thisnnaturalhythm ♪ my art'si ♪ow, openy eyes d i see methindifferent ♪ when u're in your wst s, i can ta a pen a a paper and m. d to comto a school like this d have tdeal th more ruggle >>on't noby want to see yr shin bubet, gonna sne. [ambient mus] - [announcer]: major funding for reel south was provided by: etv endowment, the national endowment for the arts, center for asian-american media,

south arts, and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the american people. [applause] montae: as most of know, we are the rap squad, coming from chs. thank you, thank you. and we are a group of many, many talents. we do poetic, from poetic to music. th is the singing that i wrote. it was really my feelings on my environment, and how i'm growing up. and i'm forced to stay in this environment, but i want better for you, you know what i'm saying? everybody wants better for themselves and family, anyone around. and this is my story. [music playing] (singing) ♪ so lately i've been spending time thinking ♪ ♪ in this life will i make it? ♪ don't nobody know a thing about me. ♪ ♪ maybe i should spend praying, god knows i'm forsaken, ♪ ♪ i don't want to be a part of the streets. ♪

♪ so lately i've been spending time thinking in this life ♪ ♪ will i make it? ♪ don't nobody know a thing about me. ♪ ♪ maybe i should spend time praying, ♪ ♪ god knows i'm forsaken, i don't want ♪ ♪ to be a product of the streets. ♪ ♪ it ain't for me, it ain't for me, it ain't for me, ♪ ♪ it ain't for me. ♪ it ain't for me. yeah. [applause] thank you. >> we're in the delta, and the delta is a very unique and different kind of area. sometimes in order to understand the delta, you hat to be from the delta, just to kind of understand the culture and the people. >> so our county, phillips, is considered to be ther the first or the second in terms of poorest county in the state. >> peeps need you right now god.

these peeps need you right now god. delta does need you right now god. we all need you right now god. because there's so much going on in this world, lord. so much killing. >> when i was raised up in the churches years ago, i'm from an old generation. i'm a relic out of the past. churches were teaching, pastors were teaching good parenting. my mother had the ten commandments wrote on the wall. thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill. so these kids nowadays, the training they get comes to the-- the conduit of the kids is to a lot of negative stuff that comes through hip hop music and entertainment industry. what does that say? what does that say? [band music]

[door slams] >> this supposed to be for central? victor sellarole: yeah. well, some of these posters are for central rap squad to get some more publicity, but some of these posters are for the millage tax on march 14. and the millage tax will increase the property tax only for property owners in order to build a new public high school, and it's super contentious. [band music]

[hiphop music] >> [rapping] ♪ see the hood inside of m ♪ ♪ believe me, i try. ♪ found bet but i try. ♪ got a lot of people, a lot of them ♪ ♪ about me who won't care if i die. ♪ ♪ >> because i'm just going to breathe. ♪ ♪ i'm breathing, i'm breathing. ♪ >> ♪ man i lost my daddy, ♪ ♪ and i ain't the same. ♪ then i lost mgrandpa, our life was driving me insane. ♪ ♪ people tried to py me just like my life is a game. ♪ ♪ life is like a battle we fight for the wrong thing. ♪ >> ♪ --my wife, ♪ she had the benefit of the doubt. ♪ ♪ and then she messed it all up. ♪ ♪ so out of my life, i kicked her out. ♪ ♪ now my heart feel like a winter day with the lights out. ♪ ♪ tip toe.

>> [reciting] watching mama struggling each and every day made me understand why i've got to make a wave. at age 10, a gun took my cousin's life. age 14, i watched cancer eat my grandma alive. victor sellarole: all right. so guys, we have two main things to get ready for. there's a women's empowerment / youth empowerment thing on february 9th. we're going start off with misunderstood, where five or six kids do a talent. we do masquerade, three or four more kids do their talent, poem, misha closes the night out. >> i always do my hiphop tapping. victor sellarole: enough planning. you guys want to get to writing? montae: (rapping) ♪ taste your envy. ♪ i'm just trying to be the best person that i can be. ♪ ♪ did they got to hate on me. victor sellarole: you can be as honest as you want, you can talk about whatever you want, you can say it however you want, as long as you are being true to yourself. so at the end of the day if you're like, is what i'm saying the truth? cool, you can have it in there. is what i'm saying going to be positive for the community somehow? you can have it in there. the only thing i don't want is false bragging or false claiming or talking about--

