A b e c e d a r i a n

What would have happened to Chris Blackwood without the Liberty program?

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From the truth...three things. Number one I'd still be on the street hangin' around with my friends cause they really don't go to any after school programs and some of them don't even go to school at all. ...I grew up with them. So that's number one, I'd be on the streets. Second thing, would be Wadleigh Secondary School, where I took Karate and martial arts. When I was young I was always fascinated with the martial arts and I took up on that and now it's like something I do on my own. And third, I guess, lost. Because there is nothing for me to do. There's no purpose. When I come back from school the only thing for me to do is eat, sleep, and then go back to school. There's no purpose. So I'd be lost.

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If you were telling someone who never heard of LLP, what could you tell them that you got out of this program? What did you get out of it? What did it give you?

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It gave me a lot of things which are hard to sum up. But if I had to emphasize one thing it's that comin' here, is like comin' to your family. It's like a warmth where you're able to be yourself. You don't have your moms to look over you. You don't have your sister to look over you, your moms don't even know what you're doing in this program. It's just a chance to define who' really you. That's how I would define this program: as a way of being on your own but doing something positive. So I'd say it's the warmth. The way they make you feel when you just come into this program, it's like a whole different world.

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How would you compare your school experience to your experience of being in the Liberty Program?

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It's different in the way of attention. Comin' into the Liberty program there's more of a one to one basis with the teachers with the students and the other faculty members. In school, it's like a teacher really never knows you. You can't talk to the teacher about his problems, like you can tell the counselors here at Liberty. In school, it feels like you're just one of 300 students. At Bank Street, at least I can always say, that at least they know my name. They're always asking me how I feel, how you been. ...Just [the kind of] questions you need to hear sometimes. That's the difference. How important is it for a young person to be known by other adults?

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It's very important. To be known is to feel...is to feel that you are somebody. Because if you grew up in a big family and you don't have that attention that you want you tend to look elsewhere for that attention. And that attention elsewhere might be negative. So to feel like an individual is inspiring. It inspired me to do more things. I established myself in the world, that's what it is. I'm not a lost soul. That's what I call it, a lost soul. Without feeling that you are somebody you are a lost soul in the world.

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It can't be any better. I'll tell you that. Because here you have people whose job is just to listen to you, be reflective listeners like mirrors. It's like talking to yourself but there's an extra ear to guide you. There's a lot of times that I went to a counselor when I had a lot of problems. Without her, I don't know, I'd probably still be in those problems. Just to get it off my chest. Just to breathe it out is just a wonderful feeling. I need that when I come to Bank Street.

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Has this program contributed to your development as a learner?

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One thing that they strengthened the most, that I will be always grateful for is my communication skills. When I first got here, you know, I couldn't really speak how I feel. I always stuttered, couldn't think of the right word. I still can't. But I just couldn't speak for some reason. I just couldn't be who I really wanted to be. I always want to express exactly what I mean and even just to argue.... Just to argue and win a conversation with an older adult is an accomplishment. I learned my communication skills here and I am always grateful for that. Without that I'd be way behind. Because I need that stuff to go farther. Bank Street is like a milestone for me. Without it I can't get past the next level.

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My next level is what I need to accomplish next. My real goal is to become a physician. And anything that can contribute or get me as close to being a doctor, to have my PhD, to have an MD, to become a physician is an accomplishment. That's where I want to be. In 20 years when I look back I just want to be in that doctor's suit. Right there. That's where I'm at. That's what it's all about. That's what I'm living for.

When you see a new generation of Liberty students arriving in the program, what do you feel? And if you were to tell them anything, about what they need and should do, in the time they're here, what would that be?

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When you see a new generation of Liberty students arriving in the program, what do you feel? And if you were to tell them anything, about what they need and should do, in the time they're here, what would that be?

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I'd say see in the new generation comin' up is like seein newborn babies. They need to be taught things and Bank Street is where you're gonna learn these things. If anything they must.... If I had to tell them something it's: They have to stay in the program. They have to stay in the program and take advantage of what's given to you. Take advantage of all the classes we have. Take advantage of all the counselors, the teachers, the work. Take advantage of all this stuff because it's going to help you. It's gonna help you. One thing I have to say is: Stay in the program. There's no way you can go wrong if you stay in the program. I know a lot of people who stepped out of the program, and they're in jail right now. They should just stay in the program.

Bard was a test to see how well I could stand on my own. Not really academics. Academics I knew I could do. Science I know I have. English, I know I could do. It was being able to stand on my own. How well I'm going to interact with people? Am I going to be pushed around? Am I just gonna be lost?...It's like I had everything, but I didn't know how to live on my own. I didn't know how to live without my parents, I didn't know how to live without Bank Street. That's where I learned how to do all that stuff.

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Twenty years from now as a physician, with a family of your own, what will you remember about this place, this program?

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I will always have to remember this program because without that program I wouldn't be there. What I remember the most...is just comin' here and just talkin'. Interacting. Learning. Being in an environment that cares. It's like another family right here. Bein' here is like another family. ...I remember most is just the comfort, just being able to relax and not be somebody I don't want to be. I don't want to have to put up a front. I don't have to put on an image. I can just be myself. That's what I remember about this program. That's what I will always remember from it.

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Words:

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At Risk

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Being in danger. Failing. Being deprived of something: of a natural skill, academic skill, educational skill, environmental skill. Bein at risk is when you about to fall down that hole, that hole that will get you in trouble. AT risk: is that label when yo're about to fail and there's nothin you can do about it . You have to get help. You can't do it on your own . Being that person at risk you're about to see your life fall apart, right there. Shatter. Shatter like glass. At risk.

