Stuff Kevin Wrote” The light comes on working with a student from Haiti

The light comes on

I am working with the city without walls mentoring program, and have been for the past few weeks.

They select students from all over Newark and cities near by.

Most often Programs like this select the pets, you know them

The good kids that are already confident and college bound

I am in no means denigrating them………………..

But there are the others, kids neglected by life and by school

Kids who are only still standing because of a single teachers, All Seeing Eye

My kids was sent to me by one of those outstanding teachers….

My kid is from one of the worst parts of Newark

From a area that has crime so high that most youth stay in doors, And play video games or talk on face book if they are fortunate enough, To have either

So I get this kid, who was born in Haiti

At first he is hesitant to tell me he is from Haiti

I blame this on African Americans who tease kids from other countries

Anyway

Right off the bat I knew I had a hard case.

Rodney, who is in charge of the program, put this kid with me purposely

Because he knows I like to work with the hardest cases

And I give Rodney and Ben at city with out wall credit, for reaching out, to those in need

Anyway the first time this kid comes to my studio

He looks around and says

I hate your art

It reminds me of Haiti; it looks like my grandmothers house in Haiti

This isn’t art........ In Haiti everyone does this

Ok, I took a breath, but knowing Haitian art I took this as a compliment.

anyway

I do not have the patience of a saint

And as I get older my temper gets worst, and it is legendary already

But that is a plus, some times, the young lion has to know that the old lion

Although he is missing a few teeth can still bite the hell out of you.

Anyway

This kid took a look in my eyes and shut up

Thank god

We meet every week and I know right off the bat that this isn’t just about art

It’s about exposure

This kid lives in a place where he can’t even go out side

In a place where they kill college kids in school yards

So I walk him around ironbound, show him the sights and sounds

He has never been in this part of Newark

And at first it scares him…

In the mean time I am having a guitar built downstairs

By two master carpenters from Italy and from Portugal

We have worked on a concept for weeks

And after taking this kid to the workshop the guitar is completed

The last time I spoke to this kid I told him off

He called when he check wasn’t on time and told me

In no uncertain terms, that if his check wasn’t sent soon he was out

Of the program

I called him back up and read him the riot act

Look, I don’t know who you are used to talking too

But I am not your friend; I am not your mother

I am a 55 year old 225 pound old Negro that eats, Youngsters like you for breakfast

I have shoes older than you

You talk to me like you would talk to your grandfather or don’t talk to me at all

Don’t make me put my belt on you…………….

We are not in the classroom

And I don’t take shit from any one

I went on to tell him that there are tons of kids

Who would jump at the chance to work with an artist?

So if you are just about buying a pair of sneakers, Out of this money move on.

I don’t have time for playing

The next day he called and apologized

And today he came here renewed

These kids aren’t around men and I have worked with hundreds of them

Break them down then build them back up the right way….

anyway

I have been in touch with his art teacher

Who is from Africa and a real treasure, she and I are working together

Today he came to my studio and we started working on the guitar

Which will be about Haiti

You see I know that these immigrant kids, from Africa, Haiti, and more

Are the new African Americans……….and old hands like myself are here to guide and inform…………

Today he looked at my place and said it smells like Haiti here and he smiled

I put on some music, not the kind he was used too

I hate rap

I put on ennio, Buddha bar and music from Africa

When I brought out the chicken bones

This kid picked them up without hesitation

I could see it in his eyes………..he knew

And we started working

I should say he started working

He kept smelling the bones

Bones put off a certain odor that some times sends people

Running ………but this kid got it

Got it

I saw the light go on in his head and in his heart

I could see it.

More over I could feel it

And he started placing these bones better than I would

He got real quiet for over an hour cutting sniping

And understanding

I sat back and left him alone

Haiti had taken over

You can’t teach any one to make this kind of work

It has to be in your bones

And this kid was smiling smiling

Loving this

He reached in his pocket and told me he has brought some thing

From home, some thing that his grandmother leaves around his house for good luck

He wouldn’t let me see what it was

Nor did I push to hard

He buried it in the bones

When we were done he looked at me

As if coming out of a trance and smiled

I knew then I wasn’t watching art making

I was watching magic………………….magic

This kid asked when could he come back

He asked

What do artist do

Why do you use bones?

Are you sure you are not Haitian…..Kevin

I looked at him and I said we are all Haitian

So go home and read about your wonderful country

Be proud, be Haitian……………..

He then turned and said Kevin if we sell this piece

Can we donate some money to Haiti?

The fat old man was broken now I had to flee to the bathroom

So I could keep up the illusion of my macho…………..

And so the light went on,

After a long hard haul

I walked him to the train station

\and when I returned I stopped in the corner store to get some pills for my headache

I was able to speak to the young lady from Brazil who I count as one of my students

I had been speaking to her about this student

She told me that in most cases that is all it takes

Is for some one to care

She looked at me with tears in her eyes, and said I am so happy am about to cry

She said I am so happy you reached him……..so happy you care

I left quickly before I started crying with her…too

So today the light went on in this kids head

And it restored me

This is what teaching is all about my classroom is now in the streets

And it’s just where I belong

Throwing that light switch

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna make it shine”

This weekend my mentee is going to bring beads and things from Haiti

And we will cover this pieces like a Haiti flag,

He is excited about the piece and so am I
the strangest thing is this kid looks alot like my son jason, when they met today they both noticed that they look alike..

Bondye Bon.
God is good.

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