John Crowder Couldn't Escape The Streets!

While the sports world is mesmerized by Tiger's divorce, and where King James is going to be signing, the story of Baltimore's John Crowder always brings everything back into perspective about how rough it is for many talented teens to escape the lure of their surroundings. The Baltimore Sun reports on the sad story of the 17 year-old John Crowder being found bleeding in a Northeast Baltimore yard Monday morning ultimately dying of gunshot wounds.

Crowder was a nationally ranked high school basketball player whose mother died when he was 2, his father wasn't around and he already had had 2 brothers shot and a best friend murdered. It's probable that his murder may not be solved (I hope I'm wrong) and that he will become another murder statistic. I know that stations such as ESPN need ratings and it's more noteworthy to see which vehicle LeBron James is riding in to his next free agent meeting, but the story of James Crowder is a tragedy that deserves more that just a footnote in the local newspaper.

Lynn Nottage Wins 2009 Pulitzer For "Ruined"!

Congratulations to Lynn Nottage for winning a 2009 Pulitzer for "Ruined" which chronicles young women who have been raped and brutalized, casualties of the decades-long war in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thanks to the Los Angeles Times for the article.

Storytellers Making a Difference In Baltimore

The National Association of Black Storytellers was formed in Baltimore in 1984, with the goal of promoting the black experience through storytelling. The Baltimore Sun has published a great article that profiles Baltimore storytellers performing their art form to the residents of the city.

This is great way to spread the black culture within the inner city in a manner that's creative, and non traditional .

The Urban Debate Camp In Houston, TX

Inspired by the movie, The Great Debaters, Houstonian, Rodney Mays organized the Urban Debate Camp, which just concluded this week at Prairie View A&M University. Most of the participants came from the poorest neighborhoods of Houston, TX and earned a scholarship to enroll in the camp.

The lack of federal funding has eliminated many extra-curricular activities in the inner city school systems around the country. The idea of countrywide inner city debate camps would be an awesome way to impact the critical thinking and confidence of students. This would also give at risk children exposure to conditions outside of their normal environment.

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