>> gang? victor sellarole: yeah. no gang stuff, none of that. >> nothing gang-related. victor sellarole: good. those are the only rules. no rules other than that. if you play football, you have an outlet. if you are a star student, you have an outlet. you fit into the really traditional stuff like debate team or band, you have some options. but other than that, there's really no option for like the angsty young poet or like the angsty young artists or the angsty young rapper. >> come on in, then. victor sellarole: step on in. >> did you hear yourself in there when you rapped? victor sellarole: there you go. say something. ain't that weird? then you want to just hop into writing? i'll get you a book. here. so why don't you go ahead and try to hop in on this first song, ok? >> i got to get used to rap in front of people. victor sellarole: i know. they hate. they started really shy. don't let them-- this guy was so shy. montae: chill out, bro. that's a lie. victor sellarole: but now look at him. montae: you ain't got to snitch of me like this. victor sellarole: i'm sorry. montae: (singing) ♪ get out my way. ♪ i say oh lord, i want you to help me. ♪

i don't know. because before rap squad, i was really a shy and mellow person. and i used to let people walk all over me and stuff like that. and rap squad really gave me that voice to be able to speak how i wanted to. [laughing] dude, i'm excited, bro. [dog barking] montae: this is my dad right here. it's a little old. and these are thgloves that were at the funeral. this is the rose from the thing that was on the casket. [birds chirping] montae: now this is where the magic happens.

this right here. before this, we started off with just the mic and we had a crate. and we set the crate on a desk, and we'd all throw our jackets over the crate. so it would more of like insulation-type thing and you wouldn't hear the things on the outside. and then sellarole went and bought the phone. it's always people in the world that try to make a difference. they're not always recognized, but at least they try. and i feel like by me being part of the rap squad and supporting the rap squad, i feel like we can actually change the minds, if not many, then of some at least. andrew bagley: this is our proposed new high school facility that will be constructed here at the central high school campus if the voters approved the property tax this spring to fund its construction.

it will house all of our 7 rough 12 grades under one roof, which willimit the traffic, it'll be more secure, more sanitary. our facilities are very old, and water comes to the top, the bottom, there's exposed wiring in between. and so this is what we propose to build. and as you can see it'd be a very beautiful facility from the outside, it'll be state of the art on the inside. and for those that send their kids here, the benefit is obvious. their kids will have better facilities and they'll get a better education. montae: (singing) ♪ man i'm so tired of the games and the masquerades. ♪ ♪ why aren't we are treated the same? ♪ ♪ we make the same mistakes. ♪ sometimes i feel like i'm to blame. ♪ ♪ like it's a family trait. ♪ i guess we're not ready to chance ♪ ♪ because all the time it takes. ♪ ♪ man, i'm so tired of the games. ♪

ray: (rapping) ♪ down in my stressing, my life is alessing. ♪ ♪ straight off the block, i was juggling finessing. ♪ ♪ man, shout out to grandma, she dead and she resting. ♪ ♪ the people that doubted me now second guessing. ♪ ♪ i was a younging what's called a lame. ♪ ♪ played at all the games, so life is a game. ♪ ♪ introduced to the struggle now things ain't the same. ♪ ♪ i w a younging who wanted the fame. ♪ ♪ tired of the struggling and i'm tired of the hustling. ♪ ♪ physically i'm strong but mentally i'm troubled. ♪ jess rossoni: how are you doing? ray: all right. and you? jess rossoni: i haven't seen you in like two weeks. ray: i've been tired these two weeks. so i got to go to little rock children's hospital april 18 because my heart been acting up again with the fluttering and althat. jess rossoni: yeah. that was like that a year ago when that was happening, right? ray: yeah. and i got the ablation done where they clip there one part and they burned it. but it's still ain't working. yeah, they said by next year i shall be cleared, but with this heart stuff acting up no jess rossoni: yeah, i wouldn't mess with it. ray: no, i'm not. i'll stick to rapping. jess rossoni: because it's not your passion anyway, so. ray: i've been depressed. i'm actually still depressed. but you see i come to school and i smile

and i don't let it get to me, not out here. but now once i got home, yeah, i shut myself out and stay in my room and all that. no self ha, no nothing. i ain't that crazy, no. but yeahi'm depresse i ain't going to lie. yeah. my heart steady beating this unnatural rhythm. i'm trying to play life but it seem to keep skipping. and i open my eyes and i see something different. i'm losing my memory, i need to grip it. no right and no wrong, man i think that i'm tripping. a lot of fake people, so i keep my distance. i water whip and turn booth to a kitchen, i water whip and turn the booth to the kitchen victor sellarole: the kids that are spitting three 16-bar verses on a song won't write an essay in class. well, then that shows a deeper issue. they're not uncapable. maybe they have un-dealt-with trauma, maybe they're not being dealt with properly, maybe they've been dealt with as the bad kid forever so they're caught in a suspension cycle. courtney jacks: i find that when kids gravitate to something, theye running from something else most times, you know what i'm saying? and i think the rap squad gives them a good feeling

when they are together. it makes them feel good, it makes them feel important, and it makes them feel a part of something. [birds chirping] [dog barking] ray: well, my depression started when at school people would verbally abuse me. and i already had low self-condence. i me, dealing with a boy who hasn't had a father in his life, he's going to have some type of mental problems. i don't know, i was just a complete wreck. and then with my mom, she has rapid heartbeat. she will going to the hospital at let five, six times a month. just the thought that i cor to that was just heartbreaking. so i would shut down, stay in my room. i would actually starve myself, wouldn't eat. but i mean, i'm just praying to god that he'll help us through this struggle. >> attention rap squad.

