HHCF Juvenile Hall Diary Day 4!!

As I came in on Thursday, I had a lot swimming in my mind. I was thinking about the kid I kicked out. As per my personal rules, if I kick a kid out, he is out the day after. I was contemplating keeping him out for the week.

About 20 years ago, I was studying Confucianism thanks to an old Native American friend (he also introduced me to the beauty of sushi). A scholar from the Ming Dynasty wrote at the time “To go too far, is just as bad is not going far enough.” Was it unjust to keep him out? Was it being weak to let him in given the chances of him coming back with disruption on his mind. He was charismatic. The kids in the hall could follow him.

I checked into the building in a slight haze. As I got in they informed me that today was the last day. I had mistakenly thought it went all week like last years camp. It was not like last year. It rattled me more than I thought. I had plans for them on Friday and now, it was NOT to be.

One of the weirder things about jails and juvenile halls is the sterile nature of the place. The fluorescent lights, peanut butter walls, white walls- they numb you out. Kinda depressing, I can't lie.

So, I came in and I just wrote something on the board:

KING= Your goal.

Strategy= What tools (pieces) will you need to make it happen?

Checkmate= You win/ Victory!

They read it as they came in ready to go. I shook their hand as they entered. The energy was upbeat.

“This is my last day y’all. I did not plan for it to be like this. I thought I would be here till Friday- but I’m out. So, rather than get caught up with a lot of philosophy, let me just say that I loved being with you guys. I don’t know if any of this will stick but I hope you liked learning from me and I hope you liked the games you played.”

They were all sad. “ Aww man that’s weak.” one of them said.

“ I know, but look. Let me just run through some for attack strategies and lets jump on the boards. The main thing I want you to know is you are all brilliant. Your wisdom is not the issue. You are all brilliant. I just want you to get out, stay out and live well.”

We went over knight for puzzles. I was a stickler for ensuring they answered everything algebraic notation. They did it. Then we jumped into some games. It was fantastic.

One Latino student who I taught some moves to, who beat me after I gave him some pointers had blood in his eyes when he sat at the board. We went hard. I got him 3 games straight. He smiled at the end of class and was like. I’m gonna get you tomorrow” smiling wide as we shook hands.

A kid standing behind me said “He’s not coming back it's over.”

His smile went away and he shook his head. You could tell he was running some internal dialogue.

“These were great games man. Great games” I said.

After my break I went into the next class. I wallked in a little early. My classroom was not open. I stood in the pod looking around. One of the kids rooms was dark (they choose if they want their light on or not). In the blackness of the room and glare of the window I could see two eyes lasered in on my face. It was one of my students. He saw me see him inside the darkness. I smiled and nodded. Gave him two thumbs up. He smiled and nodded back. It started to bother me that he was in a cage. That he was in a cage and could still smile, gave me an odd sense of hope though. I’m still not sure what it was all meaning to me.

As I greeted them, the boy who I had issues with walked in. Head up, super proud. I greeted him and shook his hand. He shook my hand but his eyes were emotionally cold. I could tell though that the sincerity of my smile and energy of my greeting caught him off guard.

I quickly told them this was the last day. I was giving some final motivational words. The SAME kid who I just let back in was talking. I politely asked him to stop once, then twice. The third time I turned to him and approached his desk.  

“Come on man” I asked in a pain inflicted tone. “You just got back. I’m chillin’. You know it’s my last day. Are you really going to do this right now. You’re just gonna come in knowing it’s my last day and cool out in the back of the room talking with you boy? Why would you do that?

Before he could respond the kid who I smiled at through the blackness cut in.

“You gotta forgive him. He does not understand plain words. You gotta look at him in his eyes and be like ‘N*** SHUT THE F*** UP!’ a he will chill out.”

The room chuckled, and the kid continued. “Nah seriously, you know how when kids are born their heads are shaped bad. He’s one of those. You gotta massage his head and form it so he can hear you.” More snickers came out across the room.

I looked at Tats and I said “Is that what I gotta do? Help me understand. Because I feel like you are totally disrespecting me right now- and I don’t get it.”

Tats smiled a sincere smile. He said “Look I don’t mean any disrespect to any teacher. Especially to any OG. I respect you OG. I do. I respect all the teachers here.”

