LOSING SONS TO THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO
Fathers step up to the plate. These boys need you in their rites of passage from boyhood to manhood. George Jurand, founder, Healing Circle
The feeling was eerie as hundreds of African American and Latin American mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts, marched a silent dirge then quietly took their seats in mahogany candle lit Paradise Church.
One by one, the heart wrenching sight of tears and sounds of muffled cries, shrieks of pains from broken hearts, the women recounted the death of their young sons from violence in the streets. No, this is not a survivor’s camp in war torn Afghanistan.
These women are desperately trying to find peace, the strength, and the will to keep on living for their remaining children. These women are the faces and remnants of grim statistics, the record-breaking homicide in the streets of San Francisco. These women are the "Healing Circle".
At the urging of mothers whose young children are killed, as young as 9 months, George Jurand founded the Healing Circle 3 years ago.
One hundred fifty eight families participate in the Healing Circle. They seek prayers for lost loved ones and for themselves to sooth their souls.
Rudy Corpuz, founder of the United Playaz, points to pictures of young homicide victims on his wall in his office at Balboa High School. Corpuz, a father of 2 young boys and a former gang leader, devoted himself to saving children from the allure and devastation of drugs, gangs and violence.
“We have a death culture”, says Corpuz. “Some kids do not expect to live past 21 years old. They start preparing their funerals at 18 years old. They are from poor backgrounds -- they have no self esteem or hope for the future. They get recruited to sell drugs. They kill or they die because someone messes with their livelihood.”
If we are at war, it sure feels like we are losing it.
A lot of young homicide victims live in neighborhoods where there are juvenile problems -- Bayview Hunters Point, Outer Mission including Visitacion Valley, OMI and Western Addition.
A yearly average of more than 3,000 youths, mostly minorities and boys are referred to the San Francisco Juvenile Prevention by law enforcement. There are 53% blacks, 21% Latinos, 15% Asians and 9% whites. The ages range from 11 to 18 years old. Most juveniles are between 15 and 18 years of age.
In Year 2005, San Francisco Juvenile Hall booked 1,838 youths – 1,063 Blacks, 410 Latinos, 93 Chinese, 25 Filipinos, 10 Cambodians, 27 Vietnamese, 53 Samoans, and 120 Whites.
The alleged crimes were 312 robbery cases, 228 assault cases, 46 burglary cases, 37 theft cases, 49 motor vehicle theft cases, 108 narcotics cases, and 63 cases involving weapons. There were 28 cases of prostitution.
733 of the kids booked in Juvenile Hall in year 2005 were from 11 to 15 years old.
“These boys should grow old and die of old age. Their grandmothers or their single mothers are raising them. These women do their best, but when these boys become teenagers they need male guidance. Both parents have to be held accountable,” pleads Jurand.
If there is a lesson to be learned, the story of young Cornelius Williams needs to be told. Cynthia Carter, a Muni driver, a beautiful young grandmother at 44 years old, proudly shows pictures of her grand kids – two babies left by Cornelius, killed execution style in Potrero Hills when he was 19 years old three years ago.
When Cornelius was 2 years old, Cynthia, a single mother to 3 young children asked her mother to take care of him in Elk, Grove, California. She brought him back to San Francisco when he turned 13 years old, a decision that has since haunted her.
“Cornelius was short and skinny for his age. He was being taunted and beaten up. He would come home and ask me, momma why are they being so mean to me? I fought for him as hard as I could.
Then, he went to Thurgood Marshall. There were gang activities. He was getting jumped in school. The bad kids would ask him where he was from and he would say, “I live with my mother.” One day he just snapped and brought a gun to school – he went to jail for 2 weeks. We lived in the Sunnydale at that time.”
By the time Cornelius was murdered, newspaper accounts of him reported arrests for drug possession and allegations of gang activities.
Now, Cynthia keeps a tight rein on her younger son. “Cornelius’ little brother does independent study at home. He only goes to school one hour a week. He likes it. He doesn’t want to get involved with bad influences.”
As a society, we hear of children who endure life’s challenges and prevail. Examples prevail in movies and newspapers yet, real examples like Micah Allen walk among us in San Francisco unnoted. With a sense of indomitable strength of character, he works at UCSF researching cure for diabetes. He brings his 4-year-old nephew with him wherever he goes.
Angela McClure, Micah Allen, and David Wong.
Micah remembers his childhood without a tinge of bitterness. “I did not meet my father till I was 12 years old. He stayed with me for 2 weeks and then he was gone.”