we will have practice today after school in miss rossoni's room. please do not be late. mr. sellarole. [interposing voices] victor sellarole: but look guys, it's like that. so it's on down here, and when you really want to turn it on, just go right here. ray: you already told us. victor sellarole: ok. just want to make sure. ray: he nervous. i think he's-- victor sellarole: i do get nervous. so this is a female empowerment event that we're having, and the rap squad was asked to do a remix of keep your head up. so teumonte and norman are going to do that. well obviously, the original keep your head up was all about women's empowerment, so they rewrote it with like a modern twist. >> come on iladies. let's trying to fill up this line first. y: (rapping) ♪ with some friends. ♪ living in the world so cold trying to be different. ♪ ♪ but everybody acting so bold, what the big issue. ♪ ♪ got to keep your head up, ♪ just keep on pushing till you had enough. ♪ ♪ i know you tired of the pain and stuff ♪ ♪ throughout the world. montae: thank you. give it up one more time for chs. [cheering] ray: thank you.

he did a good job today. victor sellarole: i am proud. come here. ray: because that's one of the only teachers that i actually understood. he understood me. he understood why i couldn't sit down and be quiet. adhd, man. this man has adhd himself. he knows what i go through. he's been through some things in his life dealing with his mom or whatever. montae: it's scary. ray: he turned red! [laughter] victor sellarole: i was too stressed out because-- montae: he started panicking. victor sellarole: because i'm too stressed. hey kim. kim. who's classroom are you supposed to be in this period? m: your class. victor sellarole: yeah. kim: oh damn. victor sellarole: you can't just skip and then show yourself right after. i really didn't enjoy being in school very much. i didn't enjoy being in the classroom. i was always like the back row kid. i didn't do well in high school at all. i had like a 2.42 or 2.5. i failed every math class while i was working two jobs

and playing football to support my family. my dad had lost his job, we were evicted from our home, and then my mom got real depressed and she attempted her own life. so i came here understanding that when you feel that fire of trauma inside of like man, what does anything matter, you can't succeed in the classroom. and i came here knowing that a lot of the kids, just based on their personality alone, already feel trapped in a classroom. so you take a kid who already feels like the classroom is not built for them, add the fire of that horrible trauma, and then what's that supposed to achieve? [laughter] victor sellarole: it was funny though. montae: i should have been around. victor sellarole: you should have been around. [door opening] andrew bagley: watch your step. little junk back here. i was the child of public school educators, so i've been around it all my life.

now i'm on a school board. they made me the president. i think that eventually everyone is going to have to realize that whether they send they have a stake in it. if we' not successful and we continue the economic trends thate've had for the last generation, then their property is going to be worthless, their businesses will close. they need us to succeed. courtney jackson: if that tardy bell rings and you in my hallway, you going to iss. so i suggest you all get to class. i feel like with all the delta area, at one point they had kind of died out. the factories kind of cleared out and people just moved to seek work. and so when people start moving off, it start messing with your population, it start messing with your enrollment in your schools and things of that nature.

andrew bagley: since brown versus board of education '54, for like many communities, helena-west helena had a private school start. and that, i think, hurt us as a community. we're a community of limited people, limited resources, and that took a large part of your middle class and business part of the town away when the private school started. you also have the dimension over the past 16 years of a charter school entering the environment, taking another large segment of our city's populati out of the public schools. and i just don't think that's healthy, whether it's race-based, class-based, or whatever it is that results in it, for a town our size to be splitting our resources three different ways. plus i think it has damaging long-term effects. when kids don't go to school together, they don't develop the relationships. consequently, that leads to the political turmoil that continues in other parts of our local government. because if choice were the answer

to our economic development problems, we would not be in the state wre in today because we've had choiceince 1969. we have to g serious about quality public education. we can't survive without it. ray: (rappg) ♪ somebody tell me what's the point. ♪ ♪ can you tell me if i'm lucky? ♪ ♪ flip a coin. ♪ all that's happened in my life is like i'm ♪ ♪ trapped inside a storm. ♪ you can look into my eyes to see ♪ ♪ the beast that you have formed. ♪ ♪ i'm the norm, you were warned, you can never ask for more. ♪ ♪ caught up in the system must have ♪ ♪ been what you've been wishing. ♪ ♪ can you tell me what's the difference? ♪ ♪ i am true and you are a fiction. ♪ ♪ can the problems get to fixing? ♪ ♪ no. ♪ now you need to listen. i got to go and get it, but it's time now. ♪ so i mean, i know the system can be way better than this. and 's first grade up, kindergarten up, man. all of this, this ain't how good the system could be. whole system does not want our true potential to come out. it's like they want us to end up behind jail. they're making it so hard to where we just want to drop out.

