Sunflower County Freedom Project

SCFP and Student Profiled on Nickelodeon!

We're on TV!!

Check out the Nick News Program, in which Kenyon King and the Freedom Project are profiled in a broadcast highlighting possibilities for hope in areas of rural poverty.

Below is a brief description of the broadcast from Nickelodeon, but please  watch it and let us know what you think.  Watch the Show: http://www.nick.com/turbonick/index.jhtml?extvideoid=119785

America's Forgotten Children: The Rural Poor

14-year-old Kolton lives in a house with no electricity and no running water.

The closest big store is two hours away.

And his family doesn't have a car.

"I think life would be happier if we did have more money," he says. "(It) might kind of make everything easier."

Kolton lives on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

He and his family are among the rural poor people who live far outside the city and far below the poverty line.

But rural poverty is not confined to the reservations where many Native Americans live.

Poverty comes in all colors.

13-year-old Garrett is white.

He, his mom and his sisters live in the mountains of West Virginia.

Jobs are scarce there.

And often, the only meals he gets are free breakfasts and lunches at school.

"We have to watch our money," he says. "I do get kind of frustrated a little. Sometimes I do feel sad, but never ashamed."

And 15-year-old Kenyon is African-American.

He, his mom and his little brother live in Mississippi.

There's not much work there either, aside from the industrial plants where people process catfish.

"I want to be better than what I have here," he says. "I want to go to college."

Kolton, Garrett and Kenyon may be poor.

But they are not stupid and they are not lazy.

They have dreams.

The question is, can they overcome their poverty in order to make those dreams come true?

On Sunday, December 21st, you'll meet Kolton, Garrett and Kenyon.

They're kids growing up in America in the 21st century.

But chances are it's an America that's far different from the one you think you know.

To find out more about Kolton, Garrett and Kenyon, tune into to Nickelodeon on Sunday night at 9pm Eastern (8pm Central) for "America's Forgotten Children: The Rural Poor."

It's the latest edition of "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee."

(If you live in another time zone, check your local cable listings for the show time in your area.)

At a time when times are tough for more and more people, find out how these kids are keeping their hopes and dreams alive.

SCFP Goes on Writer's Retreat to Charleston...Mississippi!

      The first weekend in November was a memorable experience for the SCFP. We went on our first writer's retreat to Charleston...Charleston, Mississippi that is.  About an hour away, in Tallahatchie County, the SonEdna Foundation, pioneered by Myrna Colley-Lee and her husband, Morgan Freeman, hosted an awesome afternoon and evening of events. 

   We arrived in Charleston about 3:00 that Saturday afternoon and strolled around downtown Charleston.  Like many of the small towns in the Delta, it had a rustic downtown, that really had that old, western, southern charm type feeling, or so.  We took some pictures outside the local courthouse, before we made our way to the Writer's workshop, held in an old bank which had been redesigned into an community art studio.  We were met by the SonEdna board and visiting writer's including, Ifa Bayeza, Clyde Ford, Dr. Hasna Muhammad (see picture to right with Second Year Fellow, Reggie Higgins,) and Myrna Colley Lee. It was a great event where we all got to write and explore different writing styles. We split up into different groups based on our interest and then came back together at the end to hear from the drama, narrative, poetry, and visual art groups. Here is a quote from Fifth Year Fellow, Oryan Griffin "  I wrote a narrative about a secret double-agent on a mission to destroy terrorism and make cash." I didn't know how good it was, so I was too nervous to read it. I've never had that much fun writing a story and will continue writing it when I get home."                                                        The afternoon was amazing and we had a lot of fun, a lot more than I think any of us had planned.

     From there we went to our campsite, set up our tents, and quickly changed into our "evening attire." We ate dinner in a bit of a rush, but hustled to make it to the evening's events back in Charleston.  Our plans were to attend the writer's workshop, which featured actress and writer, Victoria Rowell.  She was promoting her book, The Women Who Raised Me, but needless to say, she got a great deal of attention for her role as Druscilla in the soap opera, Young and the Restless. One of our fellows, Amberly Dennis had prepared not only a question, but also a poem which she was asked to perform as a close to the evening's events.  When Ms. Dennis finished, the crowd really went crazy, as did Ms. Rowell. It was amazing.  Check out our video clip which can be found on youtube as well:

Below is the full version of Amberly's poem. Feel free to comment and let her know what you think.

