Youths to share experiences with justice system through videos

Delmarva Now, April 19, 2018

by Susan Parker
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On Saturday, Apr. 21, Salisbury-area residents have an opportunity to hear from seven young people who have encountered the justice system in a variety of ways. These youths, ages 15-24, will share their personal stories in brief but thought-provoking video presentations, and will be on hand to discuss their work. 

“BARS: Stories of the System, a Youth Perspective” is a collaborative digital storytelling project facilitated and presented through a collaboration between Fenix Youth Project, a local nonprofit organization that empowers youths to use their creative powers to bring about social change, and StoryCenter, a nonprofit digital storytelling organization based in California.

The three-hour event will take place at the Wicomico Public Library in downtown Salisbury beginning at 2 p.m., followed by a “Town Hall Remix” — a discussion involving the storytellers who produced the videos, assisted by humanities scholars Nelseta Jones, a professor of criminal justice at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Timothy Stock, a professor of philosophy at Salisbury University.

“It’s designed to create an experience for the public to really hear and understand the perspectives of youths and young adult storytellers as they become vulnerable and share their personal stories,” said Fenix founder Amber Green, “and reflect on how their stories have impacted them, how their experience can help bring about change in areas like mental health, family engagement and definitely in juvenile justice and the justice system.”

he seven videos will be shown in two basement rooms at the library — three in one room, four in the other. Each presentation will immediately be followed by an in-depth discussion with storytellers and scholars…[East Coast Region director for StoryCenter Stefani] Sese and Green were awarded a Maryland Humanities grant for the BARS project.

Read the full feature here.