Brownsville goes to Broadway!

On July 10th, the Brownsville Community Justice Center and NYPD's Juvenile Robbbery Intervention Program (JRIP) ventured uptown to dinner and a Broadway show. The evening started at Carmine's fabled family-style Italian restaurant where we feasted on giant plates of chicken parm, penne a la vodka and ravioli with marinara sauce. For dessert the group of youth, police officers and program staff, shared not one but two gigantic delicacies known as "the Titanic" and well-deserving of the name.

Following dinner, the group walked through Times Square to the Palace Theater to see "Holler if Ya Hear Me," the new musical starring slam poet Saul Williams and featuring the music and poetry of Tupac Shakur. The energy in the show was incredible and brought Tupac's classic songs -including "Changes," "Me Against the World," "Keep Ya Head Up" and "California Love"- to life on the stage. It was a story about friendship, love, loyalty,  and redemption on the streets of New York City. After coming home from a long bid in prison, the protagonist's best friend is killed by a rival crew and his old crew is looking to him at how to respond - whether to retaliate or simply mourn and try to keep the peace. 

All in all, it was a wonderful evening out in the city and there is nothing like art to remind you that the daily challenges we face every day have been confronting others for generations, that we have choices (hard as they may be), and that it is the choices we make that shape our destiny.

Thanks to the New York City Police Foundation for the generous support that made this incredible trip possible.