Celebrating Community
Khary Bekka led a multi-day civic engagement workshop for Brooklyn youth at the Red Hook Community Justice Center. Local high schoolers read from information that was presented, gave their ideas and got to hear from the knowledge that Bekka had. Bekka started by asking what they got out of the first day of the workshop and what they thought was […]
Theater of the Oppressed gives teenagers an opportunity and an outlet to share stories and life experiences that they might not be able to otherwise. This program chose to partner with the Red Hook Justice Center because they they both engage young people in social justice issues. They will be wrapping up their third session of the year at the […]
The JustArts Documentary class at the Red Hook Community Justice Center, which is supported by the Price Family Foundation and Red Hook Labs, finished their second semester teaching multimedia to teenagers back in December. This well-known program that has students attend from all over Brooklyn is a competitive one to get into. On Thursday, December 14, there were 12 students […]
Bridging the Gap co-leaders, Sabrina Carter and Gleacy Mejia, take the podium at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Photo by George Fiala. The woman wears a laurel crown and a long white robe. Though serene, she cradles an ax. Beneath her feet, a motto in outdated Dutch reads: Unity makes strength. This old flag commemorates Brooklyn’s stint as an independent city in the […]
Alexys and Vincent, two friends in the eleventh grade, pass each other in the hallway. Vincent stops in his tracks as Alexys approaches. He scrunches his face in a look of disgust. “Why are you wearing that?” he asks, sizing her up. “You don’t have the body for that!” Alexys looks down, embarrassed. Awkward silence… “That was good!” Seventh grader […]
On January 20, military-trained computer expert Juan Torres shared his expertise with members of the Justice Center’s young adult peacemaking program. The class, which will recur two more times, was aimed at helping attendees make money in a constructive way. Wally Bazemore gave Torres the idea of coming to the Justice Center. “Initially he wanted me to be a Big […]
“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Ayden, 7, doesn’t know too much about Martin Luther King Jr. He thinks King’s iconic “I have a dream” speech is “long and boring,” and he was “pretty sure” it happened in 1998. But he knows the important stuff. “He made black people and white people […]
Terence Williams grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. Five years ago, Williams joined the New York Police Department, and on December 8 Officer Williams will graduate from the Red Hook Justice Center’s Peacemaking program. The Peacemaking program adapts Native American conflict resolution strategies to New York City court cases within the Justice Center’s catchment area – police precincts 72, […]
Twenty SPARK Prize finalists have been chosen among a pool of 150 applicants. Seventeen ae Brooklyn-based organizations, including three from Red Hook: Dance Theater Etcetera (DTE); Red Hook Initiative (RHI); and the Red Hook Community Justice Center (RHCJC). The SPARK Prize of $100,000 will be awarded to five of the chosen finalists from the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF). They have […]
In the early 1990s, Red Hook was on the edge of a dangerous precipice. Riddled with crime, drugs and gangs, several important influences were taking shape and coming together to alter the course of the neighborhood’s future. These quiet movements were suddenly awakened by the unfortunate murder of PS 15’s beloved principle, Patrick F. Daly. In his final moments and […]