We definitely had a great time on our Writer's Retreat and I think all of us left a bit more inspired than we came.  Hopefully, after reading this poem, you'll feel inspired too. Enjoy!

Inspiration:

by Amberly Dennis

When we look at you we see

Greatness, power, and strength

A woman who overcame her troubles and conquered the impossible.

You are the inspiration for the ones who are ready to give up

The motivation for the ones who think they have no luck.

We stand strong, for we know that pain goes away

Because of you we keep moving, keep our heads up,

And live through another day.

If you made it, then we can too.

Because you’re the inspiration, the reason, for why we do the things we do.

Some people give up, they let weakness take over, they have a different point of view.

But see, you're different, you made it, and we can too.

Senior Profiles!!Class of 2008!!

What does it take to be an old foagie in the Freedom Project? Well, the title is usually reserved for our seniors and this year we have an amazing bunch of "old folks." The graduating class of 2008 consists of five students, the first group who will have been  the Freedom Project since the program was a year round program. They've come a long, long, way and still have far to go, but this year, they'll be completing their fellowship, applying to and enrolling in college, and graduating from high school on May 19th!  They've put together some profiles, so you can get to know them. Check them out and keep up with their progress as they prepare to graduate high school on their journey to college.

Let's make it happen!

 

                                                                                                Bryan Tucker

Hello everyone. My name is Bryan Tucker I am a senior at Ruleville Central High School. I'm also in the band and i use to play baseball for my city league as i was growing up. I have a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do and i am two steps away from from black belt. I've also done the Student Conservation Association, and has been camping for about six years now.

Top Five Schools I’m applying to:

Georgia Tech, NC State, Ole Miss,University of Arkansas, Pinebluf , and Morehouse.

What you can look forward to from me in my senior year? 

What you can look forward to from me in my senior year is that i always try my best. No matter what the challenge is I’ll always like to conquer it. I'm also very interested in the world of engineering. Math and Science have always been my passion. So, i wanted to do something that brings those two subjects together. Plus, I'm very outgoing and willing to try anything

Tam Gordon: Hi, my name is Tambranikia Gordon, but you can call me Tam for short.  I'm from Sunflower, MS and I enjoy reading, playing basketball, being on the computer and spending time with my younger sibling. I would love to become a lawyer and later the First Black Female Supreme Court Judge.
I stuck with the SCFP because I see the SCFP as my way out. I see it as an opportunity to open up new doors, so I can experience and explore new things, get out of Mississippi and do something positive with my life.

 Top five Schools: 
University of Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, Spelman College, Howard University, UNC-Chapel Hill

What you can look forward to from me in my senior year?

My senior is going to be a challenging year, but you all can expect me maintain my excellent grades, maintain my great behavior and get accepted to a really great college to help me pursue my dream to become a lawyer.

 

Corey Johnson: Hi, my name is Corey Johnson. I'm a senior at Ruleville Central. I love football, basketball, and listening to music.  I'm also a media production student at the Freedom Project and now I'm working on getting my college applications together. Wish me luck!

Top five Schools:
Mississippi State University, Southern Mississippi University,
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Auburn University. 

 

What you can look forward to from me in my senior year? 

What you can look forward to from me in my senior year? In my senior year, you can look forward to determination and hard work for future success. Also while striving for higher education and intellectual interactions with different people. You also can look forward to hearing from me as I go through the college application process. Let’s get it!

                                                                                                

                                                                   

                                                                           Cornesha Ward:(on the right)

My name is Cornesha Ward. I live in Sunflower, MS. I love to dance,sing, and hang out with my friends. When I graduate from high school, I plan to go off to college and pursue my goal of being a Pediatrician. This is a perfectly good reason why I stayed in the Freedom Project. In my hometown, there are no opportunities for us kids. The SCFP broadened my views and perspectives on education,experiences, and life!

