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Street Warrior Amon Rashidi Honored At 2003 Essence Awards
to air Friday, June 27 @ 8:00pm on FOX
Dallas, TX - When several ex-gang members recently heard that Amon Rashidi would be sharing the stage with Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Mos Def, and Tom Joyner as an honoree at the 2003 ESSENCE Awards, their response was, "IT'S ABOUT TIME!"
You see, as a young man, Amon Rashidi has already lived several lives including that of a community and political activist, founder and director of a national non-profit organization, a dynamic national lecturer, a phenomenal spoken-word artist, and a dedicated husband and father of six.
In 1987, Amon Rashidi founded Project J.A.M.S. (Just Another Means of Success), a community and youth development organization dedicated to offering positive, life-changing options to families and children. Through Project J.A.M.S. (www.projectjams.com), Amon developed a gang intervention program entitled "Journey, The Gang Alternative," recruiting gang members from the community to leave their urban environment and spend time at a rural east Texas campsite. The success of the Journey program received national attention from the U.S. Congress and The National Commission on Children, boasting a retention rate of over 72% - a remarkable ratio for a program of this type.
Amon's innate ability to speak to the needs of the youth, and motivate parents and educators landed him on the lecture circuit, where he taught at Harvard Graduate School, Howard University, and West Point Academy to name a few. He has appeared on CBS' 48 Hours, the USA Television Network, and twice on the PBS special, "Who Cares About Kids", with internationally acclaimed poet laureate Maya Angelou.
In an effort to inject his uplifting messages and life-saving antidotes into the vein of popular culture, in 2000 Amon Rashidi recorded and produced a breakthrough spoken-word project entitled SPEAK - First Born Sun that debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart at 65 with a bullet. "This project just won't die," states Amon Rashidi, "the response is always so overwhelming."
After hearing the single release "Pretty Black Woman," Gail Mitchell, of Billboard Magazine stated, "...it weaves his sultry voice with harmonious melodies and infectious hooks over solid grooves that leave listeners swaying." Nile Rodgers, a world-renowned artist and producer who co-founded the group Chic and whose credits include Sister Sledge, Madonna, David Bowie, and Diana Ross, recently commented: "I love this CD... Not just "Pretty Black Woman", but the entire CD. It's smokin'!
Amon Rashidi and his team of experts have developed The JAMS Training Institute, which provides training and workshops to empower and inform teachers, parents, and educators with the most effective information, resources, methods and techniques necessary to restore order and discipline back into our schools. "You hit the target. You provided our teachers and staff with the information they needed to go back into the classroom and meet the needs of our students," states Ron Price, Board Vice-President - Dallas Independent School District.
"I would recommend this (Rashidi's) training to any district or institution seeking to inform and empower their schools." Mary Ann Cool, School Board President - East Orange, NJ School District, recently wrote, "The In-service Program that Project J.A.M.S. conducted for our district was exceptional. The majority of the teachers that attended this program felt it was one of the best they had ever attended."
Amon Rashidi sees the ESSENCE Award as an opportunity to galvanize communities across the country in providing tangible resources and solutions to address the pertinent issues effecting children and families across America. "We can't fight and beg at the same time. Proof of behavior is in what you do and not in what you say; the mouth will say anything, but behavior does not lie."
Amon Rashidi and the MNP Production family are currently completing several projects in an effort to generate funds to continue the community mobilization effort. These projects include: an audio lecture series entitled Realities and Responses, a second music compilation project - The Antidote, a book of poetry and proverbs entitled Philosophies of Thought, and an innovative supplemental education system called RAPADEMICS that uses Rap music and Hip Hop culture to teach educational fundamentals, morals, values and principals.
It's ABOUT TIME... for a strong voice to emerge that's not afraid to speak the truth with no reservations or political agendas; It's ABOUT TIME... that we focus on programs that produce immediate results in our communities like Community Mobilization Programs, and School-based Social Intervention programs that we develop, finance and manage ourselves; It's ABOUT TIME... that an institute was established to empower and inform teachers and educators with the most effective information, resources, methods and techniques necessary to restore order and discipline back into our schools; It's ABOUT TIME... that we learn realities and responses to gang violence, juvenile delinquency, and criminal engagement, so that we can halt the downward spiral that leads to the incarceration and death of our most precious commodity - our youth. It's ABOUT TIME... that we offset the negative popular culture with positive messages and images through music and entertainment. It's ABOUT TIME... for us to hear an inspiring, thought-provoking voice of reason that motivates us to find a common unity.
ESSENCE awarded Amon Rashidi with the 2003 ESSENCE Street Warrior Award because they know; "IT'S ABOUT TIME."
For more information on Amon Rashidi and Project J.A.M.S., contact Sandra IdDeen at (972) 224-4590 or visit www.projectjams.com. For information about MNP Productions, contact Ezra Jay at (214) 905-4969.
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