“There is no question my life would have been more positive if I had a male role model when I was growing up. When I was a teenager, I just hang out with friends after school. Usually, we just talked about girls. If I had a father around, we would have gone to baseball and football games.”
Lonnie Holmes, a father of 3 young boys, is a community leader who has devoted his life guiding at-risk kids into more productive lives. He believes that communities should be involved in providing youth with the necessary tools they need to succeed.
Family man Lonnie Holmes with his exuberant wife Paris and their budding sons.
Courtesy of Luke Thomas, fogcityjournal.com
“Job training, vocational and trade schools should be put in place,” says Holmes.
So, what is the answer to this pervasive dilemma? In a recent meeting with the I.T. Bookman Center in the Ingleside, the new Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified District, Carlos Garcia, spoke about developing vocational schools as one of his top priorities. “Our vocational schools will teach kids woodwork, machinist training, plumbing, etc.”
“Crime is a symptom of poverty. So long as people cannot afford to feed themselves or have no vocational prospects, crime is going to occur. The city should focus efforts on the development of new jobs that will help reduce an unemployment rate that is 46% in some areas,” said Holmes.
“In the last 3-1/2 years we have had 350 people killed and 500 people wounded by gun shot at a cost of $1 Billion dollars. To date, we have over 90 homicides. We have 75% recidivism rate in juveniles. Crime is a man made problem that can be solved if the political will is there.” Holmes planned the first Bay View Hunters Point Conference on Crime.
David Wong, the President of the Deputy Sheriff Association developed programs for at-risk youth with various trade unions. He wants to expand these programs.
Rudy Corpuz believes “Everything starts at the home. We have a misled generation. Kids are not being raised right. The media glorifies violence, sex and drugs. Kids are being raised by televisions and radios – a 5 year old can sing the E40 rapper.”
“Artists need to tell the kids the truth and the repercussions of violence. They have a major responsibility because kids emulate them.”
“United Playaz stresses family. Kids like boundaries. In the south of market area, we worked with Captain O’Leary on youth led programs building life and leadership skills. We use recreational sports, football, basketball and talent shows to reach out to the kids.”
“Working with Principal Patricia Gray, Balboa High School is now a model school. We started United Playaz in 1994 after a big racial riot outside Balboa High School between blacks and Filipinos – we transformed that riot into a collaborative effort to stop the violence.” sums up Corpuz.
Youth advocates are lobbying the City of San Francisco to use facilities like the vacant former Hidden Valley Ranch facility in San Mateo to house at-risk kids away from their environment.
“The government is not doing anything to mend social and economic disparities”, complains Jurand. “A young person in the day trade means economic support. We need more job trainings and after school programs for teens”.
“Senseless destruction of young lives permeates our society. Isn’t this generation worth saving?” asks Holmes.
“In order for us to survive, it will take our own people to save us,” says Corpuz. We have to find the will.
United Playaz
The feeling was eerie as hundreds of African American and Latin American mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts, marched a silent dirge then quietly took their seats in mahogany candle lit Paradise Church.
One by one, the heart wrenching sight of tears and sounds of muffled cries, shrieks of pains from broken hearts, the women recounted the death of their young sons from violence in the streets. No, this is not a survivor’s camp in war torn Afghanistan.
These women are desperately trying to find peace, the strength, and the will to keep on living for their remaining children. These women are the faces and remnants of grim statistics, the record-breaking homicide in the streets of San Francisco. These women are the "Healing Circle".
At the urging of mothers whose young children are killed, as young as 9 months, George Jurand founded the Healing Circle 3 years ago.
One hundred fifty eight families participate in the Healing Circle. They seek prayers for lost loved ones and for themselves to sooth their souls.
Rudy Corpuz, founder of the United Playaz, points to pictures of young homicide victims on his wall in his office at Balboa High School. Corpuz, a father of 2 young boys and a former gang leader, devoted himself to saving children from the allure and devastation of drugs, gangs and violence.
“We have a death culture”, says Corpuz. “Some kids do not expect to live past 21 years old. They start preparing their funerals at 18 years old. They are from poor backgrounds -- they have no self esteem or hope for the future. They get recruited to sell drugs. They kill or they die because someone messes with their livelihood.”
If we are at war, it sure feels like we are losing it.
A lot of young homicide victims live in neighborhoods where there are juvenile problems -- Bayview Hunters Point, Outer Mission including Visitacion Valley, OMI and Western Addition.
A yearly average of more than 3,000 youths, mostly minorities and boys are referred to the San Francisco Juvenile Prevention by law enforcement. There are 53% blacks, 21% Latinos, 15% Asians and 9% whites. The ages range from 11 to 18 years old. Most juveniles are between 15 and 18 years of age.
