Silence Is Violence

Anti-Violence Forums in the New Orleans public schools. Beginning with a pilot program at Rabouin High School in 2007, the SilenceIsViolence Peace Clubs combine arts workshops with frank anti-violence discussions led by students. Respected local artists serve as club mentors, leading both the anti-violence discussions and the creative expressions generated by these talks. The purpose of this program is to recruit New Orleans youth to the movement against violent crime and to call upon them to become peer role models in the community. By offering support for the ideas and projects of students and incorporating their input into our own programs, SilenceIsViolence hopes to instill in these students a sense of positive purpose and pride in the city, as well as to benefit from the special perspective they have access to as young people.

Target Schools in 2009 include:
Rabouin High School
Cohen High School
Carver Elementary School

Youth Music Clinics

The Purpose:

Our Youth Music Clinics are our longest-standing program. Started in January, 2007, the Music Clinics take place each Spring and Fall semester, offering young people an activity in the early evening as well as providing an introduction to musical performance. Music Director and virtuoso trumpeter Shamarr Allen creates a nurturing, non-violent environment, while teaching young New Orleanians both the artistic and the business aspects of music. Professional coaches teach fundamental techniques on a range of instruments, including but not limited to trumpet, drums, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, and guitar, as well as various stringed instruments. Basic principles of music theory are also introduced. The clinics are imagined as accessible forums for young people to explore the world of music and to decide if they would like to pursue music through more comprehensive educational programs.

The Process:

The clinics begin at 5:30pm each Tuesday and are tailored to the interests and abilities of participants. Each session includes an instruction period, a dinner break, and an informal jam sessions, during which clinic participants have the opportunity to perform with the professionals. In addition, children who participate in the weekly clinics have the opportunity to take one subsidized private lesson per week with a professional musician. Participants who attend regularly will receive free tickets to the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, courtesy of the Fest4Kidz/Threadheads program.

The Participants:

Music Director Shamarr Allen, a virtuoso trumpeter who has played with the Hot 8 and Rebirth Brass Bands and with Bob French, leads the clinics. Participating students can come as often as they like, or just occasionally. Dinner is provided by SilenceIsViolence and Sound Cafe. The Youth Music Clinics are made possible through the support and donations of the community! For more information or to make a donation call Emily Palit (504-621-3853), Baty Landis (504-948-0917), or Music Director Shamarr Allen (504-473-8790).

WHEN: March 10-April 28; Tuesdays, 5:30pm-7:30pm
HOW MUCH: Free
WHERE: Sound Cafe, 2700 Chartres Street (corner of Port), New Orleans
WHAT: Musical coaching and performance by professional New Orleans musicians. Free dinner for participants.
MORE INFO: Call Kendra Reade at 504-722-0908

Youth Writing Clinics

The Purpose:

The Youth Writing Clinics encourage young people to express their ideas about community and anti-violence in their own creative ways, through prose and poetry. The Writing Clinics generate candid discussions about the violence in New Orleans, as well as creative approaches to challenging this violence. We publish semi-anual collections of the participants' writings, titled "When the Lyrics Broke." In this way, our young writers become not only part of a broader dialogue about healing, but also published authors.

The Process:

The clinics take place during the Spring and Fall semesters, beginning at 5pm on Wednesdays at Sound Cafe. Each session includes some writing instruction, some personal writing time, and some presentation by the youth participants. Dinner is served at the end of each meeting. Participants who attend regularly will be published in our "When the Lyrics Broke" journal.

The Participants:

Creative Director Shedrick White leads the instruction and presentations, as well as inviting guest artists during each Writing Clinics series. The Youth Writing Clinics are made possible through the support and donations of the community! For more information or to make a donation call Emily Palit (504-621-3853), Baty Landis (504-948-0917), or Creative Director Shedrick White (504-352-5288).