and i feel like i should just make a song about it. and i feel like i should come hard and strong. i got to do something, not just for me, but for this whole school, this whole system, this whole community. because something ain't right. that's how i feel. that's why i wrote this. [birds chirping] mike taylor: we are against this because there has been a real history of-- we'll call it abuse in our community, both from the schoolistrict side and from city government side. the school district for the last 10 to the last 12-ish years-- we're going to drop back year. but basically of the last 12 years, the school district has been n two types of distress and taken over by the state because of that. the school district has been in both academic and financial

fiscal distress because they couldn't manage their money. are you winding it up? >> yeah. mike taylor: ok. have you planned it right here? >> yes, sir. i got to plant a little bit right there and then-- mike taylor: all right. we're going to follow you. that's awesome. >> i got to take a chain off my car. >> ok. mike taylor: i'm just a farmer. i'm supposed to be out here chopping the weeds. i'm not supposed to be a businessman. sometimes you have to do what you think is right. and that's where we are. what we see is an over-the-top proposal, an extreme tax on a poor community. and we see a bad track record, a we cannot do the math of what this school is going to cost, what it's going to cost per square foot. the math is fuzzy and the numbers keep moving on us. and so therefore there is a lot of distrust. do the students deserve something? yes. a good education? yes. have they been getting a good education?

apparently not. they're under academic distress. so let's build a new building and that's going to improve what? we're betting the future of the community on this over-the-top proposal. and farming is cyclical and we're under some very lean times now. montae: sit. sit. good girl. it's too boring around here. now you see? when people say when they literally say there's nothing to do here, there's nothing to do. and then it's even more boring around here with my wifi not even working. in my house, in my house.

the only excitement that you can get, the only thrill days you get is mischief and stuff like that. >> from wreg in memphis, this is news channel 3 at 10. kristen holloway: angry, frustred, in a lot of pain describes how people in helena-west helena are feeling after the violence over the weekend. >> enough is enough. i mean, why are our kids dying? kristen holloway: 15-year-old quantazee stringer was gunned down and killed on this porch. chief green says quantazee's mom lost her other son just last year in a house fire, so very tough times for this faly as you can imagine. montae: my family say they heard the shots. it's crazy. it's plain to see the stuff that goes on that isn't supposed to go on. and it's like we're getting so used to it

that it's just becoming like a regular everyday thing. (rapping) ♪ there's people dying every day. ♪ ♪ man, i swear that this ain't new to me. ♪ ♪ it's sad to see the scrutiny. ♪ ♪ what is it going to take for you to see, from you to me. ♪ ♪ they hate us with a passion, wish that you could see. ♪ ♪ my bro be dead and gone, but his legacy is glued to me. ♪ ♪ i got so much ahead of me, i'm only 16. ♪ ♪ they say a bullet has no age, and he was only 15. ♪ ♪ is this heaven or hell? ♪ i'm feeling so in-between. and it just echoes out. >> (rapping) ♪ but now you ran to the past. ♪ ♪ i think my city is cursed. ♪ it's like a natural disaster. ♪ ♪ just seen my homie in school, two days ler he massacred. ♪ ♪ now hisomma can't take it because e ♪ ♪ knows just what happened. ♪ she lost a baby all because a coward bastard. ♪ ♪ i'm 10 toes down. ♪ victor sellarole: you did that. >> thanks. there's more. i'll be back tomorrow with more. victor sellarole: wow. wow.

these are kids. their teenage years, the highest level of hormones, and their friend was shot multiple times with a semiautomatic weapon. we had a meeting like two or three weeks ago and they were like, why do you think our children are on a low reading level? maybe because they just took the test the day their friend died. the eighth graders took the act the day that quan died. willie: when we first moved here, helena-west helena was-- to me, it was cool. it was totally awesome. we had decent neighbors and stuff, sleep with your windows up, all of tha over the course of time, it started changing. montae: i feel like i stay here any longer i'm going to go on a rampage.

there is only so much stuff you could take. james smith: good evening, everyone. once again, myself and the assistant chief of police, before we came here, we were sitting down, we was talking about the good old days of helena-west helena. and we was trying to curtail when did the change actually happen? and we looked at back in the early '90s, '92, '94 when the drug problems came in and we had other outside entities coming to the city of helena-west helena, it changed in different things. kid's outlook on home standards, where you go down the street and you got a butt whooping there, and you came home and you got one even worser. we cared for each other. when moses took the people out of egypt,

he was by himself, him and the good lord. so we have to ask each other that today. what are we going to do to better our community as an individual? montae: ♪ man i'm so tired of, tired of the dealing ♪ ♪ and the innocent killing. ♪ we just patiently waiting for it to come to an ending. ♪ ♪ and they not understanding all the pain that i'm feeling. ♪ ♪ but i have still got to make it and keeping ♪ ♪ stacking them benjies. ♪ go for the team. ♪ making the money in love with the green, ♪ ♪ making the music because i got to sing, making a difference ♪ ♪ and changing the thing, making the scene ♪ ♪ and we're making the scene. ♪ they toting and carrying pocket rocks. ♪ ♪ stopping the violence, i got to stop it. ♪ ♪ i'm over the streets, so i'm dropping knowledge. ♪ ♪ can't wait for the digits, i got to ride. ♪ michelle: i'm proud of him. i'm sorry. i'm proud of him, though i'm very proud of him and i hope he

keeps doing what he's doing. i'm not that old yet. i'm only 46. but when i step down to my parking lot to get on my truck he helps me. we could be in a truck parked somewhere anywhere, and he could see an elderly person or anybody there struggling or really needs help, and he'll ask , ma can i go help? his poetry when he read it to me, i break down. because what he's saying is true. and by him doing what he's doing, writing the way he's feeling, whatever is going through his mind, whatever is deep in his heart and he's writing it out, i'm thankful that he's using it that way and not against the world and going agait me and lettinthe anger or whatever he has in there out there in the street.