Then in a millisecond his face changed. He looked up at the lights and it seemed like he was no longer talking to me. It was like he was standing in the room looking back at himself “At the same time, I’m a man too OG. I’m a man!” he cried out in passion- not anger. “I do my push-ups in the room. I do my crunches. I do my jumping backs. I’m kinda small but I’m gettin bigger. I’m a man.” The guys in the room fell out laughing. Their laughter took him out of his trance. He smiled and laughed a little too. “I know I sound crazy. But I’m serious though.”

I realized in that moment that his issues were not really with me. His issue was he was torn between the boy who was evaporating and the man who was emerging. He was unsure if I told him to be quiet and he did it- was he being weak in a space where being weak made you a target?

“OK. I respect you as a man” said without hesitation. “But I don’t feel like we need to get all into it just to get through a class. These guys are trying to learn too. When you interrrupt, you are taking away from their time, and your time. That’s all I’m saying” I stated with a slight shrug of the shoulders and my palms turned up to the ceiling.

“I got you OG. I’m chillin’” he said sitting back and nodding.

The class went onto to be the best of the week. He played in the best game of the week. It see sawed back and forth between he and another kid. In the end he lost but the game was so epic the whole room was laughing and joking and yelling.

Turns out, Tats was a incredible rapper and dropped some heavy verses before class was out. He shook my hand before he went back to his cell. The kids were all wishing I could come back. I feel the sting of it too. But that class was amazing.

As one kid was goig out the door he said “Can I make money playing chess?”

“No lil bro. No. You want to use the game to build your plan for your LIFE and push hard that way. Then you will get paid. But you have to stay on the boards to really see the levels. You understand?” He nodded and smiled.

The highlight of the last class was with a kid who I knew trained in jiu-jitsu and meditation with a good friend of mine. Apparently a kid from my first class had a problem with him. I heard talk about them possibly getting physical. This kid and I played several games all week. This day we did not. As class was letting out and I was saying goodbye I pulled him aside.

I pointed to the thing on the board about the king, the pieces and the victory. I said “Look, you know I don’t know you that well. But I know your instructor and he would not want you figthing right now. He would want you going back to your room and meditating. He would want you in your room exercising. He would want you to think through this. For me, when I look at you. Your king is FREEDOM. I don’t know what that kid did. But nothing he said, is more important than getting out. Unless he is actively on you trying to harm you- keep it peaceful. Because anything you do is going to get you more time. Don’t give the courts one more second than you have to. Get free and then me, you and your instructor can go train and get some sandwiches and chill. Wouldn’t that be better than being in here?”

He nodded. “OK….OK.” in a tone that told me for the moment he was convinced nonviolence was the best way out. I called his instructor and told him what happened as I left.

Oh! I gotta say there were 4 different rap sessions I saw in the hall. One was from a kid who did not know chess. By the end of the week he did an amazing freestyle about chess and life. He said that he was so confused by the game and he never thought he could learn. I promised him he would know the game and he thanked me for keeping my word.

There was the rap session with the Tats who I just mentioned. It was truly amazing.

Another dope moment was a kid handed me a copy of a song he wrote. It is super deep and covered a lot of painful issues around his incarceration, broken family trauma and loniness he faces. I hope to share it with you in the future. But I have to get some clearances before I can.

Also, the first day  when I asked who could rap they all pointed to this White kid. He was the only White kid in the hall that day ( a few more came in the day I left- it was all Black and Brown). He had bright green eyes and slicked back hair. The verse he did blew my mind. He was getting out that day. This afternoon he reached out to me on Instagram. I’m gonna try to get him to record a song.

I want to thank you all for taking the time to read this and I want to thank all the good people at the Alameda County Juvenile Center for their kindness and support. I want to thank all the JIO’s for their support when I’m in all the units. It is always and honor for me to spend time with incarcerated kids. Much love y’all.

Defend The Crown,

Adisa

Working to Build Queens: HHCF at Girls Juvenile Hall

Working to Build Queens: HHCF at Girls Juvenile Hall

By: Adisa, The Bishop

A few weeks ago Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) was invited to teach some of our Chess and Life Strategies classes to the boys at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center. I was working with kids as young as 13 and as old as 19. It went amazing. I wrote about my first five days in a blog entry I posted a few weeks back.

