Life is a gift that can be given
Or taken away.
So tell me, why do people continue to hate
The ways of the murderers who
Have to pay
The ultimate fate
For the crimes they committed in the past days.
And people alwayz say,
That rape,
Is a way
To deface
The mind of a person to the point they won’t even play.
And some people ask me why
I write these rhymes, and say them,
Instead of spitting them to shine.
So I think to myself, why.
Why, why, why.
It seems like the perfect question to everything.
Why are gas prices going up?
Why does this force us to pay a pretty buck?
Why don’t oil companies give a f***?
Sorry, I didn’t mean to disrespect,
But why are our people constantly getting shot
In these hoods with teks?
Any why are these youngstas constantly bragging
About how they’re on deck?
And why are some white supremacists
Lookin down on us like some pets?
These questions are constantly being asked,
So we must make it our final task,
To stop living in the past.
In 2006, over 25 youth began participating in weekly after-school writing workshops where they congregated in the hallway of a two-story building in West Fresno and learned the essentials of creating media and telling their stories. The group evolved over the next five years and is now proudly recognized as The kNOw Youth Media.
Through our program, we create opportunities for our youth participants, who in turn create long-term positive change in their communities. Our approach weaves youth development and youth media innovation to produce our biannual youth publication, multimedia projects, and community forums.
The kNOw began as a project of New America Media, which was the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. In 2018 The kNOw became a project of Youth Leadership Institute.