Top Five Schools: The Top 5 Schools that I am interested in attending are:

University of Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, Spelman College, Howard University, UNC-Chapel Hill

What you can look forward to from me in my senior year? 

As a senior, I plan to enhance my skills in life from dealing with
classes to dealing with obstacles. I plan to exceed very far in being
all I can be! You can expect me to be a leader and not a follower. You
can expect me to follow my dreams and to give back to my community.
You can expect for me to work on my independent skills and use it for
many reasons involving my classes and so on. I am a fellow in the
Freedom Project and I will represent it well!!!!!!!!!

Qua Gordon: (on the left in the red shirt)
Hey everyone!!!!My name is Arquavious Gordon most commonly known as Quay. I am a native of a small Mississippi Delta town, Sunflower. Yeah, I know, it's a funny name for a town, but guess what county its in? SUNFLOWER County,HAHA!!! I am 17 years old and is currently a senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. My current obligations consist of getting into college, keeping up my grades here (physics is hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), basketball ,step team, debate, mock trial, and a whole bunch of other stuff. As you can see, I tend to be a very busy person. Some of my hobbies include reading a book that I enjoy (which I dont get to do very often now), surfing the net, and hanging out with my friends. Although hanging out with my friends sounds so cliche, they are one of the main reasons why I enjoy being here at MSMS.

   Top Five Schools: UNC, Harvard, Howard, Mississippi State University, Ole MIss.   

    My future goals include attending a four year university, graduate, work with Teach for America for two years, and then I am off to law school. That's all I have so far, but I figure that once I get into college and get into my major, I will have more definite plans for myself. I have been with the SCFP for 6 years now and I am sad that I have to graduate this year. The SCFP has been like a second home to me and now I have to leave the nest. It has opened me up to so many new and different things and opened so many doors for me. Because of the SCFP, I have become a more well-rounded person and at the same time, i have acquired many new leadership skills. One of the biggest things the SCFP has done for me is help open my eyes to all of the possibilities in the world. It has showed me that will determination and perseverance, that I can make it anywhere. I mean this literally. I was able to go to the Dominican   Republic over the summer and do community service work there, and who would have thought that a delta boy would venture into a different part of the world like that? At first I didn't, but with some inspiration and guidance from my teachers at the SCFP, I was able to take a huge leap outside the door and venture to the unknown!!! My favorite quote has always been "Without struggle, there is no progress." Frederick Douglass. I now live by this quote because my life seems to hold true to it. It gives me the drive forward that I need when I feel that all hope is lost. People always told me that I talk too much and now look at me, it seems like I just wrote my life story!!!! Sorry about the long bio, but now, I have to get back to work (Research papers!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

 

Gone to Carolina: SCFP Alumnus Checks in!

 

Hey everyone,
       I hope that you all are doing well. I am loving life and enjoying myself at college. So far, there have been a lot of things that hasn't gone my way. For some reason,  I don't have a Minority Adviser like all of my friends. I've had a few financial problems due to random fees. And plus there are so many curve balls the college throws at you.
     But after all the bad stuff, there is so much good. I am friends with just about everyone here. People on the basketball and football team know me like Ty Lawson, Alex Stephenson, Danny Green, Tyler Hansborough, and Quentin, the senior guard who takes Geology with me. I also live in the best dorm on campus and it is a corner room so it is really big. I have been to parties, football games, and I have had other college experiences. So far my grades are going from decent to great, which isn't expected from someone from our area who comes to Carolina, I hope to have at least a 3.0 at the end of this semester.
    Anyway, I hope you all are working are and doing what you're supposed to do. It makes all the difference by sticking with the Freedom Project. Good Luck.
And shots out to everybody there.
                                                             Luke

Mug Night 101

The scream of a loud KIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPP!! Accompanied, by the swissshhh of a stream of whipped cream into a mug of insanely rich and delicious ice cream.  This is just the start of mug night, one of the most highly coveted nights of Freedom School at Ole MIss. A tradition started by the founder, Chris Myers Asch, it has since been taken on by various members of the SCFP family. Below you can see sixth year fellow, Bryan Tucker taking over the art and science of one of mug night's most famous elements:

If you've ever experienced a mug night with the SCFP, feel free to leave a comment about your experiences. Or if you haven't, get a group of friends together, buy some ice cream, break out your favorite, and have your own mug night, then come back and tell us about it.