As soon as it was done I requested an opportunity to work in Unit 6, the girls unit. Educating girls about Chess and Life Strategies has been a core part of the mission of HHCF. These days however, as I see incarcerated girls by daughters age or sharing her physical or personality attributes I’m even more determined to help them. The staff was impressed about my sincerity in sharing chess wisdom with the girls so we got it going. Yesterday was my second time working in Unit 6.

Nothing screams nerd like the glare on these glasses.

Almost half of the first girls I taught had already rotated out. I’m happy to see them free but always sad I did not get more time to teach our lessons. Nevertheless there was a lot of enthusiasm on their faces. Mainly because the ones who were in the first class were excited to play.

One by one the girls walked in the classroom in a straight line. I always make sure to shake their hand and greet them individually with a genuine smile. You’d be surprised at how much a genuine smile can change anyones mood. As you might imagine they were all talking and laughing about whatever is going on in their day. These young ladies are certainly tough, but they never escape sharing their share of giggle and smiles and quirky aspects of their personality. Another thing I noticed is that girls always have much greater classroom respect and focus than any of the boys units. When it’s time to learn, they focus.

“Ladies, please settle down” I asked.  “I need you attention.” They sat straight up and gave me the floor. I’m still trying to gain their trust, so I wanted to share some things about me to re engage them on a personal level.

First I showed them a photos of me and Tupac and Eazy way back from my new book Bobby, Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip-Hop Chess. Immediately they asked me one hundred question questions about Pac, Eazy and old school Hip-Hop. They also showed a lot of interest in writing books of their own. I encouraged them to follow through on that vision.

Next I talked to them about Prince Niccolo Machiavelli and how Tupac read Machiavelli and Sun Tzu in jail because he realized he needed to make better decisions. Better decisions than the ones that got him in jail. “Plus all the reading he did is what made it so he could created all the music he did. A lot of today's rappers are one hit wonders because they don’t put anything new into their head. So the songs always sound the same. Tupac was the exact opposite.” One of the Latina girls raised her hand and proudly stated she had read Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The other girls in the class were impressed. So was I.

Then I passed around two books Play Like A Girls by Jennifer Shahade and Birth of the Chess Queen by Marilyn Yalom. I passed it around as I told them the history of the chess queen. I shared the importance of being intelligent young women of action. Some of them were bothered by the title of Shahade’s book. I reminded them that “playing like a girl” was in fact a show of strength and ability. It clicked.

Next I wrote the word queen on the board in big letters. I look around the classroom for a minute to let the silence settle. “What words come to your mind when you see the word queen?” I asked. Without hesitation words rained down on me faster than I could write them on the board:

Power

Educated

Beautiful

Reign

Ambitious

Confident

Woman

“Very good. Did you notice not one of you used words like ‘bitch’, ‘hoe’, ‘trick’ or any of these other words y’all tend to use a lot more often than you should? Why is that?” I asked rhetorically.

Without a pause I stated  “Because you know that is what queens are. You know what queens are NOT. From now on, I’m calling Unit 6 the Queen’s Unit. I make no promises to save you. Only you can save you. I’m just asking you to give me a chance to help you cultivate that inner queen.”

“One of my goals is to help you understand that you are queens. The words that came out of your mouth, out of your own minds came from within you. In chess most folks know queens are the most powerful. Many use queens too early in the game. If she runs out into the battlefield without protection she can get cut off and die quickly. She is most dangerous after a solid plan has been put into motion that no one can stop. So let us plan and make you unstoppable. “

I reminded them to never hesitate to express and defend their inner queen. You could see them nodding as they worked to internalize what I was saying.

From there we went straight into reviewing piece names, movement and value. All but two were ready to play. I think they almost every girl took notes from the board on their own accord. The two who didn’t play were a little more shy than the others and watched the others do battle. After about ten minutes of watching the others, the two shy girls got on the computer and tested themselves on different chess puzzles.

Time went by fast. When class was over they were all upset. They passionately argued for more time on the boards “But wait, this game ain’t over. I almost got her! Can we keep the boards? I just need like ten more minutes so I can win.”

