St. Louis Newsletter December 2020

By Jonathan Pulphus, Program Associate

Jan 4, 2021

St. Louis Program

Real Student Safety Art Prompt: How would you make school safer without policing?

"Untitled," Jaiden Drummer, 17 y/o (2020)

Happy Holidays Family,

As the year comes to a close, we want to thank you for keeping it real. What's it? That's righteous, courageous, and understanding. We appreciate you continuing to do the work of transforming community with us and in your respective spaces.

Together, we've healed from decision makers that jump fences when the gate is wide open. Collectively, we've built responses to fires started by those that hop in oceans to get dry when it's sprinkling. Allied, we've resisted individuals that drive toward tornados to escape danger. Year long, we've refused to allow our neighbors and babies to be treated transactionally: an asset Monday morning and an afterthought by that afternoon.

We knew all along that this work has got to be in us not on us. A lot of individuals behind the wheel of power got it on them but it aint in them. They struggle to control the sedan of freedom because it ain't in them. As we fight and further our quest, attempts will continue to be made to tell us where we can not go.

We are reminded to never forget that when you following the most high's plan, you can cruise the land. Let's continue keeping it real by healing, building, and resisting together into 2021. Let's continue holding in our heart our future: our babies.

In solidarity,

Jonathan Pulphus
Program Associate

AFSC ST. LOUIS / YUIR

#REALSTUDENTSAFETY CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Police Free Schools. Since the beginning of our campaign with a petition in June to our gathering of youth perspectives in the world of art in November, it's been a fruitful learning experience. The table for the RSS campaign met to discuss next steps. SLPS' school consolidation proposals mainly in predominately black and resource deprived communities includes language around more social workers and counselors.

However, it also is pushing for the hiring of more safety officers to, now, police elementary school students. While we will vehemently denounce the proposal in its entierty and look to re-emhasize the calls of the RSS table, we are also looking at what escalation plans look like. What is our community willing to do if SLPS doubles down?

Need an introduction or refresher into what the #RealStudentSafety campaign is about? Do you want a sense of what we mean by "abolition," "divest and invest," and more? AFSC St. Louis recorded our last Virtual Learning on Abolition Session #4 which took place September 20th, 2020. Watch this video recording to learn!

#REALSTUDENTSAFETY

YOUTH SPEAK OUT!

The #RealStudentSafety artshow case ended late October going into November. We asked 17 youth to answer this related prompt artistically: How would you make school safer without policing? See below for three submissions of the creative genius and power from the larger group our youth's voices. We will be releasing the rest of the submissions soon.

"Untitled," Janelle, 17 y/o

"Somethin' To Do," Grace, 12 y/o

(Panel 1)

(Panel 2)

(Panel 3)

“Somethin’ to Do” is a series of drawings that responds to how I would reallocate money used for policing in schools. Panel 1, School Garden, highlights the potential for science, math, and social studies to be reinforced while having fun and getting outside more. Panel 2, Community Kitchen, connects with the garden and provides opportunities for students to learn how to prepare nutritious meals. Panel 3, Swimming Lessons, works to promote swimming as an outdoor activity or competitive sport for black students. - Grace

"Untitled," Triniti, 17 y/o

All of the submissions were off the chain and authentic. Be on the look out for the complete series.

COMMUNITY SAFETY BEYOND POLICING (CSBP)

NATIONAL WEBINAR VIDEO

AFSC St. Louis has been active in the Community Safety Beyond Policing (CSBP) initiative, a new project of AFSC that hosts monthly community conversations over Zoom. November’s conversation focused on creating police-free schools and highlighted four campaigns happening in St. Louis, Chicago, Fremont, and Peralta. Check out the video of the webinar HERE.

The next conversation about Alternatives to 911 is coming up on January 14 at 7pm CT. Register HERE.

- Sarah Nash, POTTS Intern

#FreeThemAll / CARD MAKING

Program Director Joshua Saleem and his family participating in #FreeThemAll Card Making

The AFSC STL Team organized a Holiday Card Making Party in conjunction with the national Free Them All days of action. Over eight days, AFSC programs across the country held actions to bring attention to the millions of incarcerated people at extreme risk due to Covid-19 and demand that people be released from prisons, jails, and immigration and juvenile detention centers. Local volunteers made cards that were delivered to juvenile detention centers in St. Louis City and County.

- Joshua Saleem, Program Director

PREVIEW OF 2021

Our work partnering with young people to build power didn’t stop because of a pandemic and will continue in the new year. We’re excited about several things we have on the horizon including monthly General Assemblies with St. Louis youth, programming in the Juvenile Detention Center, another art showcase, and so much more! Be on the lookout for how you can plug in to these different areas!

- Joshua Saleem, Program Director

Q&A ABOUT AFSC STL TEAM

Sarah Nash, Potts Intern

Joshua Saleem, Program Director

Jonathan Pulphus, Program Associate

Question and Answer:

What drew you to this work?

Sarah – My community! My friends and family, undergraduate professors at SLU, Karen House and the Catholic Worker movement, St. John's Church (The Beloved Community), the Anti-Racism Organizing Collective, and Volmoed Youth Leadership cohort. I am inspired by young people, throughout history and today, in the United States and around the world, who have always been on the frontlines of social change.
Joshua – The opportunity to build with young people! I don’t think we value our young people enough. As adults we so often relegate youth to the sidelines, when they have so much to teach us! In this office we make space for the experiences and voices of youth to shape the direction of our work.
Jonathan - My desire to be a part of a team that's wanting to leave the world better than how they found it. My name is Jonathan like Nathan, but with Joe on the front, with no e, cuz I’m like the energizer bunny and I don't run outta power. My power was realized by the work of the many black men and women that raised, reared, and guided me. Growing up as a young brother from the humble but too often hostile meadows of 23rd street in North St. Louis, few have the privilege to be in this unique position to work doing what they love. This work is it.

Lessons learned from this last year?

Sarah – Make time and space to do whatever sounds fun, comforting and cozy to you! In March, I bought a Nintendo Switch on a whim and have LOVED playing games with friends near and far. I have also cooked lots of yummy soup recipes and burned many different candles. Sometimes, it’s the small things that bring you lots of joy!
Joshua – 2020 was a year in which every day seemed to bring some important change, event, or catastrophe. It was overwhelming and anxiety inducing year. One of the lessons learned amidst all the seeming chaos is found in the understanding that I can’t control everything. The Serenity Prayer says “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
Jonathan - My neice, Saphira Aeni El-Amin Pulphus, was born September 26th, 2020 at 8:27am. I'm officially Mjambo and my parents are now grandparents. Throughout all the tragedies of 2020 from COVID-19 and otherwise, I'm reminded of how important it is to move with faith.

What dish would you bring to a holiday potluck?

Sarah – My Momma’s Bourbon Balls! Hers are still the best, but I feel like I am close to perfecting them!
Joshua – Everybody likes a good chili this time of year, and mine is one of the best (According to my family, and they may or may not be biased).
Jonathan - My baked mac and cheese is the part of the reason the sunshines. However, I'll be taking a notepad and pen watching my moms prepare dishes this year.

What’s your favorite holiday album?

Sarah – Garth Brooks & The Magic of Christmas (1999)
Joshua – It changes almost every year! My all time favorite would have to be Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration (1992).
Jonathan - Green Book Soundtrack (2018), particularly "Backwood Blues" by the Orange Bird Blues Band