Kevin says: Brick city Review

I watched most of the series Brick city,

I say most because at times,

It just either bored me to tears

Or simple was the same ole

Same ole.

Mayor Booker is a brilliant man, one who has invested his time,

Hell his life in the city of Newark.

Like him or not,

Think he isn’t black enough or white enough or enough

Or not

You be wrong

This man is trying,

Trying as hard as a human can to change things

People expect magic,

I just expect honesty and a real effort, and so far I can see both

It often struck me while watching this movie that the Major wasn’t always portrayed in the best light

But the parts when he interacted with children were priceless.

And look

I am an ex-cop so I loved the parts on McCarthy,

Who could star in any television cop show.

He is a cop just as I love cops.

Now what was my problem with Brick city?

Unlike others I want to know what’s really going on out there,

I teach in Newark these kids.

And I wanted the real skinny on how they feel…….instead they do what they always so

Find a love story

No offense but I found this part to be not only boring……….but un needed.

There are so many love stories to tell in Newark that never get told

The love story that I watched every day for five years

Between real teachers dedicated teachers and their student

There is a teacher where I teach at one of the worst schools in Newark

He is a white guy, I watched him for five years, stay every single day to work on projects with groups

Of students, or to help them with homework, or to listen to their problems.

Or the love story of the group that is always neglected Latinos

Where were the Latins in the show, every student of mine, every Latin friend of mine

Felt excluded………………….as they rightly should have.

I live in ironbound not far from city hall

I had to move because their were building their new sports stadium

I moved along with a lot of other artist, many of whom left Newark because of its

Lack of appreciation and support

There is a neighborhood over there just behind the post office

A place that is mostly Latin, quiet and you might not even know it was there

But there are families there, good people there………

Where is their love

I am doing a mural and I had to go to the tucker center

After watching brick city, it had me almost scared to walk down Elizabeth ave

But when I got to the tucker center, they were holding a large choir practice

When I walked up all of these good folks said good day

How you doing, smiling happy

In love

With Newark

With their selves and with God

So no offense I was not moved by the love story between a blood and a crip

My kids that I teach tell me all the time

That you can be a grape, meaning blood red and crip blue

So it was not a first for me personally and I wished that

They would have spent some time during the filming

Showing the love that good folks have for Newark

Good working folks

And if you want to show the kids and the crime

Then don’t do it this way

It just left me hanging

And for viewers interested in being a part of the wire

Go to damn Baltimore

We are a city that sits right near New York

We are different here

How could you do a movie about Newark

And not show ferry st

Or broad street more

And where were the artist and musicians

Newark is a city of invention and creation

And people whose use its rawness to make things

To sing songs

To write words

All of this was left out

Along with people who have a right to be portrayed

Man how can you do Newark without doing north Newark

And latrines and Brazilians, and South Americans, what is Newark without Puerto Ricans

I don’t get it

I loved the one blood guy that wrote a book and looked like a lion

He was truly charismatic and interesting

Other wise

I place this one along side Cnn blacks in America

Maybe we blacks have simply become to diverse to have a clear picture

But damn if you are going to do the gangs do the gangs

From the inside out

Brother the one that wrote the book

Do your own movie

Show them the real deal

In some ways

In many ways their mayor was ill served by this show

It showed the crime

It showed some of the rawness

But not enough of the realness

I am not saying to only show the good

I live here and love Newark warts and all

I love the all of the kids that I teach black white and Latin

Brick city missed out

They were so concerned with showing characters

With showing odd balls

In trying to show the real deal

That they missed the point

Missed so many people

All of us in Newark are a little rough

All of us here are a little raw

In any case

I give it a c minus

Man Latino’s are in the same position as blacks ten years ago

Why didn’t they show all of the immigrants that live

By the water now

All of the homeless

The new white junkies that are coming in

The kids that are walking around schools

With colors

The best line of the movie

Was why do you people always come around when there is some thing bad

What is good surviving?

Raising families

Loving

And we love the kids in gangs

They are not separate from us

They are us

No offense but Newark is not a city for middle age white men

To make a movie in

As always what they think is real

Is mostly in their minds

Sorry not knocking their skill

Just their insides……………………

Not a color thing

A Newark thing

I will wait until some young black kid

Some young Latin kid

Or some young kid period

Shows us what Newark really is