Clint Smith - "Place Matters"
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Facebook: / clintsmithiii
Twitter: / clintsmithiii - @ClintSmithIII
Website: www.clintsmithi... - Clint Smith
Place Matters
By: Clint Smith
As a child,
my father would tell me stories
of ancient Egyptian warriors
travelling for endless days and nights
across infinite desert planes
showing signs of endurance and bravery
I could only dream of emulating.
He would tell me that upon their return home,
these warriors would be welcomed with a feast
worthy of their bravery on the battlefield.
Years later as a teacher in Greater Washington D.C.
I too find myself traversing a desert --
though not the one I envisioned.
A food desert
is as a poor urban area
where residents cannot afford or are not given access
to healthy food and grocery stores.
Everyday at 2:45,
I watch my students
hop onto this leaking submarine of a school bus.
Every block bringing them deeper
into an ocean where the only fish they find are fried,
where fruits and vegetables just can't be found
because there are no grocery stores here.
Just liquor stores and Popeye's.
Dunkin Donuts and 7/11's.
Children,
born into a neighborhood
that feels more pollution than solution.
It is then I realize,
I am not too far from the deserts
I once dreamed of.
Whether Anacostia or the Sahara
it doesn't make much difference
because to Whole Foods
Southeast DC is no different than the Serengeti.
To them, brown skinned boys like my students
are nothing more than walking cacti,
just a piece of the scenery the world
has taught everyone to stay away from.
Briana,
literally has a landfill in her backyard
so she has a hard time
convincing herself that the world doesn't just think she's trash.
Restaurants come and dump out the remains of food
that she'll never be able to afford to eat
three steps from her back door.
Jose,
eats fast food five days a week
because his mother works three jobs
to take care of six kids
and only sees her son
when she arrives home from work
at the same time he is leaving for school.
He has gotten so big
that the excess fat bunkered beneath his skin
puts added pressure on his joints.
His knees are literally crumbling
under the weight of this world.
Olivia,
watched her father shot two feet from her front porch.
She wants nothing more than to go outside
and play at the park after school
but gun violence, has made a merry-go-round
feel more like Russian roulette.
So she doesn't go outside
simply eats any processed food from the cabinet
that will last long enough to prevent her from
leaving the house too often.
These are my students,
my warriors,
fighting a battle against an enemy
they cannot clearly see.
These kings and queens were meant to feast not to fester,
but their zip code has already told them
that their life expectancies are 30 years shorter
than in the county seven miles away.
I can see the faults of my own ancestry
shaking in their eyes.
Diabetes and high blood pressure run
through the roots of my family tree.
Heart disease is as much a part of my history
as shackles and segregation.
So, from my father's kidney transplant
to Olivia's asthma
these things are more than mere coincidence.
Both grew up in places more accustomed
to gunshots than gardens.
So tell me that place doesn't matter-
that the neighborhoods that are predominantly healthy
aren't the one's that are predominantly wealthy.
When you're not choosing
between buying your medicine or your groceries
health doesn't have to be a luxury.
It doesn't have to be an abstract concept
presented in academic journals and policy briefs.
My students, overcome more everyday
than I will in my lifetime.
They are the roses that grew from the concrete-
the budding oasis in the heart of the desert.
Their lives are worth far more
than the things this world has fed to them.
© 2013 Clint Smith
When you grown up in a neighborhood like the one he describes, being financially stable is not a part of your reality. When you're a kid and have never been anywhere else, you know nothing else, and unless you have a great teacher like this man obviously is, or someone else in your life who knows how to get out to teach you that things can be better, you can't even imagine life being any other way. Don't judge unless you've walked in anothers shoes.
Amazing. It still amazes me the lack of grocery stores in Wards 7/8.
"There lives are worth far much more than this 'desert' has feed them."
.....Absolutely amazing.
"Meant to feast not to fester"- Clint Smith I felt that on a spiritual level
I always come back to this.
The story that is told over and over in Every Country, of been born in a poor family, the end less struggles, the tragedies.
More time spent trying to survive life, than having to live life.
I love this. I am a nurse doing a specialist course and looking at capacity building in community and this is it. Everything. You basically just did a full holistic assessment and identified clearly and concisely some of the societal contributory factors that have a huge impact on the education, health, earning potential and therefore entire FUTURES of so many in poverty. I'm so sick of hearing people say others have managed to break the cycle and those who don't, just need to work harder. Everything is stacked against them from day one. Equality is for all, or no-one, and does not exist when the same opportunities for such basic issues as health, education, nutrition and housing do not exist. Thank you.