he's lting it out on paper. poetry, rapping. and it chokes me up when i hear it. i just want the best for them. because there's hardly nothing now-- there's nothing down here at all. andrew bagley: you will get a brand new facility that will be right where we are. it will house grades seven through 12 of the 500, 600, or 700 students. it's going to look very nice from the outside, it's going to be state of the art on the inside. we will go from having stone age facilities to right there with the best in the region. we're happy that you can. we want to give you good information because over the past few days a lot of bad information has gotten out there. so we want you to have accurate information, we want your help,

we want your support, we want the public school system to be a unifying factor in the community, not a divisive one. and at the end of the day, this election is largely about our kids. but it's also about our community and its economic future. because you cannot have significant economic development if you don't have a good public school system for the employero know that his employees can send his kids to. that will produce a reliable workforce. montae: good evening, everyone. my name is teumontae johnson. i'm in the 10th grade. and today i'll be reading a poem that i wrote today in class. it's called "fatal attraction." (reciting) can't find the room to breathe or air to speak. the trees close in on me like a foot stomping on a can to shrink. so to speak how i feel doesn't matter. glass shatters like the window to what truly matters. this town is the fatal attractor. hate, betrayal, and frail are its main factors. we choose not to change its worth

just because i don't have to. let's zap to a safer classroom and go back to a time when we could all learn equally. i feel i have no right to think. should i fight to think? i wonder why we shrink. i'm not afraid anymore. i'm on my climb to peak. help us change. use our minds for better and cause a mind to change. great things can happen in a life of pain. vote yes. [applause] >> we'll try to share the mic. >> it's ok. now, i was just saying the gentleman i spoke to and he sent me-- the preliminary qualified squa feet of 82,041, and we were just discussing how they came up with what they consider fundable, is what he called it on what ty're willing to mat or give money to towards the project. and what they came up with for the qualified cost

was $13,842,779. which was right at around 50%. so what they're saying is, we're willing to give you 50%, but it should only cost about 14 million from what i gather from this. so where is that other 8 and 1/2 million dollars going? andrew bagley: well, if you let me take a look, i would love to see the misrepresentation of the week. you're trying to say that we're going to the top 16 school districts. it's on the ade website. again, real facts. 16 school districts will have tax rates higher than ours if we pass these. furthermore, tax rate really doesn't matter. we're not asking to build the taj mahal. we're asking to build a decent school for these kids. is, we've neglected the public hool systefor over 30 years

and now it's coming back to haunt us. and it's going to cost us a little more than it might would have if we'd have made the right decisions back in the '70s and the '80s. this is about our future, this is about our kids. so let's get back to focusing on we need a decent school for them. >> i just want to clarify something, you said there were several mistakes. if you would read the information that i put on the flier that average-- >> have you made a flier? >> i did. i did all of this research and i have it over there. >> can we have a copy? >> you can. yes, ma'am. courtney jackson : i don't mean to be rude, but we open this up for questions, not necessarily comments just yet. so i just want to get back to the issues of questions. so do you have another question? thank you. any more questions? montae: (rapping) ♪ in the class was just a kitchen. ♪

♪ on my first day of school i had the mindset to get it. ♪ ♪ now i'm out to get a vote. ♪ iould feel the tension, that tension. ♪ ♪ i could feel the tension, i could feel the tension. ♪ ♪ i could feel the tension, i could feel the tension. ♪ ♪ i could feel the tension, i could feel the tension. ♪ ♪ i could feel the tension, i could feel the tension. ♪ i feel to start writing that verse now. it's so good. >> i mean, there's nothing really that we can do to change it. i mean our voice, i mean the music, we can do that. but politically and all that and dealing with the system, we can't do anything. and i'm going to have to go with the flow for now. montae: our goal with the music is to-- maybe we can't change how it is, but maybe we could change some minds of some of them. ray: but this town, it don't have to be the way it is. it's just the way it is beuse the people choose to let it be that way. i mean, you look at me. i'm a child. no adult, no government,

no nothing is going to listen to me, not unless i come out with a big statement that actuay mean something with a lot of people behind me. i'm mean... and it's just... i don't want to be that one that could have done something, i want to be that one that did do something. victor sellarole: do you want to take some of these down? pass them out. [interposing voices] so i got two big posters. you guys look fine. i don't know. it's up to you guys. i'm just supporting you. >> all right. now we're just going to go-- we're walking out to the gates with the sign. vote yes. mrs. jackson: yeah they walked out of class. i mean, they are protesting. we need a new school, true enough. god knows we do. but it's a right way you do this. and now they're going to be in trouble now. and i hate this for our children. they done got together and fixing to do this.

