RIP Derrion Albert
He was a sixteen year old honor student at Fenger High School that was taped while he was beaten to death.
Derrion was simply walking past a community center on his way home and he was somehow brought into a fight. Since August, the high violence has risen in Chicago's Roseland after rivalry has began between two groups of Fenger High School students. However, Derrion Albert had no affiliation to gang life and was consider a homebody and a computer lover. But sadly the positive lifestyle he chose to live did not prevent his fate. According to reports, around fifty kids were involved in the fight, but somehow attention got directed to Derrion Albert. He was hit, kicked and eventually hit by 2 by 4, which caused him to fall onto the concrete. Shortly after aggressors realized that he was laying lifeless, they ran or drove off and students finally rushed to move his body into the community center. A lot of the altercation with Derrion was taped by a person who randomly had a camera at the time. However, it is most frightening to realize that such a haunting incident can cause people to simply stare, shout expletives or even laugh in disbelief. A owner of a Roseland after-school community center said people are desensitized to senseless murder in their community. No one thinks people should live in fear or mourn constantly, but it seems to me that youth have taken adults sentiment that this is their life, nothing will change, and there is nothing they can do about it, even if horrible actions are staring them in face.
People say adults have been numbed to violence because of the media, but I regret to say that children have accepted violence as a part of life. Even though people may be scared of retaliation, we must remember that strength exist in numbers and we should stop watching bad things happen and make an effort to stop them.
Chicago musician Naledge, who is one half of Kidz in the Hall, decided to speak out about the violence that is occurring in Chicago via his twitter page. He attacked issues like family structure, teenage pregnancy, progressive movement and our current forms of communication.
He said, "I truly believe that the root of much of our violence in Chicago stems from the broken family...not being in the hood." Which brings the point that student violence has been created by mentalities formed in our home. Since many African-Americans children have only a mother and not strong male influence in their life, it is inevitable that negative consequences will arrive. It is apparent that on result is the escalation of violence between children that relates in death. In addition, many of these scenarios involve parents of these kids who where technically kids themselves when they had a child. Naledge may have addressed this when he said, "the grandparents used to be the ones we leaned on...now they are like 35." This shows the lack of wise support system in Black families due to generation of teen parents who are unable to provide the guidance that is only learned through decades of experiencing life. He went on to say that, "people forget the civil rights movement was mostly guided by the self educated and low income...we arent as informed". I feel that he believes that progressive movements in the black community can occur in cities like Roseland and there is no need to believe that change is only lead by people who have a lot of schooling or money. Lastly, he looked at the major form of communication between youth, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, BlackPlanet and Tagged. Naledge said, "social institutions have been replaced by social networking sites." Social institutions can be families, education, or religion and it seems like none of the above takes as prominent of a role as a person's myspace page. Unlike social institutions, people now form their identity from social networking sites and gain influences from peers with similar views rather than elders. As our youth stay isolated from older generations, they will continue to tumble downward in number and knowledge. Unless changes are made by people who feel like they can make difference, soon we are going to have another generation of mislead youth that will follow the actions of this self-destructing generation.
Since the beatings were so shocking, I suggest that this video shouldn't be watched by everyone.
However, if you can identify any of the people allegedly involved in the death of Derrion Albert, please call Area Two of the Chicago Police Dept.
312-747-8272
via Fox Chicago
He was a sixteen year old honor student at Fenger High School that was taped while he was beaten to death.
Derrion was simply walking past a community center on his way home and he was somehow brought into a fight. Since August, the high violence has risen in Chicago's Roseland after rivalry has began between two groups of Fenger High School students. However, Derrion Albert had no affiliation to gang life and was consider a homebody and a computer lover. But sadly the positive lifestyle he chose to live did not prevent his fate. According to reports, around fifty kids were involved in the fight, but somehow attention got directed to Derrion Albert. He was hit, kicked and eventually hit by 2 by 4, which caused him to fall onto the concrete. Shortly after aggressors realized that he was laying lifeless, they ran or drove off and students finally rushed to move his body into the community center. A lot of the altercation with Derrion was taped by a person who randomly had a camera at the time. However, it is most frightening to realize that such a haunting incident can cause people to simply stare, shout expletives or even laugh in disbelief. A owner of a Roseland after-school community center said people are desensitized to senseless murder in their community. No one thinks people should live in fear or mourn constantly, but it seems to me that youth have taken adults sentiment that this is their life, nothing will change, and there is nothing they can do about it, even if horrible actions are staring them in face.
People say adults have been numbed to violence because of the media, but I regret to say that children have accepted violence as a part of life. Even though people may be scared of retaliation, we must remember that strength exist in numbers and we should stop watching bad things happen and make an effort to stop them.
Chicago musician Naledge, who is one half of Kidz in the Hall, decided to speak out about the violence that is occurring in Chicago via his twitter page. He attacked issues like family structure, teenage pregnancy, progressive movement and our current forms of communication.
He said, "I truly believe that the root of much of our violence in Chicago stems from the broken family...not being in the hood." Which brings the point that student violence has been created by mentalities formed in our home. Since many African-Americans children have only a mother and not strong male influence in their life, it is inevitable that negative consequences will arrive. It is apparent that on result is the escalation of violence between children that relates in death. In addition, many of these scenarios involve parents of these kids who where technically kids themselves when they had a child. Naledge may have addressed this when he said, "the grandparents used to be the ones we leaned on...now they are like 35." This shows the lack of wise support system in Black families due to generation of teen parents who are unable to provide the guidance that is only learned through decades of experiencing life. He went on to say that, "people forget the civil rights movement was mostly guided by the self educated and low income...we arent as informed". I feel that he believes that progressive movements in the black community can occur in cities like Roseland and there is no need to believe that change is only lead by people who have a lot of schooling or money. Lastly, he looked at the major form of communication between youth, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, BlackPlanet and Tagged. Naledge said, "social institutions have been replaced by social networking sites." Social institutions can be families, education, or religion and it seems like none of the above takes as prominent of a role as a person's myspace page. Unlike social institutions, people now form their identity from social networking sites and gain influences from peers with similar views rather than elders. As our youth stay isolated from older generations, they will continue to tumble downward in number and knowledge. Unless changes are made by people who feel like they can make difference, soon we are going to have another generation of mislead youth that will follow the actions of this self-destructing generation.
Since the beatings were so shocking, I suggest that this video shouldn't be watched by everyone.
However, if you can identify any of the people allegedly involved in the death of Derrion Albert, please call Area Two of the Chicago Police Dept.
312-747-8272
via Fox Chicago
