Ep. 35 - Chi DNA: Youth Trauma-informed Education & Organizing against Gun Violence ft. Tree

BrownTown links up with Tree, an activist, artist, and program
facilitator with GoodKids MadCity working to end violence in all
its forms. The team discusses educating young folks and the
intersections of violence in music, policy, and the streets as
well as the role white supremacy, capitalism, and toxic
masculinity has in it all.


 


BrownTown originally met Tree at the Chicago Urban League’s live
podcast recording event Ep. 8 Convening on Youth Violence and at
SoapBox’s February 2019 event Chi DNA: Movement, Media, &
Municipal Elections. Tree begins by talking about his philosophy
of life and coming into organizing through the Maverick Men
Against Violence Research program. After meeting Kofi Ademola
(Bourbon ’n BrownTown alum), he linked up with GoodKids MadCity,
an organization of Black and brown young people united in
fighting to end violence in in underserved communities by calling
for more resources and creating safe space for healing, changing
behaviors, advocating for progressive legislation that
contributes to community vitalization and giving support to
communities suffering from gun violence. There he started
engaging in youth education and program facilitating work with a
restorative justice framework. The conversation takes a turn when
we backtrack and discuss what spawned Tree’s journey, the
incident that left him paralyzed. BrownTown and Tree breakdown
reasons behind seemingly cyclical street violence that is often
attributed to certain parts of Chicago, and put the macro-level
systems of oppression the create such inequities that make it
possible on trial. Tree explains what trauma-informed work looks
like with youth across Chicago while making space for creative,
restorative practices through various outlets.


GUEST
Tree is a 25-year-old community activist, artist, GoodKids
MadCity rep, program facilitator, peace circle keeper, and
student of life who was planted here to spread love and add
balance. An unfortunate run-in with gun violence when he was a
teenager left him paralyzed forcing him to rethink his purpose
and being a journey of healing himself and everyone around him.
Follow Tree on Facebook (Paris Brown / Tree Brown), Twitter,
Instagram, and YouTube and GoodKids MadCity on Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram.


CHI DNA
This is the seventh Chicago Drill and Activism (AKA "Chi DNA")
installment of Bourbon ’n BrownTown. Chi DNA is an ongoing
documentary and multimedia project, which also features
interviews, micro-documentaries, and editorial pieces on drill
rap and the activist resurgence in Chicago.


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CREDITS: Intro song Klan Killer and outro
song Overkill by Tree. Audio engineered by Genta
Tamashiro.


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