Blogs

New Look and New Name

Submitted by SCI Dorchester on Fri, 06/29/2007 - 1:34am

First, we would like to thank the subscribers for all their feedback the past six months on the new community website. We will be making a few updates and adding new features to the site.

Stay tuned, we will be revealing our new look in less than 7 days.

Youth of Dorchester are the Change in the Community

Submitted by Dorchester Yout... on Fri, 06/22/2007 - 2:16pm

“It is inspiring to see so many young people together actually making a difference in Dorchester” remarked Senator Jack Hart on Monday June 11, at the SCI Dorchester Youth Council’s “We are the Change Community Showcase.” Youth leaders, elected officials, and dedicated citizens gathered in historic Codman Square to celebrate the positive impact of youth service and the true difference that young people are making in the community. Inspired by the famous quote, “you must be the change you wish to see in the world” teens of Dorchester gathered to prove that they indeed making a positive impact in the community.

The event highlighted the accomplishments of the 2007 Mini Grant Projects funded by the SCI Dorchester Youth Council. Each project had the opportunity to share the impact and experience with the community. Projects included analyzing the media, planting gardens, creating murals, and promoting safe parks. This years recipients Ministries, The Food Project, B.O.L.D. Teens, Dorchester Bay EDC, Smith Leadership Academy, Grover Cleveland Middle School, and Close to Home. Participants engaged the audience with video presentations, speaking presentations, and visuals. Students were then able to ask questions of one another and celebrate accomplishments.

 The Dorchester Youth Council also received citations and honors from Representative Martin Walsh, Representative Marie St. Fleur, Senator Diane Wilkerson, Senator Jack Hart, City Council President Maureen Feeney, and City Councilor Sam Yoon who all offered their congratulations for completing over 1000 hours of community service in the past year. Joining the council was Sonia Alleyne, Vice President of Sovereign Bank and one of the dynamic funders of the $10,000 Mini Grant Process. Dorchester Youth Council member and intern, Grace Ejiwale commented on the event saying, “All from looking at slideshows, videos with spoken words and videos of hurt and angry individuals expressing how violence took a toll on their lives, was over whelming but necessary. All the youth who came exemplified the pillar of salt needed to make a home made meal sweet and delicious.” Congratulations to the SCI Dorchester Youth Council and the 2007 Mini Grant Recipients!!

  

 

Kids of Character!

Submitted by Dorchester Yout... on Fri, 06/22/2007 - 1:57pm
kids of character
On Tuesday June 12, The Boston Campaign for Proficiency honored "Kids of Character", 
Kids throughout the community who have shown respect, responsibility, the ability to develop positive relationships, resilience, citizenship and motivation in recognition that these young people are helping to make home, school, community, and the world a better place on a daily basis. Kids were honored from throughout Dorchester by Mayor Menino, Superintendent Michael Contompasis, and Basketball Hall-of-Famer, Nevil Shed at the Lila G. Fredericks school. Congratulations to all the recipients!  
Honorees from the SCI Dorchester Youth Council include: (from left) Filsjean Chery, James Hughes, Michael Magbagbeola, Anita Marshall, and Fritzkeysha Chery. Pictured Nevil Shed, Basketball Hall of Famer

FEMALES, BLACK AND FATHERLESS IN aMERIKKKA

Submitted by Your_Highness on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 6:00pm

What a title! I mean, my oh my. Where are my violinns? Where is my electronic audience with the "oohs" and "oh my God!" Where is my "What a tradegy" speech? It seems that there is none considering that majority of the population has no father in their home. I went around and interviewed females from Dorchester. What i got was a chilling story of the effects of a father not there. We sat on the loud train as she continued to explain why she didn’t need a father anymore when he tried to step up after her mother died of a heart attack in front of her face.

When I was 14, this guy told me and my bro that he was my dad. It made me angry. My mother played both parts [but after she died] my grandmother stepped up.

The way she talked to me, every word from her luscious brown lips that were plump and kissable, was like I was seeing everything in slow motion. I see that she had no sympathy for her biological father. It was like a relief when she told me another woman stepped up. She depended on women and I did to: My mom. It was something that we all had gotten used to; Not having a father around.

