Wherever life takes us, I think we all hold a spot for our hometown in our hearts.

Being born and raised in Cincinnati, the city holds a spot in my thoughts.

The last years have not been good for the residents of Tha ‘Nattie’.

Questionable police shootings of young black males, racial profiling and a host of other issues, give Tha Nattie a ‘black eye’.

Well maybe that black eye is well deserved.

In the spring of 2001 all the recent past of the city erupted in a social upraising, some call it a riot. But really when people have had enough and no one is listening; that is a call for social change.

In April of 2001 the incident that sparked it all was the police murder of a 19yr. old Black man who ran, because of out standing traffic warrants. Misdemeanors at best, not really punishable by death.

The shooting was the last straw after many other questionable shootings and beatings by city police that ended in a young black males being buried.

Many in the city knew it was coming; many didn’t care until it was too late. Citywide curfews had the impact of arresting more young blacks that were guilty of leaving their house. See the Over the Rhine part of ‘Tha Nattie’ does not have ‘yards’ to play in. They are lucky if they have a stoop to sit on. Hot long nights and if you stepped outside for some air or a breeze, you went to jail for curfew violation.

Now this is hard for some to realize but it was real. Folks being shot with rubber bullets, maced, hit with clubs just because they questioned the killing of a black youth over traffic tickets.

It was then that many leaders in the city knew things had to change. A racial profiling lawsuit was brought against the city and the police dept. ACLU lawyers and Local lawyer and activist Ken Lawson successfully won that case, forcing the CPD to change the way they do business.

One of the local area activist along with others came up with the idea of a Hip Hop Youth Arts Center; a place where inner city youth can learn and experiment in the Hip Hop Culture.

The organization known as C.O.N.T.R.O.L. (Citizens Organizing Neighborhoods to Regain Our Liberation) is opening this center, and they need the hip-hop culture’s help.

They want to provide a safe retreat from the streets. A place where the youth thru expression can find alternative ways to violence thru areas of the hip hop culture.

There have been over 75 homicides so far this year in Cincinnati, compared to 50 something at this same time last year. Violence is still growing and we need to try anything we can to save our children. We cannot just sit by and lose a generation to senseless violence in the streets.

I spoke to one of the organizers of this Center to get the correct information on just what is going on with the center and get an update of the status of ‘ Tha Nattie’. Gavin Leonard is with C.O.N.T.R.O.L. and he made some time for us. We appreciate that.