Jay Z Performs In Brick City But What About Trenton

TRENTON-- As hip hop mogul Jay Z Shawn Carter goes on tour to showcase his new album, Magna Carta...Holy Grail, in the new year, one can't but help take note that he has found some time in his busy schedule to perform in the tri-state area i.e. New York, Pennsylvania, and of course New Jersey.

Needless to say, this is good news for the local economies of Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Newark. Jay Z's mainstream appeal will undoubtedly attract a great deal of attention and consumer spending in these areas.

Even as one celebrates Jay Z's tremendous success and upcoming tour, one has to raise serious concerns about his decision to perform in Brick City but not in Trenton. 

Now don't get me wrong ladies and gentlemen, I recognize that, yes, Mr. Carter has come a mighty long way since roaming the gritty streets of his beloved Bedstuy Brooklyn neighborhood to now being an internationally known hip hop icon. This man went from selling his music outside the trunk of his car to being a veritable household name. Indeed, Jay Z's success and prosperity is nothing to sneeze at or overlook. Even I have to admit that I, too, am a personal fan of Mr. Carter. 

Lo and behold, I vividly recall listening to many of Jigga's classic LPs, Reasonable Doubt, The Black Album, The Life and Times Of Shawn Carter, etc during my younger years and even to this day. To put it simply, the man's record speaks for itself. 

However, I do take issue with Mr. Carter deciding not to take a pit stop in Jersey's State Capital, yeah I said it, "why can't Jay Z perform right here in Trenton, New Jersey, a place he says "grew him" on his vintage Blueprint album. (Disclosure: Jay Z actually says that it was East Trenton that raised him).

Granted, both the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and the Prudential Center in Newark are larger than Trenton's Sun National Bank Arena, but hey, there's still money to be made here in the State's Capital, don't let the naysayers tell you otherwise. Even though we face a record number of homicides this year along with a failing school system, and high property taxes, Trenton still has a lot to offer.

As a resident of this city, I can definitely attest to its strengths and virtues, not simply its weaknesses. Now of course, I know what you maybe saying to your self, dear reader, "what's this guy smokin...doesn't he know that Trenton is simply bad news, you got you're mayor under federal investigation and to top it all off when you go to the public library, you have to ask for toilet paper to use the restroom", but hear me out for a moment.

Most people may not know this, but Trenton is home to a deep and rich history. Just this past weekend, I was reminded of this history as Trenton Police required residents like myself on Warren Street to move their vehicles so that the yearly reenactment of the Battle of Trenton March could take place. For those that don't already know, in 1776, General George Washington and his army crossed over the Delaware River and defeated Hessian mercernaries in what became known as the Battle of Trenton according to the History Channel. 

Along with this rich history, Trenton is home to a number of really good people and organizations that are doing positive things, now as we speak. People like Rev. Simeon Spencer at Union Baptist Church, filmmaker and author Will Foskey, Educator Baye Kemit of the Garvey School, Special Parents Advocate Nicole Whitfield, Hip Hop Recording Artist Big Ooh, and entrepreneur Tracey Syphax are just to name a few. The efforts of these individuals may get overlooked in the mainstream press, but trust me they are moving and shaking things up here in the city. 

So I challenge and invite you Mr. Carter to take a trip to Trenton and 'show some love' to a place that helped in your own words grow you. Even though others may have written off the city doesn't mean you have to...Come back home Hov and I promise you, Trenton will show you some love...

Budding Documentarian Breaks The Mold With Hometown Perspective

TRENTON—  Will Foskey, co-founder of Trenton Going Global, a civilian based content curator for Young Adults in Trenton, recently entered his documentary “What Did The World Take? The Oppression and Misconceptions of Trenton, NJ”, into the 2013 Abelcine Documentary Grant contest. 

What Did The World Take? is a heartfelt look at a resilient group of Trenton residents fighting for the good name their selfless actions merit.

Foskey is known in Trenton as a motivational servant to his peers. He currently produces two web-shows for the city:

Pretty Business Television, an entertainment/fashion based web-show hosted by Ericka Pressley.