but to god be the glory. to god be the glory. to god be the glory. we need one, true enough. even god knows we need one. montae: yes, mrs. jackson, yes. [shouting] mrs. jackson: to god be the glory. to god be the glory, to god be the glory. montae: we have to deal with this school and what it is. everybody at this point goes through their own struggles every day. and to come to a school like this and have to deal with more struggle, you get tired of struggle. i'm ready to make a change. vote yes, man. crowd: we deserve better. we deserve better. we deserve better.

we deserve better. we deserve better. we deserve better. ray: you hear that? i'm recommended for explusion. montae: for something we believe in. ray: he just call my mom. my mom just texted me saying i'm-- montae: we're trying to help these people. ray: that's right, fellows. montae: they want to expel us. we deserve better. crowd: we deserve better. we deserve better. montae: (rapping) ♪ this is where we head from. ♪ ♪ yeah, this is where we, this is where. ♪ ♪ remember me because they're probably going to kill me. ♪ ♪ unless you're one of me, the you probably won't feel me. ♪ ♪ i'm only free to hunger, so you probably won't feel me. ♪ ♪ it's never been right, so it probably never will be. ♪ ♪ illegal they kill peace, in single i build peace. ♪ ♪ but we wouldn't get it too busy building the kill streaks. ♪ ♪ in all of the cities it's kidneys ♪ ♪ filling the filth streets. ♪ i'm feeling for meaning it's so discreet that they still eat. ♪ ♪ let's beat the hypocrisy coming straight from the bottom. ♪ ♪ see i'd be proving them wrong by showing them ♪ ♪ what i ought to be. ♪ but the people not knocking me. ♪ ♪ is it because of the truth? ♪ is it could have been you because it would've been you? ♪

♪ because i had bullets in twos, oh, wait a minute, they do. ♪ ♪ just sit and wait for the boom ♪ ♪ and i'm going to wait in the booth. ♪ ♪ to see who's greater than you. ♪ ♪ my mind's state is the truth. ♪ ♪ and i won't-- oh, man. ray: darn it. darn it. but for real, are you playing? do you know? i hear it. montae: i was mad. ray: i hear it. that don't even sound like you. montae: i was mad. ray: you go, so this is what we here for! [laughter] montae: the song that i wrote, i wrote that one on how i was feeling about the millage and everything. i didn't put the whole focus on the millage, it was really just everything in general. so i just put my feelings in it, and i was a little mad. so that was the outcome. courtney jackson: as an administrator, i have my views on that walkout. while i understood the message, i did not agree with the method. i really didn't. because it was during class time and we

already missed academic distress by 0.0023 or whatever. we went 49 point something and we needed 50% to come out of academic distress. and we took 30 minutes of class time for their protest. i felt like had the protest been done at 3:00 pm, i would have been at the forefront of it, holding up all the signs if i had to. but that was just not the time. victor sellarole: i think that's how you can know you're really changing something. if people don't agree with you in the moment, you're probably changing something. so what happened about four weeks ago was we studied malcolm x and we studied gandhi and we studied a bunch of different peaceful resistance and civil disobedience in one of my classes. and the kids started to think more realistically about how they could actually emulate those people. and then it just so happened that as we were finishing up selma, one of the kids in class was on their phone, which they're not supposed to be. zorya pops up her phone she's like, wait look.

kids in memphis just walked out because they have a millage. and that's where it all started. and they did all the planning, they met on saturdays without any teachers or parents, and they actually made the walkout happen. and probably00 people walked t. ray: we s the new generation mlk, rosa parks, and sommore. willie: well, i'm proud of teumontae. because you know what? he is striving to do something with his life. and he's proven to try to stay focud. he wants something in life, he's trying to do something positive in life. and i'm proud of it. >> i thought she was crying. willie: no, i'm serious. but you know what? sometimes when i think about it, i do tear up. because i'm serious. that is cool. you don't find too many young people who

wa to do something positive. andrew bley: you see the facebook post from vote no people. they call our kids thugand vandals and say they don't deserve a new school because they'll tear it up. you see facebook posts from ve no people that say that our family should fund a new school out of the welfare checks that we receive. there was a post today that a person said about me and in the context ofiscussion issues related to the public schools that he's married to a non-white. i didn't even like him before then. i'm a son of the south. i'm a son of the white south. it's clear that this is that a lot of-- not all, but a lot of the vote no eney is driven by some racial bias. the leadership of the vote no campaign

has not been a part of the public school system largely since the integration of schools. courtney jackson : i just have a hard time believing that if our school district was 50% to 70% caucasian, that it would be no problem getting this millage passed. mike taylor: it's a lose-lose situation. if the children don't get something, then they feel like they've lost. if this tax passes, the whole community has lost in a way. what happens, let's say, if bagley is not correct? that this isn't the silver bull and his crystal ball is wrong. so we pass this tax and you build that facility. and what happens if the enrollme continues to decline? or you don't get industry in here because of the school. but what happens if we throw everything we have left at that

and bagley was wrong? [music] [birds chirping] montae: even in a worse situation, could take a pen and paper and make it better. ray: yeah. every day, i thank god for this gift that he's given, man. i mean, with poems and music, people actually love it. i mean, you see how most of them like our music now. mostly all of them like the music, they're like man, i love the meaning to it. i'm like, oh, so you found the meaning.