In Year 2005, San Francisco Juvenile Hall booked 1,838 youths – 1,063 Blacks, 410 Latinos, 93 Chinese, 25 Filipinos, 10 Cambodians, 27 Vietnamese, 53 Samoans, and 120 Whites.
The alleged crimes were 312 robbery cases, 228 assault cases, 46 burglary cases, 37 theft cases, 49 motor vehicle theft cases, 108 narcotics cases, and 63 cases involving weapons. There were 28 cases of prostitution.
733 of the kids booked in Juvenile Hall in year 2005 were from 11 to 15 years old.
“These boys should grow old and die of old age. Their grandmothers or their single mothers are raising them. These women do their best, but when these boys become teenagers they need male guidance. Both parents have to be held accountable,” pleads Jurand.
If there is a lesson to be learned, the story of young Cornelius Williams needs to be told. Cynthia Carter, a Muni driver, a beautiful young grandmother at 44 years old, proudly shows pictures of her grand kids – two babies left by Cornelius, killed execution style in Potrero Hills when he was 19 years old three years ago.
When Cornelius was 2 years old, Cynthia, a single mother to 3 young children asked her mother to take care of him in Elk, Grove, California. She brought him back to San Francisco when he turned 13 years old, a decision that has since haunted her.
“Cornelius was short and skinny for his age. He was being taunted and beaten up. He would come home and ask me, momma why are they being so mean to me? I fought for him as hard as I could.
Then, he went to Thurgood Marshall. There were gang activities. He was getting jumped in school. The bad kids would ask him where he was from and he would say, “I live with my mother.” One day he just snapped and brought a gun to school – he went to jail for 2 weeks. We lived in the Sunnydale at that time.”
By the time Cornelius was murdered, newspaper accounts of him reported arrests for drug possession and allegations of gang activities.
Now, Cynthia keeps a tight rein on her younger son. “Cornelius’ little brother does independent study at home. He only goes to school one hour a week. He likes it. He doesn’t want to get involved with bad influences.”
As a society, we hear of children who endure life’s challenges and prevail. Examples prevail in movies and newspapers yet, real examples like Micah Allen walk among us in San Francisco unnoted. With a sense of indomitable strength of character, he works at UCSF researching cure for diabetes. He brings his 4-year-old nephew with him wherever he goes.
Angela McClure, Micah Allen, and David Wong.
Micah remembers his childhood without a tinge of bitterness. “I did not meet my father till I was 12 years old. He stayed with me for 2 weeks and then he was gone.”
“There is no question my life would have been more positive if I had a male role model when I was growing up. When I was a teenager, I just hang out with friends after school. Usually, we just talked about girls. If I had a father around, we would have gone to baseball and football games.”
Lonnie Holmes, a father of 3 young boys, is a community leader who has devoted his life guiding at-risk kids into more productive lives. He believes that communities should be involved in providing youth with the necessary tools they need to succeed.
Family man Lonnie Holmes with his exuberant wife Paris and their budding sons.
Courtesy of Luke Thomas, fogcityjournal.com
“Job training, vocational and trade schools should be put in place,” says Holmes.
So, what is the answer to this pervasive dilemma? In a recent meeting with the I.T. Bookman Center in the Ingleside, the new Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified District, Carlos Garcia, spoke about developing vocational schools as one of his top priorities. “Our vocational schools will teach kids woodwork, machinist training, plumbing, etc.”
“Crime is a symptom of poverty. So long as people cannot afford to feed themselves or have no vocational prospects, crime is going to occur. The city should focus efforts on the development of new jobs that will help reduce an unemployment rate that is 46% in some areas,” said Holmes.
“In the last 3-1/2 years we have had 350 people killed and 500 people wounded by gun shot at a cost of $1 Billion dollars. To date, we have over 90 homicides. We have 75% recidivism rate in juveniles. Crime is a man made problem that can be solved if the political will is there.” Holmes planned the first Bay View Hunters Point Conference on Crime.
David Wong, the President of the Deputy Sheriff Association developed programs for at-risk youth with various trade unions. He wants to expand these programs.
Rudy Corpuz believes “Everything starts at the home. We have a misled generation. Kids are not being raised right. The media glorifies violence, sex and drugs. Kids are being raised by televisions and radios – a 5 year old can sing the E40 rapper.”
“Artists need to tell the kids the truth and the repercussions of violence. They have a major responsibility because kids emulate them.”
