Category: Piece of the Week

by Jz There are three classes in human society: dead broke, payin’ bills and nothin’ more, rich and “above all” as people refer to it. Dead broke are most of the time lookin’ for fast money and end up in prison or dead. Middle class get by but don’t get nothin’ less, nothin’ more. “Above all” is not worried at all, and I mean ever damn thing. You can come from poverty and have two directions. Either stay broke and have your next generation stay broke or come up an illegal way or some have a job. They starve every night most of the time and go to

by JH I could tell you a million stories of separation in my life. It almost happens religiously. What I mean is that it’s happened so many times; it’s almost like a daily routine but over time. The first time I was separated from someone I care about was when my biological parents went downhill in their lives. My dad was arrested for a crime he did not do, and my mom overdosed with a needle in her arm while I was in a playpen next to her. I was separated from my whole family and put in foster care

by Andy My third academic publication shall be this one, in January 2020, a new decade in addition to a New Year.I have declared then and now again, that geopolitical and socioeconomic issues are no longer my business.  Moving on from all that, I mostly read intellectually challenging and thought experimenting content. Among such books and related media include: Getting Started in Hold ‘Em by Ed Miller, DUCY by David Sklansky, Mathematical Brain Benders by Stephen Barr, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray, and many related life skills and self-help titles.  Many issues of controversy,

by Young African American Is there liberty and justice for all? Can I imagine an equal society? There isn’t any justice in the society in my eyes. In a just society, people would be treated equally. In my experience with the justice system, I have not been treated equally as others have been treated in society. Can I imagine an equal society? No, because in this particular matter, there’s always been injustice behavior. Since African Americans were freed from slavery.  For an example, when I was sixteen years old, I was stopped by a police officer who saw me, another

by Jamal This is to them youngstas that’s going through something, who don’t know where their life’s going or who feel like giving up. As you know, life’s hard stuff, it’s going to knock you down and you’ve got to keep your head held high and keep going. You know, everything happens for a reason, good or bad.  Sometimes you’ve got to stop and think, why is this going on, why is this happening to me. Think about where you are right now and where you want to be in life. See how far you’ve come. Time don’t wait on

by Rodrigo During my time as a junior in high school, I wasn’t no Einstein. I did the least amount of school work and I didn’t like reading. Whenever I had a test, it felt like the real test was how to cheat without getting caught. On my last day of my junior year, I turned in my final test. I passed it with a little help from my friend sitting in the desk to the right of me. I felt accomplished.   When the principal of the school came to the classroom and told me to come with her and

by Lil Danny I find myself thankful for my grandma, because she’s always been there for me. She raised me whenever my dad wasn’t around. She means a lot to me because she tried to keep me out of trouble. She told me to do right, but it was hard, because all I knew was wrong. She tried to help me whenever she could.  She picked me up from the police station before they took me to juvenile hall. She gave me advice to do right. She told me she’ll take me to places if I behaved good. She gave

by Sleepy If you have been incarcerated my ideas for them staying out is to get a job and find something to do. Get yourself a girl (or boy) that will keep you out of trouble. I know you don’t like being locked up because I definitely don’t like being here in these cells. Keep busy and find a hobby you like to do. Many inmates like being in jail because they don’t have a place to stay.  Being locked up away from my family makes me want to strive for betterment and be someone in life. I want to

by Dylan If I could talk to my 12 year old self, I would say, “hey, your journey is just beginning. I want to tell you that the shhh you went through isn’t your fault at all!  I can say the tears ain’t over yet, but the hurt is. You’re lucky!  All the stuff you went through, the years of violence and abuse…the ignorance when your parents said you weren’t worth it. I can say that you are not what your parents thought you would grow up to be.  Riding in the back of the CPS (Child Protective Services) car

by Luis A decision that was incredibly challenging for me was one time in my life in the seventh grade. I had class with my friend and he was playing Clash of Clans during class and he was sagging his pants and had a knife on him.  It was visible on his pocket and once my teacher caught him using his phone, she not just saw his phone, she also saw the knife and he immediately panicked and went to the school phone to call the principal. My friend told me to hold onto the knife, so he wouldn’t get