I told them I needed the boards for the next class with the boys. They reluctantly put the boards and pieces away. I’m looking forward to games we play next week in the Queen’s Unit. I will keep you all posted as the lessons continue.

Q&A with Hip Hop Chess Federation founder on partnership with East Bay schools

By: Juan Martinez

What do hip-hop music and chess have in common? The answer is simple according to Adisa Banjoko, the founder of the Hip Hop Chess Federation (HHCF), a non-profit organization that combines music, chess and martial arts to help young people promote nonviolence in their communities.

The art of rap and the game of chess are extremely competitive and difficult to master. In a game of chess, two people battle each other by making strategic moves on a board that has 64 squares. In a rap battle, two artists seek to display mental superiority, using similar survival strategies to a chess player, except that they duel with the wittiest rhymes to win.

Although Banjoko’s traveled all over the country organizing community outreach events, the Bay Area holds a special place in his heart. Banjoko once lived in Oakland and was a part of the ‘90s Bay Area hip-hop music scene. Currently, he is teaching chess and life strategies to students at Encinal High School in Alameda through a partnership with his friend John Fuentes, who oversees the after-school high school program for Bay Area Community Resources (BACR). From now to the end of this school year, Fuentes’ goal is to have Banjoko teach chess at several Oakland high schools as well.

Read the full story: http://blog.sfgate.com/inoakland/2014/04/11/qa-with-hip-hop-chess-federation-founder-on-partnership-with-east-bay-schools/

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Expands to Oakland High Schools

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Hip-Hop Chess Federation Expands to Oakland High Schools

HHCF Teams with B.A.C.R. to Offer Chess & Life Strategy Classes to East Bay Youth

Oakland, CA, 3/4/14-  The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) will begin teaching Chess and Life Strategies classes to teens in Oakland and greater Alameda County later this month. The HHCF is the first 501(c)3 to fuse music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and nonviolence. Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) has brokered a partnership with HHCF to bring their innovative approach to chess and life to youth and teens across the greater East Bay. The first classes will begin at Encinal High School in Alameda.

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Founder, Adisa Banjoko stated “Our plan is to teach the universal themes of music, and chess to the youth.  We know the fusion of those help promote the teaching the value of nonviolence. We are are honored to have this new alliance with Bay Area Community Resources. John Fuentes of BACR is a visionary in the world of Hip-Hop and education. The HHCF is happy to have this opportunity to help heal the climate of violence for the children of Oakland and Alameda County.”    

The HHCF recently announced its award winning chess program is expanding to Santee Education Complex, in South Central Los Angeles. Two weeks ago actor and rapper RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan won the HHCF’s Chess Kings Invitational tournament in Anaheim.  FULL AUDIO OF RZA’s talk with Sons of Anarchy star Emilio Rivera and members of LAUSD about the merits of chess and music for at-risk and gang impacted teens  can be heard in its entirety at The Journey Podcast .Rappers Immortal Technique, Zion I, T-KASH, The Jacka, Dilated Peoples, DJ QBert, Mike Relm and many others from the Hip-Hop community participated in HHCF community outreach events. The HHCF has been featured in Forbes, Chess Life, Good Morning America and the NY Times for their innovative approach to chess.

John Fuentes, High School After School Program Manager for Bay Area Community Resources stated “I am excited to begin a formal partnership with the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. I have known Adisa Banjoko for many years. Having had an opportunity to bring him and the HHCF into my after school program is amazing. The HHCF offers young people the opportunity to critically think, strategize, problem solve, anticipate and develop the necessary skills to navigate their high school education and navigate through life.

In related news, the HHCF recently released Street Games Vol. 1 hosted by DJ Rob Flow and A-Plus of Hieroglyphics. Street Games Vol. 1 is a profanity free mixtape about the connections between Hip-Hop Chess and martial arts. It includes A Technical Flow by Kalhi feat. UFC coach Ryron Gracie,  64 Squares in the Cipher by Sunspot Jonz, Zumbi and Rakaa Iriscience, The Chess Clock by Quadir Lateef and Jasiri X, and The Maurice Piece, a tribute to the first Black Grandmaster of chess, Maurice Ashley.

For more information on Hip-Hop Chess Federation visit www.hiphopchessfederation.org or follow @realhiphopchess on Instagram.