#10 Barrio Writers Workshop at KIPP Austin

Before the holiday break, BW Founder Sarah Rafael García taught 1-class period workshops at KIPP in Austin, Texas. She was hosted by an empowering high school teacher (and poet) whose goal was to influence her students through creative writing—Yay for Ms. Minde!

For the next few weeks we will be featuring Ms. Minde's students on our blog! During the workshops the youth read, wrote and shared as a community (60 mins: 20-reading, 20-writing, 20-sharing). They read and discussed works by Tim Z. Hernandez, Jasminne Mendez, Rene S. Perez II and Barrio Writer Jesse Castillo!

After reading, they were asked to respond to a writer by doing "blackout poetry" or writing their own poem/story in similar style as the writers read in the workshop.

After writing, all the students were offered the opportunity to share their work and receive feedback from their peers. They were also invited to share on our blog!


Today's piece is by Luis Quintero, he created his own piece through freewriting!

Freewriting: often done on a daily basis as a part of the writer's daily routine, usually for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Write without worrying about spelling, grammar, or making corrections (revisions or editing). It’s one way to reduce writer’s block and develop a natural voice. If you reach a point where you can’t think of anything to write, then write that you can’t think of anything, until you think of something else to write.

In Barrio Writers we welcome youth to express themselves freely, discussing whatever topics or social justice issues they choose as long as they are done to shed light and a lesson on the issue.

"Social justice" is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges (based on race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds) within a society.

What makes Luis' piece empowering is his use of personal opinion and perception. He presents his ideas fearlessly! Here are Luis' words:

Nothing More.

war goes on in the world as
people stay calm and think nothing
more as you sleep and think of
tomorrow but nothing more in pain or struggle
dream of a better tomorrow, when something important
hits on a place we care and see no one ever
focus on the place with deaths and scares,
social media goes to the most popular place
in the world as it's destroying in a 
small way but nothing more but it doesn't
focus on a place at war and people think of
it as, nothing more.
            
—Luis Quintero


Check out his submission too! Empowering words Luis, keep sharing your ideas!