He's performing a spoken word piece--this is a common way to deliver such words in a powerful and resonating manner.
These chills though. The truth that politicians refuse to hear. This literally made me tear. Preach on brother, preach on.
This is so poetic. It is so deeply real that it is uncanny. It is a truth that is hard to face. A truth that must be eliminated. WE need to end hunger, once and for all.
Yes! this brought tears to my eyes! God bless him!
Why is this organizational structure effective?
THANK YOU BROTHER "CLINT" THANK YOU!!
You speak the truth, Clint, and eloquently so. Power to you!
We spread the word and move our feet
Brilliant, Poignant and Moving! Thank you!!!
Wow! That's soul touching. An eye opener we all deserve. Keep spreading the word Mr. Smith.
I heard this guy once @ Wits in 2010 during the DFL Festival. Finally he is found
"There's more pollution than solution."
One of my favorite pieces.
Thank you so much Clint; You are telling the hard truths, yet we call this lifestyle "normal"... change must start with the school lunches, and the food stamp program... processed foods and fast foods are the real killers, and we're too blind to see.
Beautiful Truth.
You spit hot fire good sir. Great, amazing, fantastic!
Money's not everything! Believe to achieve.
Marc,
This video is one of our discussion posts for my psychology of prejudice class. Thank you for spreading this information
Amazing. I am in a lower middle class town next to a poor town that is a lot like the one he describes. It's so strange to see how much worse things can get just under a mile from a moderately well-off town.
tough shit man there are far worse things then this and its not like people have a blind eye to this but never will the whole world be completely able to be protected. i may seem ignorant but ive been through similar and its alot easier to realize just to live with it because you can't do anything.
Wow. Powerful.
Amazing piece.....and sad truth.
Bacani Films represent! great job to my cousin!
WOW! Thank you.
underrated.
Kids that grow up in poverty like this often know of no way to get out. They do often wind up pregnant young. But its not because they want to continue the cycle. They are young, their role model of society is the one they grew up in. It's takes men like the author / teacher to speak out and to teach them that their are options that they too can take.
Strong words.
He's right, however like someone has pointed out not all the fault lies on society. It also lies upon the parents who had so many kids before becoming financially stable. I myself won't be having any kids until I'm at least 30.
So powerful and resonating thank you for this message it is well heard and is one of the reasons I decided to work in environmental justice.
why is it powerful in your opinion?
There's a book called 'Code of the Street' by Elijah Anderson that explains exactly this but, in summary, these girls feel they have little value beyond their bodies and what they can do with them. In the end a child HAS to love them, does it not? And surely it'll keep a man around, right? At least in the end they have something to show off, right? They honestly don't know any better.
BRAVO!
this is very inspirational
u did
why is it inspirational?
I have no clue tbh I don't remember making this comment
Beautifully said!
Thank you. This is beautifully written and perfectly on point!
Moving. Well said.
Sad but true
Start educating the adults so they can teach the children that there are better choices in life. Teach self esteem, pride, that education is good. Parents, be parents. Women, find self respect. Love your children and be an example. Men, be men! Teach your children how to work and take pride in it. Be a male presence. Show you daughters that you love them. Show your sons how to be real men.
Change starts with us. We may not be able to change where we live but we can change how we live!
Ive legitimately never thought much about the food desert problem until watching this....and I'm black. Isnt it a shame what bullshit the world has fed all of us? I will get off my ass and research this more now.
P.S. Clint Smith, can I marry you? I know you'll never see this comment in your lifetime, but if you ever do, and you have a UA-cam account to reply with, this is a legit proposal because...goddamn. You're just fuckin everything.
Came from a classwork, subscribed because the content is eye opening.
Truth. I wish it wasn't. So sad and sorry if I had anything to do with this, consciously or otherwise.
Too bad noone will fix this. we talk but noone acts
Amazing
Very powerful.
real!
Powerful
Whats the last word? "Their lives are worth far much more than the things this world has..." This is killing me!
I think it's "fed them."
We need to bring real food to these communities. How can we help?
Check out our urban farms which are oases in the Prince George's food deserts. We are part of the Prince George's Place Matters team. We speak your language and share your concerns. Visit us! Let's join forces!
powerful
Well written.
Hi Mark, fantastic poem with a message that governments should heed. Government needs to stop bowing to the rich and follow the democratic principles instead of kowtowing to the rich. Keep up the good fight ;-)
Wow , 3rd world in the citizen appointed Greatest Country In The World .
good work, well spoken
*applause*
That would be cool. It would be nice to see one that is employee owned and operated. Think of what the kids could learn...! I wish I was rich...I'd start it.