you're smart. montae: you actually listened. ray: you actually listened. most people are like, oh, i just like the beat. and they're like, oh, they're talking about hoes and stuff. i mean, you can do that too, but that's just not where it's all that either. i mean, this rap industry is-- montae: like i said, it only walks you so far. you can only get so far with it, because after a while, ople are going to get tired of hearing the same. i got this car, i got that car. vroom, vroom. ray: bragging. you're not supposed to brag, man. montae: stuff like that. and i feel like we could make that change, but in this place-- ray: i mn, that's just why me and you are so close. you actually understand what i'm talking about, i understand what you're talking about. most people down here, they are so ignorant. that's why i say bro, it's just like me and you against the world, fool. don't nobody want to see us shine, but we're going to shine regardless.

[music ♪ montae: tell me what you stand for. ♪ is you thugging or hustling, is you grinding and struggling. ♪ ♪ i just need to know something. ♪ ♪ tell me what you stand for. ♪ is you making the changes because the streets ♪ ♪ ain't the same and we are stuck in the game. ♪ ♪ tell me what you stand fo ♪ is you thugging or hustling, is you grinding and struling, ♪ ♪ i just need to know something. ♪ ♪ tell me what you stand for. ♪ is you making the changes because the streets ♪ ♪ ain't the same and we are stuck in the game. ♪ ♪ i stay r the people that's making a difference. ♪ james vella: all right. this is jas vella with, and looking at the law on kjiw-fm 94.5. coming to you from location in alan temple church don't ask street. today is march the 14th. it's election day in the helena-west helena school district, and i'm joined by two school boa members. how do you feel about e turnout in terms of what we need to do to encourage people to get out?

earnest simpson jr.: well, we need to let them know that some of the places where there's going to be a lot of no vote, those turnouts have been great. so we got a lot of folks that are voting no. so those that want to vote yes, we need you tget out. because if we don't get out and vote yes then the no vote is going to outnumber us. andrew bagley: so if we are serious about education, then we vote for this today. and the only way we lose today is if our people stay home. i know it's a little chilly, but put on a coat. this is worth it. we've got to do this for these kids. courtney jackson : i don't know if i'll be able to face my students if the millage doesn't pass. i don't know. i don't know if i'll be able to show up for work the next day and look them in their face and say, hey, you guys we didn't get it this time, but we have to keep going. i don't know. look, i don't know.

i don't know. i don't even think about this, so we're going to win. earnest simpson jr.: we're going to go to the different areas and knock on doors, give out flyers, ask them to vote. we ask them, ma'am or sir, have you been out to vote for the millage? if they say no, say, would you go out and vote for us? kim: hi. you want to vote for our school? you want to vote for central before we can get a new school? >> i'm voting down the tax. i'm voting no because this town is overtaxed as it is and i'm just not goi to vote for any other taxes. >> neaand dear to my heart, the kids deserve a better facility. >> and this is a poor county. if it passes, especially your farmers

are going to be hit horribly. >> the farming economy is in horrible situation. you're lucky to even break even at all. and so all this is it's going to be a lot high expense for the farmers. >> a it's just sinful that this small town would not take care of its children. >> well, having worked in theistrict for 36 years, i'm sort of sympathetic to their needs. the high school is in bad physical condition. it needs to be cometely renovated to produce a conducive learning environment. that's why i voted in favor of it. >> so yeah, m for it. yeah, it's going to cost me more taxes, and if it's for the children, our children are our future. if we don't invest in them, then we're just throwing our future away. >> i mean, i know they want a new school and everything. but i just think that it's-- i just voted against it. like i said, we're tax a lot for a depressed area.

>> remember your vote counts. >> oh yes. cynthia: if the millage doesn't pass today, you all still stood for something. y'all stood for something and y'all did not fall for anything. so with that being said, i fear they still won. without a new facility or not, we're still going to be parents, we're still going to be educators. we're still going to be advocates. nothing changes but the day, and we will continue to go out and fight for another day. earnest simpson jr.: we got a birthday you do. you open no vote. you looking inside. if you are blessed the application would be inside and not outside of the ballot. remove the envelope with the ballot. >> the yellow one the left goes down here.

earnest simpson jr.: yeah. >> just to let you all know, we were trying to clean up some of the equipment issues we had. give us another 45 minutes please. ok? andrew bagley: nervous. it's so close. it's a cliffhanger that we're looking at. oh, man. we left it all on the field. >> i assume you want that. you won a big fat one. we did it.