If you'd like to see a mug night- KIAP in action, revisit our video, Find Yourself, available on Google video and watch Chris Myers Asch execute the technique. We've linked the video so that you can watch the KIAP almost immediately, at the 2:26 mark,  ( a very cool, time specific link feature from Google,) but feel free to watch the whole video over and over again and tell more people about it.

    Remember, "without struggle, there is no progress."

Raising the Rising LEADers: Day 3: Keep on Pushin'..and Kickin'

When I, Lukendric Washington, a recent Freedom Project graduate, first walked into the Dojang, I knew that it was going to be exciting. The kids were already excited. My partner, Mr. Bryan Tucker, was excited to teach the class so we matched the kids enthusiasm. We started by teaching them basic Tae Kwon Do exercises which they picked up pretty quick. Over the course of these four days, Mr. Tucker and I taught them four major basic kicks. They struggled with the difference between a roundhouse kick and a side kick, comes out different ways. However, we taught them the hook kick today which is usually one of the hardest to learn. They did great. Many were doing it correctly within minutes. I think all of the students enjoyed Tae Kwon Do and will want to return to the Freedom Project with succeeding in Tae Kwon Do as one of the primary goals. My overall opinion is that this was a great success. I challenged these rising fifth graders through an intense week of martial arts and they rose to the occasion.

Lukendric Washington

SCFP Graduate, Class of 2007

Rising LEADers Instructor

Raising the Rising LEADers: Day 2- Nobody said it was easy..

It’s already day two bright and early. The staff sits in the red room, brushing up on their lesson plans for the day. Ready to get the morning meeting kicked off by the sound of the kids voices, singing “Woke up this morning“. As we look out into the crowd the little 6^th graders are neatly placed on the red and blue mats waiting on directions after a creative game of “dodge ball”, I guest they call it. The meeting is dismissed and the three individual groups make their way to their destination. They're

in for a surprise for the remainder of the week. The day before we constantly told the students to study and be aware of everything going on in every class they take. So it’s time for the teachers to see who really knows their assignments.

 

Mr. Perkins and I pass out the vocabulary quiz, first one of the week their little curious minds begin to wonder if what were passing out the actual quiz we told them about and also help them to study for. At first there was a bit of hesitation but they thought to themselves what’s the worst that could happen. After the most intense six minutes and forty seconds of their young lives, as they work along with a song to calm their racing hearts. They then passed their quizzes in to be graded as they thought the storm was over. The students didn’t realize things were just getting started. So far there were no silent lunch participants after viewing the test results for the vocabulary quizzes. By lunch there were several members with no way out. They could not believe that their teachers had given them that one way pass. It was now time for Taekwondo and they were so excited to get changed to get started .

 

The day is almost over but we have to get our staff meeting on track to discuss the outlook of the day. We go around the round table sharing our thoughts, about individual as well about the students as a whole. There were a few ups and downs for the day but we were very impressed with a lot of the students. The meeting went fairly well and we made a team effort to get all the students motivated and excited to be here, so we could acknowledge everyone instead of certain students. I think I may be becoming attached to some of the young leaders, they remind me of myself and Mr. Perkins when we first joined the freedom project ourselves. Today was a nice day over all.

Sincerely ,

  Ms.Ross aka Rokeshia

Raising The Rising LEADers

This summer, the SCFP embarked on another adventure. We decided to reach out, dig a little deeper into the age bracket, and recruit a group of rising sixth grade students from around the county to participate in a mini version of our summer program. We planned to put the crew through a sampling of the rigors of a Freedom Summer, but squeezed into one week. The catch? The classes and all activities will be taught, planned, and coordinated by a select group of alumni and current
Freedom Project Students.
Welcome to Rising LEADers week.

Each day the staff taught classes, tutored students, and held staff meetings led by Rising LEADers director, Chris Perkins and sought to improve each day under the guidance of adult SCFP staff.

Check in as they blog about their experience of
Raising the Rising LEADers.

