This week, we have been reflecting on trauma, loss and grief. Young people and entire communities often don’t have the space to heal because of their frequent exposure to violence, trauma and loss. We describe this as living in a state of perpetual community trauma. This makes the work of healing ourselves and our communities extra challenging. With this context, our work strives to create as many spaces for healing as possible - spaces for processing, for feeling, for honouring and remembrance.
With strength and love,
The 4Front Project Team
Highlights
Life At The 4Front
You can now watch Part 3 of our #LifeAtThe4Front series. In this week’s episode you can hear directly from Jamie, Zikko, Khalid and Tahmina, who all share what inspired them to join 4Front and be in service to young people. They also talk about what their passions are and their favourite parts of their role at the 4Front. Press play to hear about #LifeAtThe4Front.
4FRONT speak on school exclusions
This week, Emmanuel Onapa joined Diane Abbott MP, Kim Johnson MP, L’myah Sherae and others on a panel discussing school discipline and exclusions. At the event organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education, Emmanuel spoke about racism in education; the school to prison pipeline; the criminalisation of young people within schools; and his own experience of school exclusion. He explored the expanding relationship between the criminal justice system and educational institutions through secure schools. Finally, he shared how 4Front supports excluded young people through advocacy and highlighted some ways that other organisations can advocate for the rights of marginalised young people in schools.
Newsbite
One death, 11 jailed teenagers: was a Moss Side murder trial racist?
By David Conn:
Early one morning in Moss Side, Manchester, several winters ago, a group of teenagers gathered at a youth club to make a rap video. The shoot had been arranged by an award-winning youth worker. More than a year later, the video would be used as a key piece of evidence to convict seven teenagers of murder and four of manslaughter under controversial “joint enterprise” laws. The video – organised by a youth worker, part-funded by the Greater Manchester Police – was proof, according to the CPS. Read more... [via The Guardian]
Spotlight
No Cop Academy
This week, we’re spotlighting No Cop Academy - a campaign supported by 86 community organisations across the Chicago area, working to see over $95 million invested in the community rather than in policing. Just two years ago, youth from No Cop Academy courageously organised and protested on and off the streets against the $95 million police training centre in West Garfield Park, Chicago. They demanded state accountability for decades of police violence in their community and for resources to be reinvested in their community. They documented their process. You can watch the full documentary here.