earnest simpson jr.: the difference was those kids after this evening. courtney jackson : yes. i know it was. andrew bagley: you made me cry. and you did. thank you dear. you pulled everybody else in, so thank you. >> we are all proud of you. andrew bagley: i got a wife to go home. >> yes please. andrew bagley: finally going to sleep. >> go to sleep. andrew bagley: and i look forward to trying to bring this community back together and build some bridges as we build some buildings. james vella: this is a eaking news report. the helena-west helena school district is going to bud a brand new high school based on the outcome of the election tonight, march the 14th. 1,135 people voted f, 1,6 people voted against. the millage passes. montae: (singing) ♪ i'm trying to get money. ♪ mon don't sve all your problems. ♪ ♪ what would you do with the profit. ♪ ♪ people that's hungry,truggle for pennies and dollars. ♪ victor sellale: i'm proud you guys.

because what you guys did caused it to win. period. yeah, period. what you did-- [interposing voices] montae: before the 2000s-- if we're the new generation, look at what we just did. >> we got us a new school. i don't know what she doing, but thank you guys for voting yes. >> thank you. >> we're so happy. >> we have a brighter future now. >> we deserved better, and now we have better. crowd: 3. 1, 2, 3. [cheering] montae: (singing) ♪ money don't solve all your problems. ♪ ♪ it's about what you do with the profit. ♪ ♪ people that's hungry struggle for pennies and dollars ♪ ♪ worry and struggle for nothing. ♪ andrew bagley: when you win by 79 votes out of over 2,200 cast, anything could be pointed to as making a difference. that walkout happens when the campaign has gotten about as negative as it got. it happens at a time where i wasn't sure

that they weren't gaining momentum. and it inspired their parents and relatives and the adults to say, we've got to get out and push. make one last push. victor sellarole: the kids picked it up, and the kids bought the philosophy that art can create this philosophy of change. that art can allow more expression. that art can help people stand up for themselves. montae: it's just when you stay in a place like this for so long, you get used to disappointment. so i thought that was going to be the disappointment. but we had a good outcome. courtney jackson : have a good weekend. it's your last class. see you in august. bye-bye. everybody, it's our last day. have a good summer. goodbye. misha: mrs. preston has beautiful voice

even though she never lets us publish anything. ray: misha. jess rossoni: give to misha, best female singer. misha: thanks. victor sellarole: this person right here, we put best newcomer slash the beast. the hombre. [applause] ray: he put the beast in. i like that. victor sellarole: ok. if you look at the mix tape cover, you'll notice that this person has 14 songs out of 15 songs on there. so montae, you are the mvp / the hustler. [cheering] >> oh, my god! oh, my god! victor sellarole: thank you guys for a wonderful, amazing year. montae: (rapng) ♪ i'm at the bottom i got us up. ♪ ♪ rap squad, we know how to stop it. ♪ ♪ i'll try to take off in a bentley. ♪ ♪ don't play 'cause i ride with my family. ♪ victor sellarole: the rap squad is not special. this should be normal. why should it be so abnormal for kids to have a music group of the music they enjoy? the fact that it's unique, the fact that it's abnormal,

is the issue. >> hey! (rapping) ♪ better get ready to be ♪ what it's like for me... >> before rap squad, i wouldn't be doing thing. i wouldn't have did a walkout, i wouldn't be making music, recording, performing, none of that stuff. it's just simply because rap squad brought that side out of me. the creative side that nobody else knew about, including me. ♪ lately i've spending time thinking ♪ ♪ in this will i make it? ♪ don't nobody know a thing about me. ♪ ♪ maybe i should spend time praying, ♪ ♪ god knows i'm forsaken, ♪ i don't want to be a product of the streets. ♪ ♪ lately i've been spending time thinking in this life ♪ ♪ will i make it? ♪ don't nobody know a thing about me. ♪ ♪ maybe i should spend time praying, ♪ ♪ god knows i'm forsaken, ♪ i don't want to be a product of the streets. ♪

♪ it ain't for me. ♪ sometimes i wish i could go back, ♪ ♪ stop my aunty smoking crack. ♪ but she always had my back, ♪ so i ain't have to care for that. ♪ ♪ how you're gone made me this. ♪ ♪ you don't even know my past. ♪ if you don't even know my last, ♪ ♪ i give a take to see my dad. ♪ ♪ man, sometimes i want to space. ♪ ♪ don't nobody know who to call. ♪ ♪ i live on what i know ♪ because every day the streets are cold. ♪ ♪ and i can't even trust the soul. ♪ ♪ that's really sad to say. ♪ remember back up in them days when we couldn't ♪ ♪ fight because we were slaves. ♪ ♪ this the past we got to pay. ♪ ♪ there's no right, there's no time, ♪ ♪ it's time to make a change. ♪ ♪ well, everybody makes mistakes. ♪ ♪ there's no time, time goes by. ♪ - [announcer]: major funding for reel south was provided by: etv endowment, the national endowment for the arts, center for asian-american media, south arts, and by the corporation for public broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the american people. ♪♪ you're watching pbs.

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>> today on "earth focus," food heroes. a new film looks at why combat veteran friends turned to farming. america's organic pioneers, and new models for food production. coming up on "earth focus." [music] >> it'po