Money, Power and Respect

A COMMUNITY project examining the real lives of Black young men in Northamptonshire will be wrapped up this week with a special screening of a documentary film.
Money, Power and Respect, is the result of a five-month project aimed at exploring the reality of being a Black/Mixed race man in England and how young people might overcome barriers.
The DVD, which looks at issues relating to young Black, Minority, Ethnic (BME) groups and was made entirely by six young men involved in the project, will be shown to audiences at The Picturedrome, Northampton, on June 29th.
Damion Whall, BME Voluntary Sector Personal Adviser for Connexions Northamptonshire, who helped organise the project said it had changed the lives of some of the young men involved.
He said: “It was amazing how the young people were able to explain some of the difficulties that they had faced including street life, fatherless homes, drug misuse, crime and racism.
“Several of the young people have said the project has changed their perspective of life. One young person has moved away from crime and drug misuse while another felt that his life experiences were truly understood for the time.”
The film focuses on 18-year-old Steven Amoah, from Kingsthorpe, Northampton, who said the project had inspired him to consider a career with the army.
He said: “We learned interview skills and how to operate a camera and it has really improved my confidence. Now I want to make a difference with my life and I am hoping to sign up with the army. That is something I wouldn’t have considered before.”
As part of the project, which was organised by Connexions Northamptonshire in partnership with the Learning Skills Council, Education and Youth Services, Converge Learning Consortium and the Council for Ethnic Minorities Communities, the men also composed a sound track and radio documentary which is due to be aired on Inspiration FM.
Money, Power and Respect will be shown at The Picturedrome on June 29th at 8pm.
For more information contact: Damion Whall 07793 307 241.