
Of street teacher
Speaking to change seekers
we tired of this seekers
If u want it
Reach for it
Yeah Build yo ship for it
Shed yo insecurities
And just go for it

Like this piece? Diop performed it at OmniMic on July 27, 2012. Please join us each month for OmniMic every 4th Friday, 7PM at the EcoCenter. Next OmniMic is Aug 24.  Click here for more info.