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Underprivileged

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Being deprived of what you should get, what you are supposed to have. Taking advantage, taking advantage of things and not even knowing that it's there to take advantage. That's being deprived.

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Culturally Deprived

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Not knowing oneself. Not knowing oneself. Not knowing where you're from. Not making connection with the world. To be cultural you have to in a sense learn about your history to learn about yourself. Without your history there is no you. You can't make a connection in the world. Being able to think back to your past and understand is being able to make a connection with everybody else. It will make you feel comfortable, make you have greater self esteem. It will make you a better person.
 

Minority

A minority: being inferior...not given a chance. A minority: in a sense, also being deprived; not being at that standard where society accepts you. Minority...gives you a feeling of inferiority. Your always under somebody and you should never feel that your under somebody. You should always be able to rise when it's time for you to rise. And being a minority labels you as a person who cannot make that struggle; cannot make it there.....

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Community

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Able to interact and take advantage of what you can see, of what is there around you. Being able to absorb anything you can that's negative and positive, because you learn from your mistakes. A community is a place where you are in your dome and your able to feel like your all a big family. A community, it's like everybody there to see to care about you....It's kind of like a Bank Street has that warmth in it, that comfort you're looking for.

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Trust

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Being able to in a sense fall back and you know that persons there to catch you. Trust is one of the biggest things to adapt and feel comfortable. You have to trust a situation, you have to trust that person. Trust is liken like that dependence that you need in order to also move because your not in this world by yourself. You always need help. And trust...is what helps you. It's like it gives you that extra hand to [get] up that mountain.

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Hope

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To give a chance to, to give reason to. It's what you're fighting for. Hope: to be there. That feeling that you can visualize your future....

 

To Think

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Is being able to communicate with that voice inside you...To think is what helps you to make satisfying decisions that will better yourself. To think: is a step to learning on your own; being able to think can save your life. It gives an individuality within the body. Being able to think....

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Future

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Is what you live for. Is your gold. Is what you want. Is what you plan to do. Is what makes you happy. Is what you love. Future is where you want to be...when you grow up. That's the future.

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Christopher Blackwood:

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Without this program, in a sense, I would be deprived like all the other people in my community. This program started me off in the right path from the first thing I did which was to step into this building. Second, was Bard, Bard college. Within Bard college got a leadership role at Bank Street. I was in the Advisory Council. Next I became chairperson. I was a leader within the building. So I felt that I had to do more. I felt like I had to do an extra load...to bring every body up; to make everybody a better person. Just for other people to see me do well, is an accomplishment itself because I know that will bring them up .I am like a role model to the younger kids. So I take advantage of everything.

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A year ago I got accepted to Cornell University with a full scholarship. Without Bank Street I'd have never been there. BS helped filling out the essay, getting me a scholarship. They just helped me when my mom wasn't there to help me....Cornell is when I really woke up. Because in school I could get away with not being the best and be the best. At Cornell it wasn't like that. There were people up there "that got real busy", you know. Education wise, "they got busy." The thoughts, the thinking, the discussions was where I made standard for myself. I just can't get passed them I have to get pass them. That's what I learned: that I can never do too much, I can never be happy where I'm at. I have to be above that. I always have to strive. I always have to make that extra step....

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They give you in two weeks a semester worth of work to do ...The discussions there....that's what I live for, what I love. I love to be able to just talk.

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Recently I got a scholarship to go to Italy as a youth ambassador. Without the program again, I would never had had the opportunity to get there. And I'm going to make the best out of the situation. What I plan to do, I never told anybody...is I plan to write a book. I'm bringing a journal up there. I'm gonna write about my experience from right now to the time I get on that plane ....to the time I leave. And I know that one year I'm gonna organize that into a little book, a little essay that people could read, not for it to make money, but for people to see that I'm just like them . And I got the opportunity and I took advantage.....And once that person knows it too and they do it...That's the only job I want my book to do.

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I recently got accepted to Clark, Hunter and a couple of other colleges and I got a scholarship from Riverside Church for my books....Without the program again, they got me connected to Riverside Church playing basketball. I just signed up for the program, next you know I was writing essays.....

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The college process: of filling out essays, interviews and all that was the roughest stage because I had to balance that and my schoolwork and I had to work. But I gave in that extra hour at night. I stayed up late. I even broke dawn doing these essays to the best of my abilities. ....Without this program, none of it would have been accomplished. I would never have the opportunities, I would still be on the street doing my martial arts thing. To be around my block and see other people and...just shake your head of they being deprived of things that they can do ....they just don't have that third eye open. if they had that third eye open they could be right where I'm at. And every chance I get, I try to bring somebody up. My best friend... help him become a better person by just opening up that third eye. I got him associated with the program. Now he's doin' good. He's built he's self esteem and everything. That's a gratification. That's what it gives me, a feeling that I am able to smile when I wake up in the morning.

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I'm lookin' to do more. I'm never gonna stop learning. Never. Right there. Without the program. I'm never never gonna stop learning. I'm always gonna learn, whatever I do. I'm never gonna stop, always gonna take that extra step and I own it all to this program. And when I grow up I want to contribute as much to this program and also to my community so other people can follow in my footstep and my brother can follow in my footsteps too....Because it's bout gettin' to your goal but it's what you can do to the world to make the world a better place . What I'm gonna do...is once I get that MD, once I'm that doctor, I'm gonna help people health wise and also give back to the community. When I die I want something to be passed on. And if it's an extra person, scholarship, another Bank Street, whatever it is, I'll be happy with it. Cause it's not all about reachin that goal, it's about learnin' more and giving back. Right there.