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 Remembers Dion Clark

TRENTON-- It was a truly sad day in the city of Trenton when I heard through the grapevine that Wilbur Section’s champion Zane Dion Clark had passed away in his Walnut Avenue home. It was a Sunday, I believe. For those that didn’t know Dion, I’ll tell you that he was a good man that had a strong and passionate commitment to his hometown.

In each and every conversation we had over breakfast at Pat’s Diner, Dunkin Donuts, or the Parkside Diner, he would at some point mention how important it was to improve the city of Trenton. In the middle of jokes, catching up, and chewing the fat, we would eventually get to Trenton’s dire straits.

Despite the sad and unfortunate nature of Mr. Clark’s untimely death, I think his departure from this earth shows me something fundamental about the nature of time and how important it is to use time wisely while you still have a chance. Indeed, Mr. Clark used his short time on planet earth to help others, build up his community, and last but not least, take care of his precious granddaughter. During his lifespan, Mr. Clark had no time for hate, finger-pointing, and criticizing the powers that be. He was better than that.

Dion was a man of principle that never missed a city council meeting. Dion fought for this city with every fiber of his being and never asked for a reward. He lived and breathed Trenton, and in particular his beloved Wilbur Section. Indeed, Dion had a fierce sense of urgency about urban blight, ATV’s in the community, illegal dumping and a host of other quality of life issues that plagued this great, yet beleaguered city. In different conversations, he was fond of saying that he was not some great hero, rather he saw himself as simply being a good neighbor.

Dion used his time to make a difference while he was here. He taught me that you don't have to be flashy or dribble a basketball to be a hero. Lo and behold, he showed me that caring about your community makes you a hero albeit an unsung hero, but a hero nonetheless. Indeed, Dion’s life and legacy will live on as long as I have something to say about it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Below you will find different video interviews he and I had while he was with us…

Dr. King's Dream Revisited 50 Years Later: A Letter to America

America, America
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea…

America, oh America, as I sit back and reflect on my short 30 years in this country, I recognize that I have indeed witnessed tremendous growth and progress but at the same time, I have to also admit that I think we are still a far cry from what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. envisioned in 1963 when he gave his historic I Have A Dream speech. Indeed, I can’t help but applaud the passage of the Civil Rights Act, desegregation, and the election of our nation’s first Black President in 2008.

But at the same time, I must admit that these breakthroughs don't in any way erase the fact that we still witness wealth inequality, racial profiling, and other forms of social injustice in our society today.

Alas, one can only imagine what Dr. King would say if he heard research reports indicating that the average net worth of households in the upper 7% of wealth distribution has risen by 28% while the net worth of households in the lower 93% of society have dropped by 4%? I can see him lamenting the fact that the rich are getting richer while the rest of us are, quite frankly, stuck in the basement struggling economically. On top of this, one wonders how Dr. King would react to seeing high-profile cases like Trayvon Martin's that brought the ugly issue of racial bias and profiling back into our collective consciousness.

For those that don't already know, Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old unarmed black male whose life was tragically cut short after an altercation one night while wearing a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a bag of Skittles. Martin was shot by Florida community volunteer watchman George Zimmerman. Zimmerman, a white male of Peruvian descent, claimed self-defense and invoked Florida's Stand Your Ground Law before being acquitted on all criminal charges brought against him. According to a Christian Science Monitor article, many people across the nation disagreed with the verdict and thought that race played a significant factor in Martin's untimely death. Indeed, if Dr. King were alive I can hear him asking, 'when will a man be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character?',

Along with this case, I have also seen other situations surrounding racial profiling in America. In New York, they have adopted stop and frisk policies aimed directly at Black and Hispanic men, that have ignited a firestorm of controversy and criticism because of the humiliation and harassment they have caused. Moreover, in Arizona, they have instituted an immigration law that many have said fosters racial profiling. Indeed, a study done by Pew Research finds that majorities of blacks still perceive discrimination from many institutions in their communities, and are consistently more likely than whites to say blacks are treated less fairly than whites. Things have gotten so bad to the point that in a New York Times op-ed piece, the newspaper went so far as to call the United States a "country plagued by racism, which persists in ever more insidious forms."

 At the same time, one need not stop with these sensational cases that have hit the front pages of our beloved newspapers to see what I am getting at as it relates to America's shortcomings and how far we are from Dr. King's Dream. One can also look at the 500 plus murders in Chicago alone last year, the recent Bankruptcy of Detroit's Motor City, or the dilapidated condition of many of the streets that bear Dr. King's name to see the point I'm making here. Bottom line: there's something wrong in America. Dr. King's Dream of the Beloved Community has not and cannot be realized until these conditions change and one recognizes that change doesn't occur overnight, nor does it come easy, change takes time and effort. Indeed, as Dr. King said himself, "even as we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow". Its important that we not give up on our Dreams...a Dream of a better tomorrow despite the stark realities of today...a Dream where one day this nation will rise up and become that shining city on a hill that it was meant to be. In the words of an old Negro spiritual, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome one day.

As I put the finishing touches on this letter to America on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's historic I Have A Dream speech, I recognize that essayist James Baldwin was right when he said, "I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually". Indeed, we as a country have come so far, but yet we have so far to go. Sure, we must celebrate the victories and breakthroughs, but we must never forget the work that is left to be done. In other words, there will be neither rest nor tranquility in this country until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. As we fight for our Dreams of a better tomorrow, let us not forget Dr. King, who he was, and what he stood for.