According to Savvy McKay, I just got used to it. It was like nothing. He wasn’t there to begin with. I wouldn’t even expect him to stay around because that’s how they are. Wow! Who knew being fatherless had such a tremendous influence on an individuals psyche. You know, its not having a father around that hurts so damn much but it is the amount of responsibility that was dismissed. A father doesn't have to live in the house to be a father. It is the relationship one developes with the other.

Relationships and a potential partner. What makes you want to date or see a person? Is it their hair, their personality, their beauty? According to Marie McLaughlin, 17, a student, says “all men are the same. Mainly what they want is sex. These days, guys pick you because of your body. Not for how smart you are, but for how pretty you are.” Well, well, well! What do you do? Are you supposed to fall under and give in to a sexual fantasy. I say no. I say tell them to kiss your ass and keep moving. Why must you fall under the shadow of pressure and stay compressed. I say sorrow is for those who have no power to at all.

Don't live to be selected and elected for secularity. Live to be rejected from that lifestyle of where everyone is so damn sorry for you. Make your own way. I know how it feels to be fatherless biologically, but i know there are other positive impacts, even if he wasn't THE sperm donor. Dont hate them. Don't feel sorry for them. There is too much pity in places of comfort.

“out of many, one people”.

Submitted by Tammyanka2 on Tue, 06/19/2007 - 3:39pm

I hate the word diversity.

Prior to moving to the US, in particular Boston, diversity to me referred to different kinds of species, it was a word confined to my zoology and botany classes. It was only occasionally used in other contexts, but not in the way I now constantly hear it. I was listening to an ad on the radio for a Diversity Employment Fair, and then heard a lady in a store remarked on how diverse Fields Corner was, when it occurred to me that I despise the word.  

Maybe I don’t hate the word it self.  It is a poor helpless word.

I despise the way in which it is immediately equated to mean the inclusion of blacks, Asians and Latinos in a primarily white space and the assumed ownership of spaces to any particular race.  

My country’s motto is “out of many, one people”. Mind you, I had no idea what it really meant growing up. I took “diversity” for granted. My best friend in high school was Chinese with a Syrian mother; I am as Afro Caribbean as it gets with a maroon descendant for a mother.  I lived nearby a predominantly Indian neighborhood and had German classes taught by a black Jewish teacher.  I knew whites who spoke Jamaican Creole; towns were named by the dominant people like Irish and German Town. I ate food hyphenated by Asian country names and countless other things I didn’t realize were diverse. This diversity thing makes more aware of my race. I now realize that people call groups diverse to make me feel included. Geez. Thanks. 

This ‘diversity word” is the complete antithesis of what it is supposed to be. It’s a very exclusive word that really says, “We are dominant, and more powerful than you are and our inclusion of you in our workplace, schools and elsewhere is our extension of a helping hand to you.”  Like those job ads that say - women of color are encouraged to apply. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with what grown folks want to do to feel better. It’s just funny to see it play out. Maybe diversity is a movement. Similar to the many that passed years ago, and in twenty years, diversity will mean the inclusion of gays or people who speak only one language or have no access to technology into our workplace and schools. Since we would all, by then, be so integrated and over ourselves that we look for another group to exclude with our politically correct terms.   

In closing, we need to be more careful of the labels we use. We are so much alike than we recognize. If we learn about a person beyond their name, skin and ethnicity and do away with prejudice then we are less inclined to have Diversity Employment Fairs.

 

 

Tammyanka

The Connector

Submitted by SCI Dorchester on Tue, 06/19/2007 - 3:04pm

Check out SCI's

Spring/Summer 2007 Newsletter

The Connector

Mini Grant Showcase

Submitted by Your_Highness on Fri, 06/15/2007 - 2:05pm

Last monday night, at the Great Hall, where many great events are held, was The Mini Grant Showcase. The room was taken up by youth and adults from different areas in Dorchester who work to make a difference. Of all the things people saw, the last impression was the last clap which embraced the hard work the youth of Dorchester had done this year.

Now, i am not one to lie. There were some groups who were expected to do more than what they presented, but many of groups claim that their projects are extended through out the year; time will tell. All from looking at slideshows, videos with spoken words and videos of hurt and angry individuals expressing how violence took a toll on their lives, was over whelming but necessary. All the youth who came exemplified the pillar of salt needed to make a home made meal sweet and delicious.

In the midst of it all, SCI honored DYC members who graduated and were off to college and those who were on their way to be the center of attention in a few years. At the end of the night, there were smiles and hungry tummies who ran to gobble up the rest of cuisine, rice and peas, curry and stew chicken, and everyones favorite, plantine, which was purchased from Lorenz Island Cuisine.