I wish I knew how to help this. There is a pervasive ideal that if one doesn't know how to help, they shouldn't help. I believe that to be a idea born of laziness and a lack of care. How do we change this?
Well said my friend. I find inspiration in your message. I too suffer from seeing my family feed my niece garbage because I am the look of someone that is "too skinny" while I am marveled by the size of two of my favorite people in the world, my sisters. They are beautiful, but there bodies suffer from obesity and the will to think that fast food is tasty food, all the while knowing that what they consume is not at all healthy. I cry as I know my sister's baby will more than likely suffer from the 1:3 statistic of obtaining Type 2 in their lifetime and that has been true since 2000! I choose a veggie based diet more out of moral obligation than health, but I won't deny that the feeling of great health, a truly celebrated body is a much more satisfying life than what I was before. However I hope one day we can realize that at least what we are told to eat, is truly based off taking down these companies, rather than teaching our children to avoid them.
Well let's see some of these folks that don't have access to a proper grocery start planting some tomatoes out back or in a commons yard; some beans, some lettuce, some peppers, carrots, strawberries, etc. You could replace every flower, shrub, grass, fern, etc. in a neighborhood with plants that actually make food, and feed the community several times over with healthy food. Good luck getting anybody interesting in improving their lives by both work and through thinking of solutions though.
Will Allen's growingpower (dot) org practically addresses the problem of food deserts. There is also an entry on Will Allen (urban farmer) at wikipedia.
We address the root causes of poverty - for instance, we educate so that single mothers don't have six children. We work to raise the minimum wage. We institute single-payer health care. We educate children so that they can lift themselves out of poverty, and hopefully their families with them.
Educate. Educate. Educate.
May I use this for a project? I will give you all the credit.
+Katerine Velez Of course :-)
+Marc Bacani Thank you.
Why is my left ear so tired now?
Awesome video. Very powerful. Now, Lets give Clint Smith some speech therapy to correct his lisp. That speech impediment pisses me right off.
haha I was thinking the same thing
I didn't say it was. That had nothing to do with what I said, other than if I were rich I'd go there
and help start a business. What the kids would get out of operating and being owners of the
store would be worth far more than money. But...they would be making some in the process to survive.
...so then, what do you propose is done?
Maybe one of your kids will grow up to open the grocery store in their old neighborhood. If it's worth it to anyone, it's worth it to them.
Your paradigm makes you think "wow, what an idiot, why would she have 6 kids?????" (Or something along those lines). Realize she has a completely different world view than you do - her life is built upon experiences that you likely never have had. So don't just go around saying she wasn't thinking, because chances are, she was. She just was thinking in a different way.
Good point, sometimes people use bad judgement. To people like me, my first thought is exactly like yours... But, think more.
The position of women in society (especially in poor areas) is quite sad... Often times women feel as though bearing a child with a man will tie her to that particular man, (trust me, I know a girl that faked pregnancy so her bf would stay with her). Additionally, birth control isn't always affordable, and education regarding the subject is hardly existent.
Am I communicating with a school boy ?
You're pretty funny
Guessing your not around passionate people very often. Your loss.
Perhaps we should look at the success of the president's family. (Obama). They are a family with a Father, Mother, and there own children. This is the example we should all follow to increase the chances for equity in life and economic freedom.
The only thing that has been consistently shown to lower birth rates is to educate and empower women.
ha wtf why???
Tell me again that "Hunger Games" is not reality!
I hate to break it too you, I'm like 67% sure that hunger games is fiction
1. This is called 'Place Matters' for a reason and 2. He even said himself this is more a problem of health than of wealth. For example, living in a poor Italian village can mean you're eating really, really good, as everything is grown and raised locally and everybody cooks like a boss. If you live in a poor urban area, those surroundings are replaced by corporations who care less about the food than they care about their wallet. You are only underlining what he said, be it in a fucked up way.
Why does he speak like this? He's not charley chaplin
last
Good message but I don't like the the way hes speaking to us. Makes me uncomfortable. Sorry I can't finish watching.
It's just not that simple. Before you can conceive of ideas like this you have to have the proper level of education and/or possess a certain level of critical thinking ability. When you're busy dodging bullets and crying tears of blood over the rent it's rather difficult to wonder whether or not you should really be eating McDonald's every night. Community gardens are a huge undertaking and honestly, there's a huge risk of failure from vandals and the like.
...of shit. :)