On Thursday, Dec. 28, people across the African Diaspora celebrate the third day of Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration highlighting a different principle bound in traditional African culture.
Today, we reflect on the principle of collective work and responsibility embodied in the Kiswahili word Ujima. When Ujima is activated, communities work toward a common good and share each other's burdens. They recognize that real progress is impossible without a unified effort. Ujima also acknowledges that people are collectively responsible for the community's setbacks and challenges.
The Brooklyn group that exemplifies Ujima is Antoine Cassidy, founder of No Gun Smoke School Tour,
As a young adult, Cassidy sold drugs to make money and got arrested, landing him in prison on Rikers Island. But Cassidy didn't let his story stop there.
“When I was in jail, I would always say, 'What am I going to do when I get home? How am I gonna make the community fall in love with me?'” Cassidy said. “I said, 'I have to do something positive.' And it took me a while, but then I said, ‘You know what? I want to prevent gun violence because I'm respected in the streets.’”
In 2004, ince he was released from jail, Cassidy began visiting dozens of Brooklyn schools to talk about his story and perform rap songs with an anti-gun message. In 2007, he founded the No Gun Smoke School Tour, a nonprofit organization that brings after-school activities and an anti-violence message to several local schools, including P.S. 5, Boys & Girls High School and Ember Charter School.
As part of the program, Cassidy offers positive after-school alternatives to drugs and violence like leadership development and fitness, boxing, art and music classes. He also goes back to Rikers Island to teach classes to incarcerated people.
Cassidy’s story has been shared on CNN and New York 1, and he has also partnered with NYPD Community Affairs to bring his programming to local churches and community centers.
To read more about Cassidy and his No Gun Smoke School Tour and to better understand how it demonstrates Ujima-- collective work and responsibility in the community, go here.
Beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 26, and for the seven days of Kwanzaa, BK Reader will feature a different local resident or organization that exemplifies one of the seven principles!
