Joel Suarez (pictured) told of life as a light-skinned, red-headed Puerto Rican. Another teen told of being molested as a young child, then having two abortions by the time she was 16.
The group of teens spent the summer producing powerful autobiographical videos. They showed their work to a room full of adults at the main branch of the public library this past Wednesday evening.
The eight teens, ages 13 to 16, learned the process of video production and self-revelatory writing through a summer collaboration between Solar Youth and The Color of Words. They wrote about family, friendships, love, loss and violence. (Empower New Haven provided funding for the project.)
Dontae Lucky, 15 and a sophomore at Hillhouse, narrated the story of his life and the hardships his family has endured, including the murder of a cousin. But he mostly talked about his dad. “He’s the one I go to whenever I have problems, and he always seems to have the answers.” Click here to listen to some audio from his video.
Dontae’s dad was in the audience; he said at the end how proud he was of his son. A reporter also overheard him say that he almost had to leave the room because he didn’t want people to see him cry.
The most emotionally wrenching video was that of Leshae S, 16 and a sophomore at High School in the Community. She revealed that she’d been molested between the ages 5 and 10 by her godfather, and is still dealing with the repercussions.
As a young teen she became sexually active, got pregnant and had two abortions. Then she got pregnant again and wanted to keep the baby but had a miscarriage well into the pregnancy. On top of that, the aunt she adored and with whom she lived was shot and killed in New York City. She’s now living back with her mom.
She wrote that she wants to become a public speaker “so she can help others overcome the odds.” Based on the reception she got after her video was screened, she seems well on her way to that goal.
Shawanda Miller, 15 and a sophomore at High School in the Community (HSC), focused on what a happy, helpful girl she is and how she really loves a challenge. And, she said, “My mom means the world to me. I’m her savior — I save her from all her heartaches and pains.” Click here for a listen.
Tayler is 16 and a senior at HSC. Her piece, entitled “Friends Change,” focused on a former best friend, and what their friendship meant to her. She wrote, “This program makes me think more about life, my future, mainly what I want to do for college. It allows me to be more creative and open for anything. I think I have a lot more to learn.”
One boy told about his love of basketball while one girl focused on her love of baseball, and how she was the only female on her team and the opposing team when they played at the Little League World Series.
Joel Suarez, a freshman at Eli Whitney Technical High School, chose the subject of ethnicity and stereotypes. He said learning to write in a way that conveyed what he wanted to communicate was the hardest part of the project — but he also felt he succeeded at it.
Some of the young people said the writing and video skills they learned have opened new career possibilities,. They all said they plan to go to college.
