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Justice and Opportunity: The Power of the Arts

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Geoffrey Reecer
WASHINGTON --  President Barack Obama has proclaimed the month of October, 2015 as National Youth Justice Awareness Month. In the official two-page white house proclamation, the president calls upon "all Americans to observe this month by getting involved in community efforts to support our youth, and by participating in appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs." This past week, members of the Airmen of Note had the opportunity to do just that when they were invited to participate as part of an all-day event/workshop at the White House entitled "Justice and Opportunity: The Power of the Arts, A Focus on Juvenile Justice."

The event was a collaborative effort led by Nathan Diamond, the director of arts for Washington, D.C. public schools and Cheryl Pope, a visual artist from Chicago. The schedule afforded 35 students a chance to interact with a variety of artists and White House professionals in an effort to enhance their capacity for understanding, communicating and raising awareness around the issue of juvenile justice. The students came from five schools: Eastern High School, Coolidge High School, Anacostia High School, Columbia Heights Education Campus, and School Without Walls High School. They were chosen by their teachers for their interest/involvement in both the arts and social issues.

The day began with students from Eastern High School, as well as young poets from Chicago, performing a spoken word piece based on concepts developed by Cheryl Pope via her "Just Yell/Poetry as Self Defense" concept. Afterward, students got to hear from Bob Listenbee, the Director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention from the Department of Justice and youth advocates who had been charged as adults and incarcerated under the age of 18. The students also received a welcome from Roy Austin Jr. of the White House Domestic Policy Council, after which the students had the opportunity to choose from a variety of "breakout sessions" in the afternoon.

Based on the conviction that the arts can help young people to develop their critical, creative, conceptual and socio-emotional capacities, the students' afternoon options were designed to allow them to choose from several options with which to explore the issue. Choosing "Photography and Curation" afforded some students the opportunity to work with a White House photographer. "Poetry and Speech" was led by artist Cheryl Pope along with two White House speechwriters. "Calligraphy," "Videography and Performance" and "Digital Graphics" were all led by White House professionals in these areas. The "Music" breakout session was led by the Airmen of Note Jazz Combo and Jazz Saxophonist/Educator Jeff Antoniuk and included 12-15 students as well as several attending professionals.

During the "Music" session the Airmen of Note Combo, along with Mr. Antoniuk, worked with students to help compose a musical representation that both expressed and helped to develop, a critical, conceptual and creative understanding of the issue. The students were offered examples of military ceremonial music, various jazz styles and fundamental musical ideas with which to make use of for this purpose. The students then used these elements to provide direction to the musicians as they collaborated together to develop a piece that was reflective of our collective understanding of juvenile justice.

The day ended with the various breakout groups gathering together to present their works. The many presentations were emotionally intense, insightful and creative. The Airmen of Note Combo, along with Jeff Antoniuk and the participating students, were the final presenters of the day. They created a piece together that represented how the students felt about juvenile justice policy. It began with a single student chanting, "Broken system," after which the Airmen musicians and Mr. Antoniuk entered with a light groove and somber harmonies. Then, after a robust and energetic middle section, the composition ended with all the students chanting together in a more hopeful vein, "Fix the system."

Mr. Diamond said of the session, "The insight you provided allowed members of the White House and others at the federal level to experience first-hand the importance of engaging artists, activists and cultural producers in these urgent issues as they evaluate, respond and seek to improve policies that affect so many."

Airmen of Note Combo member, Technical Sgt. Kevin Cerovich said, "It was such an honor to be a part of such a pivotal moment in the lives of these young people. Although we reach many kids through AIM [the U.S. Air Force Band's education outreach program "Advancing Innovation through Music"], this was a truly unique experience as we were in direct support of a presidential proclamation."

Technical Sgt. Grant Langford, saxophonist with the Airmen of Note Combo added, "It was great to be a part of the discussion pertaining to the juvenile justice system. These kids had personally overcome many obstacles in their lives and had used the arts as a springboard to get their lives back on track."

It was an honor to be a part of this event, engaging the community in support of our nation's youth. Using music to help awaken and inspire the hearts and minds of Americans, especially young people who represent our future, toward service, and to strive for excellence, is one of the most satisfying aspects of our job.