Trenton: Homebase, is a hub for Trentonians whom travelled abroad and achieved tremendous success, giving them a place to come home and express how being born and raised in Trenton benefited their careers.

According to a press release, “What Did The World Take?” presents a clear, unbiased approach to the social tug-of-war that is Trenton, NJ. As the title of the new documentary indicates, Foskey, the filmmaker, seeks to document what he calls the Oppression and Misconception here in the city. The Oppression refers to the unfortunate reality that the average age of Trenton residents is 32 years old; yet this generation isn’t represented in political office, community development, and is often held back by their elders. The Misconception refers to unforgiving facts like Trenton’s desperate need of new jobs despite there being many state jobs here in the city that most of the time go to non-residents.

Will Foskey with Rap Artist T.I.

This new documentary comes at a time when the world has previously seen other documentaries that have told a quite different story about Trenton. In the past, there was Gangland, a History Channel documentary that highlighted gang life in New Jersey’s capital. Along with that piece, there was a recent documentary done by Princeton University students that documented homelessness here in the city. Foskey’s documentary takes a different look at Trenton.

Foskey says that “this documentary will promote the best of us". The young filmmaker, 35, went on to address the local government and local newspapers by saying “time is up on promoting the rest of us for their selfish gain. We’re a city of passionate, resilient individuals. We’re a city of triumphant success stories. I need my City, my County and my State’s help in telling this story. Check out the trailer; share the trailer on social networks, “Like” the trailer. By winning this contest, I’ll receive the equipment needed to elevate the quality of the documentary to best reflect the good people of my hometown.”

For more information about the documentary and how you can help or get involved, contact Will Foskey at Willie.Foskey@gmail.com or 609.672.6123.

To view the What Did The World Take? Documentary Trailer, click here or view below:

2013 AbelCine Documentary Grant - What Did The World Take from Will Foskey on Vimeo.

Anwar's Reflections And Others Convene In Trenton To Talk MLK And Going Forward

 TRENTON-- Tuesday and Wednesday evening, Anwar's Reflections-- a Trentonian affiliate--sat down with a variety of individuals from the community to have a real discussion about where we as a community are headed in light of the many social problems inner cities like Trenton face. Issues like violence (24 homicides in 2012), poverty (i.e., an 11.6 unemployment rate), and education issues (48% high school graduation rate in 2011).

These discussions came the day after the nation took a moment to nationally recognize slain civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
During his lifetime, Dr. King raised the fundamental question: Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Indeed, this became the central focus of our discussions Tuesday and Wednesday night.

During the events, one individual, Raul Polo Cortes, a well-known poet, said that we need to come together and get involved.

While Ms. Simms, a concerned Trenton resident said that she had her pen and paper ready to take down any viable solutions members of the community forum had about going forward.
On the following night, Willingboro resident and military veteran Rance Robeson said that we need to work with others to improve the community and honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.
New Black Panther Party Spokesperson Divine Allah said that he is going to continue to do what he is doing in the community and stick to his principles.

Community activist Kieanna Childs Alexander said that we need to make sure we understand our history so that we never forget where we came from.

Writer Will Deshair Foskey said that we need to be fearless as we try to improve our communities.

All of the panelists said that we need to do more than just repeat the marches, rallies, and demonstrations that took place during the Civil Rights Movement to galvanize or energize the public.
The panelists went on to say that we need to take other steps to improve the community. Playwright

Rashad Walker said that we need to set up a concrete action plan to deal with community issues.

Others said that we need to work with and speak to our lawmakers and city council members to address social ills.

I , as the moderator, went on to say that we need to capitlize on our unique skill sets and get involved in whatever ways those skill sets can be utilized. For instance, if you have knack for tutoring, why not be a tutor? If you have a gift for mentoring, then why not mentor, and so on.

Overall, the discussions shed light on future directions but still need to be more specific in terms of addressing current issues like education, public safety, and quality of life problems.

Neikel Butler from the Boys and Girls Club brought poets from her poetry program and they recited their work.

The discussions or community forums will continue. Stay tuned...

For access to video coverage of these community forums, click below: