Greetings friends! Welcome to double issue 26.45/46! We know you will LOVE the writings featured in this latest issue, but before you check out the whole magazine, allow us to share the other night. Thanks to the support and sponsorship of the California Endowment, our 25th Anniversary online event “Why I Write”. The night was amazing, with heartfelt stories, poems and testimonies from former Beat writers followed by questions from the audience. We could not ask for a better writer and friend to break down the other night’s festivities than OT, who will share his take on this past Sundays (11/21/21) event.
We would like to welcome you brave souls to another one and only double dose edition of the one and only The Beat Within. This is OT reporting to you live, from the land that shakes and quakes, Managua Nicaragua. Yes, folks, this letter you are reading was written under a humongous 150-year-old Squirrel tree, at a nearby park. I had to change scenery for a bit. It gets way too hot at the house.
This past Sunday we had our 25th year Anniversary Celebration of more than 25 years in service and strong. We had an event by Zoom where there were too many people to name showed up. The ever precious Lisa, kicked out of the event by introducing the program and exactly what we were celebrating. We had Patrick Bayona, (Shout out to Patrick) spinning some old school vinyl to kick the event of!
After, David, fired us up with a kick ass speech, and our wonderful friend and colleague Courtney Rein, literally took the reins of the event by moderating the panel of 8 speakers.
Lights! Camera! Action! Our dearest colleague and friend Simone, started recording, the event, as she and Alyssa worked so diligently behind the scenes in the chat room, to help make it one hugely successful event!
The theme of the event was “Why I Write.” All the guest speakers spoke and shared a particular piece that really resonated with them. As much as I would have loved to speak at the event, I’m actually glad, that David didn’t ask me to. I was a spectator, and boy was this one hell of an event to be sitting in the crowd for. All the guest speakers were excellent I could feel what each one of them was saying.
My short term memory maybe a little off, but I believe The first one to kick it off was the mighty Kerry Rudd, who we first met inside our San Quentin Sunday workshops. He told us what writing meant to him inside and why he still does it till this day after spending almost a couple decades behind bars. Kerry is an actual professional writer that writes movie scripts and plays. He doesn’t know that a guy that went to prison as well and was then deported to Nicaragua was the person responsible for typing up some of his writing and used to write the intro for him in The BWO Section. It was finally a pleasure to meet him, even if it was through Zoom.
Following him were the testimonies from long time Beat writer, Vincent Williams, who struck a great chord with me as well. The guy didn’t like to write at all, and when The Beat Within showed up he returned the pencils and paper blank! But slowly he started coming out of his shell and it all started with a few sentences and as he matured it was pages and pages each week. This accomplished young man now has his own non-profit organization in Oakland, CA. called the Urban Compassion Project aimed at helping others that were in the same position he was in or worse.
How can I describes Kevin Gentry’s piece of writing that he read…I almost cried when he delivered his words. It was that powerful. Shout out to Kevin. Honestly, we need more compassionate people in the world like you. Vanessa Ray’s words were equally powerful. So was the mighty Sarah Cummings, as her poetry was just off the charts and inspirational. I was blown away. Patrick also jumped back in the mix and shared some his moving words too, Such talent! And there was Russell Morse, one of our oldest friends, who spoke as well, even though Lisa had to pry it out of him! Haha… He didn’t stop talking!
I’m not going to forget one of my favorite writer’s the one and only, Mervyn Wool. He doesn’t even know just how much I look forward to reading his work whenever he takes the time out of his busy schedule to write under his writing name, Pure Dragon. Today he is truly Mr. Fortune 500. I was happy to hear him brag, because I remember back in the days in the office, Mervyn’s side hustlin’ at work, taking my lunch money because he sold DVD’s. I needed the new Shrek Movie for my daughters. Merv Got it! I knew he was destined for something great.
Everyone had an impacting message to contribute. Some of the quotes that I could remember were, “Turning pain into our purpose!”
“For it to be good, it must be honest!”
“Closed off in my own narratives.”
“We all started at a bad place, but we all are getting to a better place.” Wish I had scribbled down more, but there were just too many powerful words of wisdom!
Everyone shared their reasons for “Why I Write,” each expressing just how impactful and meaningful it was to be heard, acknowledged and realizing that their potential they saw in themselves through their writing, far outweighed the mistakes they made, that had brought them to their destiny.
I really admired the way that each person that told their story, were so honest. In a day in age, where looking strong, looking beautiful, being hip, is essential to anyone’s portfolio and resume, it takes a lot courage just for a moment in your day or in your life to look vulnerable in front of others. But as what society sees as vulnerability or as a weakness, The Beat Within looks at it as strength and an opportunity.
The strength…the courage and the opportunity to share a sincere moment in life where you have the chance to tell someone that you’ve never even met in person, and tell them, “They are not alone.”
Your story, your experience, your vulnerability, that you express with your words, has the ability to reach others from all walks of life and provide a grain of hope in places where hope is sometimes, like looking for a needle in a haystack. But that’s what The Beat Within is all about. There’s no judgement. The Beat Within community doesn’t care about what race you are. It doesn’t care where you’re from? It doesn’t care about what religion you believe in? It doesn’t matter what turf or set you decide to rep, or what streets you’ve hung out on, or what drugs you’ve been addicted to, or how many people you’ve hurt.
There’s no judgment here. The Beat Within is a place of peace, life and opportunity. It’s the birth of the realization of something special that is about to take place. It’s where, former prisoners are now writing screen plays. It’s where former incarcerated youths now have their own non-profits. It’s where former gang-members are fighting for peace in their community. It’s a place where sometimes the older mentors turn to the youth’s writing for inspiration and direction.
It’s where an ex-ward of the court is now working at a Fortune 500 company. It’s where volunteers, workers, regular Joe’s and Jane’s of the world inspire both young people and old, (including myself) to strive to be the best person they can be.
It is a safe haven. It’s the place of the unknown potential that you didn’t know you had, until you flicked your finger and started doodling your words onto the white canvas, your potential starts to develop.
I want to say thank you all for sharing your truths. It was really inspiring to be a part of your journey. As I’m so far away from my kids, my sisters, my nieces, loved ones, friends, my favorite sports teams, my favorite restaurants, your stories only reinforced just how close to home I really am. It re-invigorated my determination to never give up, to stay hopeful and positive, in the midst of the struggle.
So, in conclusion, I would like to tell you all why I write. I write because I like to read. Matter of fact, I love to read…and I love to read because I love to learn. By reading your stories I know that the only way we can get ahead in life is by sharing our truths and inspiring others to do the same. That’s how we become stronger and wise enough to make a difference in the lives of our family, friends, and even in the lives of people that we hardly know or are from different parts of the world, and from all different types of communities.
We all come from the struggle, and this is how we become the change, that we want to see in the world! But it all starts with learning from one another, reading and listening to each other, and what we all have to say. Which trickles down to the reason why we should all…Continue to write.
One love to everyone that is part of this community, whether locked down or free. Let’s keep pushing and striving to make a difference. Once again, Thank you! And The Beat keeps going and going…