WHEN: March 4-April 22, 5pm-7pm
HOW MUCH: Free
WHERE: Sound Cafe, 2700 Chartres Street (corner of Port), New Orleans
WHAT: Writing coaching and presentations by professional New Orleans poets and author. Free dinner for participants.
MORE INFO: Call Kendra Reade at 504-722-0908

SilenceIsViolence seeks to sustain pressure on the criminal justice system through a variety of accountability measures, collectively called VOICE (Violent Offender Intervention through Citizen Engagement). Because our founding concern is with violent criminal cases, and particularly murder cases, VOICE initiatives focus on murder cases and trials. Currently we have three main projects underway:

1. Domestic Violence Initiative

We regard it as the responsibility of SilenceIsViolence to spread the message that peace must begin at home; to demand safety and justice for domestic violence victims; and to insist that these victims' children be spared the examples of intimidation and retribution that domestic violence feeds upon and generates. To this end, we are making SilenceIsViolence available to help organize presentations and community discussions on domestic violence, in collaboration with the Tulane Law School Domestic Violence Clinic.

In addition, we are working directly with the office of the District Attorney to be sure domestic violence cases receive priority treatment.

Finally, we call upon the community to join us in creating an environment intolerant to batterers, through our words and our actions, and to let NOPD officers and public officials know that domestic violence is a serious concern of New Orleans citizens, with tangible ramifications for our overall public safety.

2. Court Watching

Several murder cases currently in the system are of personal interest to the SilenceIsViolence organization. In these cases, we attend court dates whenever possible and remain informed regarding the details of trial dates and progress. The potential impact of this public engagement in the system was demonstrated when, in August 2007, charges in two murder cases were reinstated after being initially dropped: the case of Michael Anderson, accused of murdering Arsenio Hunter, Warren Simeon, Iruan Taylor, Marquis Hunter, and Reggie Dantzler; and the case of David Bonds, accused of murdering Dinerral Shavers. Because we had been following the details of these cases, we were able to apply targeted pressure and to prevent the DA from abandoning the cases altogether.

Citizens interested in volunteering to watch criminal court proceedings should contact our partner, CourtWatchNOLA: www.courtwatchnola.org.

3. Victim Allies Project

SilenceIsViolence has compiled information for victims of violent crime and their families regarding resources through the office of the Orleans Parish DA and other criminal jsutice and law enforcement agencies. When victims and/or their families contact us for help, we offer them this information and pair the with citizen volunteers to serve as partners during the period the victim or victim-survivor must spend negotiating the criminal justice system. These volunteer partners help summon resources and attention to their cases through direct communication with the DA's office, law enforcement, the Department of Justice, and/or Crimestoppers.

For more information call Kendra Reade (504-722-0908) or email silenceisviolence.org@gmail.com

City Walks are community-led evening strolls through New Orleans neighborhoods. These walks are intended to nurture connections among neighborhoods, to establish a positive, anti-violence presence on our streets, and to bring new faces to businesses around the city. District police offficers and supervisors are invited to participate in these walks, with the benefit of introducing citizens to their neighborhood law enforcement. We walk 1-2 miles each week and will have a small reception at our destination establishment. Transportation will be provided back to the departure establishment.

Current walking route:

TREME PEACE WALK with the Dumaine Street Gang will take place THURSDAY, JULY 2, 6pm. 

START:
Dumaine Street (N. Robertson and Dumaine Street)
Proceed up N. Robertson Street to St. Ann Street, take a LEFT.
Continue to N. Villere St, LEFT.
Proceed up N. Villere to St. Philip Street, turn RIGHT.
Continue on St. Philip to Treme Street, turn LEFT.
Continue on Treme Street to Governor Nichols, turn RIGHT.
Continue to St. Claude Avenue, turn LEFT.
Proceed to Esplanade Ave turn LEFT.
Continue up Esplanade Ave to N. Robertson St, turn LEFT.
Continue to intersection of St. Philip and North Robertson Street

DISBAND:
Tuba Fats Park featuring the Rebirth Brass Band