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The winners of the 2011 Violence Stops Here competition were announced recently during a performance finale at Simeon Career Academy.
Kristin Williams of Lindblom Math & Science Academy won the $2,000 grand prize with her performance of an original rap entry. Tiara Platt of Simeon Career Academy won the $750 2nd place award with her original poem. Dakahari Ingram and Corey Bevil of Carter G. Woodson middle school collaborated to create an original rap and take home the $250 3rd place award. Their video entries can be viewed at ViolenceStopsHere.com.
The Violence Stops Here contest began June 15th as a way of getting youth to think about and expressing ways of ending violence in their neighborhoods. Chicago Public School students ages 13 – 19 from Chicago’s Chatham, Englewood, and Grand Boulevard communities submitted a short video from their cell phones or PCs to enter the contest at ViolenceStopsHere.com.
The videos had to be less than 4-minutes long and were judged on three criteria: 1) Creative Expression, 2) Relevance to the Community, and number of online votes. Once approved by committee, friends and family voted online to determine the top entries contest entries to compete in three runoff performance during live showcases.
The finalists competed head to head in front of a live audience at Lindblom Math & Science Academy, Phillips Academy and the finale at Simeon Career Academy.
The Violence Stops Here performance showcases and competition were hosted by Chicago artists Justflo & Uneq’ka Nov. 3rd at Lindblom Math & Science Academy, Nov. 4th at Phillips Academy, and Nov. 10th at Simeon Career Academy. Principals and educators from the host high schools worked together with members of the 2011 Violence Stops Here committee to make the contest a lasting success.
“The Violence Stop Here Contest is an excellent way for our children to express their views about our community. After all it is their every day reality (on the streets and in the school, etc). Adults can only imagine it, is only our hypothesis, so who is better to tell the story than our children.”, 15th Ward Alderman Toni Foulkes.
Several billboards promoting the winners will be displayed throughout Chicago’s Chatham, Englewood, and Grand Boulevard communities December 5th 2011 through January 2012.
The billboards locations are:
Chatham - 78th & Ashland and Vincennes at Halsted
Englewood - 63rd & Justine and 74th & Racine
Grand Boulevard - 43rd & Champlain and 45th & Cottage Grove
The developers of the campaign are already working on the next Violence Stops Here contest.
Special Thanks to the 2011 Violence Stops Here Committee:
Norma Sanders, Teamwork Englewood
Melinda Kelly, Chatham Chamber of Commerce
Sylvia Jones, Chatham Chamber of Commerce
Larissa Tyler, QBG Foundation
Jennea Biven, HOYCE Youth Center
Tanya Lee, Bridging the Gap Communal Living
Betty Thompson
Francine Washington, Central Advisor Council
Christine Perkins, Inner City Youth Foundation
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