There are many communities affected by injustice and lack of resources, this is to be blamed on knowledge and opportunity. A Lot of times this has to do with politics, community commitment and community engagement. When organizing for a community you have to know what the community and what the community needs. Organizations have established programs that help tutor students in their needs. Everything from homework's, physical education to activities such as history of their own cultures. Places like Casita Maria have helped educate students on culture and folklore, groups like Bombayo have taught youth through performances. Community organizing lead the majority of these programs and at times help others in opening and creating programs that help to foster success through education and cultural awareness.
One of these locations is called the Bronx Musical Heritage Center which is located in the Freeman section of the Bronx. The center was created to reconnect today youth with their heritage and culture. The center focuses and emphasizes on its hip hop roots because of the location but regardless of the fact it is geared toward teaching about the roots of hip hop it also focuses on others such as modern and pre-modern Latin culture. One of its events is the Bronx Rising Music, Film and Spoken word of the boro. The event this year ran from November 8TH to November 10TH. The location of the event was 1303 Louis Nine BLVD, which in itself has its own historical roots. The event celebrates El Condado De La Salsa, meaning its creation and birth from its roots of mambo and the boogie down Bronx which gets its nickname from its roots in mambo and salsa. Hip Hop and salsa became an played a pivotal role in the Bronx back in the 1960’s and 1970’s when drugs and gangs ran rampant. One major factor was the great depression and another bring the building of Robert Moses famous Cross Bronx Expressway. When salsa and hip hop hit their peaks in the community it focused on being the “voice of the oppressed”. Landlords were burning communities, police were brutalizing communities so why not find a constructive way to deal with the struggle? Unfortunately today in the 21st century we have lost that so events like Bronx Rising remind us of our history. Everyone from Johnny Pacheco to Afrika Bambaataa influenced the resilience of the boro. With that idea in mind Bronx Music Heritage Center was created and is committed to preserving and promoting music and families through education and practice. Some future developments that will come out of this plan and idea will be the creation of an expanded institution and the Bronx Commons Apartments, which will house community residents and artists. The development will include affordable apartments, an artist-school partnership with Bard College which when completed will include a green roof and recreational space.
With the mission and idea of education for the community in mind the Bronx Music Heritage Center created Bronx Rising to celebrate Puerto Rican Heritage month. Some of the notable performers were Sandra Maria Esteves, Vanessa Martir and Nancy Mercado. The three women all are poets and written expression performers in their own right. All three performers have all had their influence on the public and larger society as a whole. Sandra Maria Esteves is known to be La Madrina or in English the godmother of Nuyorican Poetry. Nuyorican as a word in its own right has its famous roots as it originated and was fostered by the creation of a similarly named establishment known as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. The Nuyorican Poets Cafe is a location where many written expression performers go to express what they believe in without being chastised or oppressed. The next performer was Vanessa Martir , could be known as a leader and movement maker. Martir quit her full time job to pursue her hobby and dream as a poet and a written expression performer. She has written a few books but a lot of what she has written has been about her and her upbringing as a Latina who had strict parents who also had very closed minded views. She co-wrote a book that guides youth to social and emotional independence. She has taught at a few educational institutions and speaks regularly at schools and events that usually include panels on reforming the persona of youth. One example of her motivation towards youth is when she writes about not being accepted as a lesbian by her parents. Although the parents had perfect symbols according to her poems she writes about her not being the average girly, girl we are used to. At the end of the day she found love and care through those she helps and or helped.
Nancy Mercado however uses her experience in the community to guide her to what she writes about. In her poems she writes about her many experiences through activism and education. In one of her poems she asks the question is the party over meaning and or possibly implying that our dirty practices could be killing us and or our country. In another poem she speaks about her community experiences and the influence her family has had on her. Mercado has many awards and accomplishments and one which she has shared with us is her many publications. Everything from books to magazines, she has also been profiled as a Latino teacher of her work in the community and at home.
In closing the Bronx Musical Heritage Center has been a staple in the community because of its dedication to preserving historical icons from hip hop to poetry. I was there for the poetry event and learning that a lot of what I do others are doing helps me to connect to the community of others. The event as powerful in the fact that the students including myself were inspired and moved by the many stories told.
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