3.
Street Poets Prayer
God, give us the strength
To be people whose actions match our words
To be soldiers of truth
Shedding light on the darkest corners
Of our own souls and the streets around us
Give us the courage to look fearlessly
Into the eyes of others
To meet anger & hatred with love
Ignorance with understanding
And fear with friendship
Give us the wisdom to see deeply
Into our own hearts
To be truthful in all that we do
Faithful in all that we are
And grateful for all that we receive
We come together before you today
To sharpen our skills
To deepen our voices
To strengthen our bonds to each other
And to the community we serve
ONE STREET ONE HEARTBEAT ONE LOVE
4.
Your wounds are a doorway
through which you
must step to claim
your gifts and
talents
Discover the healing power of poetry.
Poetry is the vehicle that will carry us to our
destination; it is the medicine that will give us the
strength to prevail. The journey to healing the violent
culture in Los Angeles is only beginning.
More pain. More ritual. More poetry.
Street Poets has followed this philosophy for twenty
years. Twenty years of experience giving at-risk youth
a vision for themselves. Twenty years of connecting
people through the power of the creative process.
Twenty years of building community.
5.
Saving lives, one rhyme at a time.
Street Poets wants to continue bringing Angelenos into
the fold of its community because this journey cannot
be made alone. We provide the space and support
necessary for youth to explore their wounds and
successfully transcend self-destructive lifestyles. A
local culture tainted by gang violence can transform
into a global culture defined by peace and
understanding. We inspire, empower, and create. Youth
use their increased sense of self-awareness to discover
their talents, define their voices, and strengthen
bonds to the community.
7.
Through partnerships with LAUSD and the Los Angeles
County Probation Department, Street Poets is bringing
this power to 700 students annually. Our workshops
and recording studio allow students, staff, and
alumni to collaborate on music and poetry that
contributes to our albums and publications. Our
community open mic nights, and initiatives like the
Poetry in Motion Van, have helped us bring this
creative talent into the greater Los Angeles area. We
want to expand and strengthen our ability to share
the healing power of poetry by establishing ourselves
as a sustainable community resource. Join us in our
effort to transform the city through the creative
process and claim the gifts we all have inside us.
8.
inspire
at-risk youth at the juvenile detention facilities, schools, and
streets of Los Angeles County to discover and develop their
voices as writers, artists, and human beings.
empower
young people to use the skills and increased self-awareness
engendered through the arts to transcend self-destructive
lifestyles.
create
a healing community that unites different racial, ethnic and
socioeconomic segments of our city around the transformational
power of the creative process.
Street Poets, Inc.
2116 Arlington Ave. Suite 310
Los Angeles, CA 90018
(323)737-8545