Hardcore 2007: This is how we CHILL...

It started out as all fun and games...and actually in the end it ended up being pretty fun too.  Listen to third year student, Michael Burse,

as he looks back on what went down as the "coolest" hardcore trip in SCFP history...

This hardcore trip I had a lot of fun.

First day soon as we got there it started snowing and we got out of the van to see Mr.Myers. And then moments later we got to our campsite to find out that we where not hiking out the first day. It had stop snowing and sudenly we all heard a swusssss, And snow started falling again.

Then we had a snowball fight and gathered fire wood. Next we had a meeting about where we were going to hike. that's where we saw this huge spring.

The next morning I was one of the first one up. So I ran to the bathroom to warm up. And came out with my hands wet this is when I learned my first lesson of the trip: "Never go into a environment with cold, wet hands or your fingers will freeze". Then we started off to the woods and when we got there every one was happy because they were happy to hike " especially 1st years who haven't been on one. Now that we were hiking everyone started to calm down a little and started to get hot. And started to slag behind. So when we made it to the break. Every one was happy, talking , and wrestling and I got jumped by Mr.Myers and Mr.Tucker . And we started to go up hills and people wanted to turn around. And we finally made to the campsite and we were so happy.

  Michael Burse is now a third year student in the Freedom Project. Look for more of Michael's blog posts and stories this summer as he finishes up his last year of Freedom School, 2007. You'll be able to say you knew him when.

Successful Brother...

(Luke with 2006 SCFP graduate, Rokeisha Ross, SCFP founder Chris Myers, and SCFP director, Greg McCoy at the 2007 Senior Dinner and Madidi's restaurant in Clarksdale, MS)

Tonght, Lukendric Washington, a graduating Senior at Gentry High School in Indianola, will walk across the stage and accept his diploma certifying his completion of high school along with many of his classmates and friends. What's unique about Luke, however, is that he'll also be having several extraordinary things in his possession as well: The satisfaction of completing six years in the Freedom Project, an acceptance letter from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a $5,000 LEAD scholarship from the SCFP.  There's something special about Luke and so we've decided to post an essay he wrote in the college application process, where he explains what makes him different:   

What Makes Me Different

 

“I can not accept being average,” is my reply when my peers ask, “Why do you do all that stuff?” They’re usually referring to the extra work, extensive reading, and other activities that I do in order to stand out. I participate in leadership organizations such as the Student Government Association (SGA), National Honor Society (NHS), Academic Decathlon, and Jobs for Mississippi Graduates (JMG), which have allowed me to volunteer and serve others in addition to accomplishing many of my personal goals. In addition, I participate in many sports as like baseball and cross-country, and I’ve tried things that most of my peers would have never considered. For example, I volunteered to help clean up after the hurricane Katrina disaster and helped plan activities for those displaced Katrina victims in my town.

     Moorhead,Mississippi, the average, miniscule town with one stoplight is where I was raised. I credit my outgoing personality and southern charm to being raised in this town in the Mississippi Delta. My personality has allowed me to meet influential people and try new experiences. I joined the Sunflower County Freedom Project (SCFP) because it’s helped me learn how to express myself and have great experiences. The SCFP is an organization that helps transform normal students into amazing leaders. I first joined the organization in the sixth grade; due to my commitment, tremendous opportunities have come my way. Through the program, I have been able to hike to four of the highest natural peaks in America and see the wonderful views. That is far more than average. I am also one of the first to obtain a black belt in the program’s Tae Kwon Do class. Due to my tremendous work efforts, I was able to accomplish something in three years that would take some a decade to do. One thing I can say is that I was the only black belt in my town.

In life, I have learned that average people are not expected to succeed. I try my best not to be average because I have very high aspirations. While most of my friends just want to have great jobs and be financially stable, I want to become an amazingly wealthy person by being successful in many areas. I am not the average African American teenager who I appear to be. I am an individual who isn’t afraid to step out of my comfort zone. In fact, I enjoy doing the “undone,” especially if it means I get to help others. I don’t want to be just another person. I feel that anyone who knows me should go away feeling that I am an extraordinary person who will accomplish amazing things.