Always Running
Always Running: Reading List and Exercises
Always Running – Luis Rodriguez
For the reading of this book each student is to keep a journal on their thoughts, emotions, creative inspirations, and ideals that come up. This will be important because looking at forms of expressions from the author and to begin to create forms of expressions amongst the youth.
Preface – Chapter 2
Themes: Family heritage, immigrants, the “barrio”/neighborhood
Exercise: Consider the themes of these chapters and reflect upon your own family history and where you are now. Discuss with your parent(s) the struggles that they went through getting established in the neighborhoods where you reside. Have a free write and discussion in class about the similar family experiences.
Chapters 3 – 5
Themes: Police, peer pressure, gang activity/violence, class, race, and culture.
Exercise: Once again have the students draw on the themes from these chapters and relate them to each other. How one affects the other and how it all plays out in society/ ‘barrios’/ neighborhoods. Have them write in 2 – 3 pages on comparisons on any connections that you have made thus far throughout the book as it can relate to your community.
Chapters 6 – 9
Themes: Dropping out of school, poetry, the need for knowledge of his own history, youth organizations, protests (Chicano Movement), jail
Exercise: Have the students do a type of creative exercise (ie poetry, spoken work, art, painting etc ) that reflects the themes for any of the chapters or that they can connect from their own personal experiences.
Chapters 10 – Epilouge
Themes: Prison life and escaping death by those that were once homeboys
Classroom Discussion: With class, outline all of the major themes throughout the book. Have an open forum on student’s personal experiences with these issues (family, parents, or friends). The point of this is to create a sense of unity within the classroom. For the students to see that their experiences parallel to those that are sitting next to them and at some points do intersect.
For the reading of this book each student is to keep a journal on their thoughts, emotions, creative inspirations, and ideals that come up. This will be important because looking at forms of expressions from the author and to begin to create forms of expressions amongst the youth.
Preface – Chapter 2
Themes: Family heritage, immigrants, the “barrio”/neighborhood
Exercise: Consider the themes of these chapters and reflect upon your own family history and where you are now. Discuss with your parent(s) the struggles that they went through getting established in the neighborhoods where you reside. Have a free write and discussion in class about the similar family experiences.
Chapters 3 – 5
Themes: Police, peer pressure, gang activity/violence, class, race, and culture.
Exercise: Once again have the students draw on the themes from these chapters and relate them to each other. How one affects the other and how it all plays out in society/ ‘barrios’/ neighborhoods. Have them write in 2 – 3 pages on comparisons on any connections that you have made thus far throughout the book as it can relate to your community.
Chapters 6 – 9
Themes: Dropping out of school, poetry, the need for knowledge of his own history, youth organizations, protests (Chicano Movement), jail
Exercise: Have the students do a type of creative exercise (ie poetry, spoken work, art, painting etc ) that reflects the themes for any of the chapters or that they can connect from their own personal experiences.
Chapters 10 – Epilouge
Themes: Prison life and escaping death by those that were once homeboys
Classroom Discussion: With class, outline all of the major themes throughout the book. Have an open forum on student’s personal experiences with these issues (family, parents, or friends). The point of this is to create a sense of unity within the classroom. For the students to see that their experiences parallel to those that are sitting next to them and at some points do intersect.
Youth Movement Records
Youth Movement Records:
Youth Movement Records has fast become a recognized cultural organization in the Bay Area and beyond. YMR has received coverage from the press including pieces in NPR’s Marketplace, ABC News, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune and other media outlets. YMR received a prestigious Icon Award from Music for America for its work.
Locally, YMR can be found at events ranging from small community functions to high-profile showcases such as San Francisco’s Carnaval, the Power To the Peaceful event or the Noise Pop Music Festival. Recently, YMR has partnered in a national campaign led by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to support the film, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which takes a critical look at the prevalence of sexism, materialism and violence in current mainstream music.
Locally, YMR can be found at events ranging from small community functions to high-profile showcases such as San Francisco’s Carnaval, the Power To the Peaceful event or the Noise Pop Music Festival. Recently, YMR has partnered in a national campaign led by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to support the film, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which takes a critical look at the prevalence of sexism, materialism and violence in current mainstream music.