What can i say? Those who didn't come missed out and those who did come embraced the world closer than before.

Real Issues

Submitted by Your_Highness on Mon, 06/04/2007 - 1:30pm

Alright people, last week I attended a meeting at the State house and got some very interesting information. Although there were many speakers, one particular person stood out to me. It was interesting because for the most part, many of them didn't state their name or what they do but i did some research. Senator Robert Havern, if I could get it all together, basiclly said that if you vote, you will be heard and if you don't, your voice is as to or little than Suger Honey Iced Tea. Whoa! What a left and right jab into reality huh? When i heard that, i was like "damn, he is really serious" With a dead chuckle, he went on and another person came up to speak.

Well, as you all can see, all you ever really hear about these days are protest about if abortion is right or wrong. All you see and read is about immigration and if homosexual people can marry and then the war in Iraq. I think we really need to wake up because these issues are real, but what we see isn't always the real issues. There are much more important stuff like the murder rate in Dorchester and how many people are out of jobs and how many people who are homeless because they can't afford to keep up. These are real issues, real people, real lives. I am not saying that these topics aren't issues but they aren't all that serious. People are dying because they can't put food into their stomache or they don't have a home to live in and all you hear on the media is Duh Duh Duh Duh!!! Reporting live from the state house. There has been another protest which are putting alot of weight on legislators. Back to you!! Zone out. I think other people do agree with me and if they don't, i respect that.

What is broadcasted as important is nothing but a disraction from what is really the big deal. Take for instance about the death of the female from another state who came to Dorchester and was shot and killed at a party. Hello! I didn't see what they made such a big deal until a non-minority was killed. It was going so great. I mean it was so bad we ran out of body bags and then a non minority tragedy happened. No one sang about the victims before her but it was about her. I never see the media bring so much attention to the deaths of minority people. All they say is "what a tradegy." I say tragedy is something that we can't stop but for Dorchester this "tragedy" is reality. If that's a tragedy, then why aren't those people who think it isn't alright comming together with other organizations and speaking up and putting their foot into communities who are ridden with devastation. I say keep your pity for when your eyes need tissue.

Signing off,

Your Highness

Join the Dorchester Youth Council

Submitted by Dorchester Yout... on Fri, 05/25/2007 - 1:50pm

Want to make an impact on the Dorchester Community?

 Want to use your voice to make change?

Want to complete community service throughout the year? Then join the Dorchester Youth Council!

 The Dorchester Youth Council is a group of 14-17 year old civically engaged teens who make a difference in Dorchester through civic engagement and community service learning. Come learn about what we do and learn how you can make a difference with us, 

 June 14th

6pm

 SCI Dorchester

1452 Dorchester Ave

 4th Floor

 Dorchester, MA 02122

this is a volunteer position. For more information contact Leah Moschella at 617 474 1422 or lmoschella@scidorchester.org

We Are the Change: A Powerful Evening Celebrating Youth Voice and Active Citizenship

Submitted by Dorchester Yout... on Fri, 05/25/2007 - 1:47pm

 

It is a pleasure for me to share and boast of the work of the Social Capital Inc. Dorchester Youth Council and area teens who have been working diligently to create projects that are designed to positively influence and strengthen the Dorchester community.

On Monday June 11, we will be honoring these young leaders for their hard work and accomplishments at our annual “We Are The Change Community Showcase.” Meet the young leaders of Dorchester addressing important issues in our community.  Celebrate their accomplishments and support their causes.  Hear special remaks delivered by Senator Jack Hart as well as other key members of the community on youth civic engagement. 

The event will highlight the successes of the Dorchester Youth Council in completing over 1000 hours of community service as well as the projects funded through the 2007 $10,000 Mini Grant process. Starting in early December, the Dorchester Youth Council received training in philanthropy, and decided on seven worthy projects to fund.

This year’s recipients are youth-led and initiated projects that span different focus areas ranging from developing safe parks, creating positive media documentaries to prevent youth violence, and, planting urban gardens. The event will be starting at 7pm at the Great Hall (6 Norfolk St) in Codman Square. The evening will consist of presentations from the young people and examples of their successful projects.

Thank you in advance for your participation. Please call (617) 474-1422 for more information or to RSVP

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