“United Playaz stresses family. Kids like boundaries. In the south of market area, we worked with Captain O’Leary on youth led programs building life and leadership skills. We use recreational sports, football, basketball and talent shows to reach out to the kids.”
“Working with Principal Patricia Gray, Balboa High School is now a model school. We started United Playaz in 1994 after a big racial riot outside Balboa High School between blacks and Filipinos – we transformed that riot into a collaborative effort to stop the violence.” sums up Corpuz.
Youth advocates are lobbying the City of San Francisco to use facilities like the vacant former Hidden Valley Ranch facility in San Mateo to house at-risk kids away from their environment.
“The government is not doing anything to mend social and economic disparities”, complains Jurand. “A young person in the day trade means economic support. We need more job trainings and after school programs for teens”.
“Senseless destruction of young lives permeates our society. Isn’t this generation worth saving?” asks Holmes.
“In order for us to survive, it will take our own people to save us,” says Corpuz. We have to find the will.
United Playaz
posted by myrna | 12:59 PM
4 Comments:
Go David Wong for Sheriff!
Go Lonnie Holmes for Mayor!
I hope the voters can realize that there a real alternatives to the current people in office!
These two men have made it their own mission to reach out to misguided youth, it is not just a photo op for them to further their career as a politician!
Elect someone with integrity this election!
I was deeply saddened by the loss of these young children (may they rest in peace). It's sad, because they still have so much to offer, so much to live for. I shared the anguish of those parents who had lost their sons due to gang violence, etc. I pray that you get justice for their untimely deaths. GOD BLESS OUR CHILDREN!
On the other side, regardless of whether children have both parents, disciplinarian or not, children would always do whatever they want to do. Yes, they say, it's part of growing up. They want to be independent and explore the world. Many children that I know (especially boys) as young as 14 yrs. of age are already uncontrollable in their behavior - there are signs - can't miss it. Sometimes some parents are so lenient to their children and need to be reminded. In order for children to stay out of trouble, parents should always pay attention to their childrens' friends or whoever they are hanging out with. There is a saying that goes "Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell who you are". My advice to teenagers out there, never mingle with your peers if you think they are bad influence to you.
By the way, does anybody remember this... A youth program that was created during Mayor's Brown era. These juveniles or parolees were actually given a second chance to do some community services such as being stewards on buses (Mission District area) to foresee if there were any crimes being committed - this is one of the best youth programs that Mayor Brown ever created. Not only he had done so much for the betterment of the youth but as well as the city. One of the best S.F. mayors we had and that is Mayor Brown. Kudos to Mayor Brown!
I hope this particular youth program is still ongoing to this very day under the current S.F. Mayor.
This is a great community effort!
The comments these strong fathers in this article are extremely profound. I grew up in west Berkeley and Oakland. At 8 years old, I was a big kid but because in the begining I did not have a father figure, and fell victim to others who were appeared stronger and tried to make me sell dope.
Officer Walt Randle of the Berkeley Police Department would patrol my neighborhood and he contacted me. Ofc. Randle was a tall, huge officer that commanded attention. Ranlde could even speak Japanese.
He worked out all the time and invited me to his police department gym to workout. This act kept me away from the streets and he was my only father figure I had besides my grandfather who lived in Crescent City, Ca. Lifting weights gave me a stress management tool, and for a young black male this is critical for survival.
These positive influences gave me the motivation to challenge myself to realize my dreams to play college and professional football. Randle said I could use sports to get a college education. He called it being a "Student-Athlete!"
My ultimate goal was to become a police officer and take other young kids under my wing in the Richmond community. I was sucessful due to the fact that I was involved with the people on my beat, citizen and criminal alike.
I was also a fishing guide (thanks to weatherman Peter Giddins) and after taking kids out fishing, I would cook and sell the fish to officers and others in the community-take the money and buy footbal cleets or SAT training programs to the kids under me.
I currently live in Lake County and I still run into the hardship and difficult task of proving that I am good guy. But because of my color & size 6'3 300lbs, the white community here are afraid of my intellegence and size. I have applied 7 times for law enforcement jobs since 2002 and have been turned away.
To date, I think Officer Randle would be proud of me. Although I am 47 years old, I can still bench press 550lbs and can run 220 yards in 27 seconds.
So as a black male young or older in 2007, there are some areas where racism still runs strong, but I can not let that stop my ultimale goal of one day becoming a Chief of Police somewhere in the Bay Area. Then you will see what real community policing is all about-keeping our young males straight!!!!
Thank you for your attention,
Anthony Howard
anthonyh@co.lake.ca.us
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