Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Grow Experience Economy = Teach the Babies



It’s been said that America’s greatest commodities are cultural – hip hop, Disneyland, McDonald’s. However, far more money is spent attempting to live out or experience the American Dream than are buying Biggie albums or taking pictures with Minnie Mouse.

Emigration points to this fact. People are not continuing to risk their lives to enter onto US soil in an effort to buy more “stuff.” They imagine living a life with more opportunities – for freedoms to express themselves without fear of ridicule or death, for money, for education.

While the American experience is what so many are seeking, our system for educating our youth goes directly counter to foreign dreaming - Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

On Thursday, October 28th, Chris Kazi Rolle, Martha Diaz, and myself are gathering youth visionaries (in education, arts, and leadership development) to discuss our past, present, and future. It will enable us to see where the lines intersect, and offer one another the support we need to make good on the Preamble to the Constitution for our kids.

This is one way to ensure that our children are wealthy by experience economy standards.

A Conversation for Youth Visionaries, Oct 28, 2010, NYU – being the change I wish to see in the world.

Special thank yous to Martha Diaz and the Metropolitan Center for Urban Studies for hosting.

Thank you to the following Visionaries for your time:
Carlos Walton - Apex College Tour
Apex Divine Bradley - Team Revolution
Steadmon Sampson - Moving Mountains Inc.
Karen Bissette - Youth Connect DYCD
Trixie Cordova & Ari Joseph - World Up
Syreeta Gates - The SWT Life
Aaron Lazansky - Hip Hop(e) 4 Healing
Michael Karnjanaprakorn - Skillshare
Nicholas Chan - Blue Engine
Ashley Mui - PlanIt Brooklyn
Allen Kramer & Evan Swartz - FeedForward
Alex Abelin - Google Community Relations

(Photo by Tamika J., Manny as Stoop Host, October 2007)