The Compton Initiative

This fall, NBC is going to debut a new show called “School Pride”
The show will focus on communities coming together to make a difference by volunteering to help beautify and rebuild schools in the community. This show will have the power of NBC behind it and will be broadcast nationally. However, long before the cameras arrived, the Compton Initiative had been doing something similar. Infact, the Compton Initiative will be one of NBC’s partners on this project.

I have been fortunate to be a part of this movement for close to a year now and have been meaning to write about it but never got around to it. What exactly is it then? According to their website justdogood.org,

In 2005 a church in Paramount had a vision of seeing healing come to its neighboring city of Compton.

The name of that Church was Immanuel Reformed, and before moving on to Compton, they had successfully done something similar in Paramount. Their goal was to take back the city of Compton by hosting work days where select houses, schools and/ or lots, are cleaned, repainted etc. The idea was that Compton could be known as something else besides just a poverty stricken, high crime area and that a new city could be reborn out of their efforts.

The church I attend caught wind of the idea last year and got involved. This was how I came to become a part of this “Initiative”. Since the first work day in 2006, 80,457 volunteer hours have been logged on 316 worksites (not counting the last work day in July). Some more stats; in 2006, there were 550 volunteers, 22 worksites and 3 work days. Last year, there were 2500 volunteers, 100 sites and 4 work days.

This is a great example of what can happen when common people decide to just do good. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, please look into being a part of the work yet to be done. Meanwhile, those out of range can get involved in other ways. Visit justdogood.org for more information on how to get plugged in.

Where is the outrage?

I never knew Sean Taylor personally. I can’t pretend to assume to know how much his death might be weighing on people that love him. However, I can honestly say that his death hit very close to home for me. Sean was a member of what I refer to as my generation (he was only a year older than me). Therefore I can imagine what it must be like for his family when I look at my family. He had his whole life ahead of him just like I do. I am sure he made plans, had engagements, dreams, etc. Then someone with a gun took his life and extinguished those same dreams, aspirations and hopes. The light that was his life, is now gone forever. Yet, the public has remained silent. In this one moment, this opportunity to speak out against violence and rail against the senseless killings, the silence has been deafening.  

It is sad that had Sean Taylor committed a crime, he would have received more publicity than he has since his death. Remember the around the clock coverages afforded and reserved for the Mike Vick, Kobe Bryant, Pacman Jones, and recently Barry Bonds stories? I don’t see as much disgust for such violence as there was with Vick and his cruelty with dogs. I have been all over the boards, much of the posts have not been about Sean Taylor. There have been no protests, no calls for the killings to stop, in fact we have dropped the ball. Yes, I have seen a lot of the talking heads and NFL players who were fortunate enough to know Taylor comment on how sad a situation it is but is that all?  

This wasn’t about Sean Taylor alone. This is about the fact that situations like this happen to innocent people everyday, but no one stands up to it. PETA used the Mike Vick case as a platform to speak up on the issue of dog fighting and to educate the public on that issue. Is there no organization or person who will use Sean Taylor situation as a platform to speak out against violence?  

Rest in Peace, Sean.