Many African American families are suffering from the violence and substance abuse in their towns today, as reflected in the film “Boys of Baraka”. This film focuses on four young African American boys and their families from an inner city in Baltimore; Richard and brother Romash, Devon, and Montrey. As a result of the lack of discipline and an increased violence rate, these African American boys are suffering education-wise. Luckily, the Baraka School in Africa was designed for these children and gave them hope of bettering their lives as they enter high school. Due to the family’s situation dealing with their surrounding city, the five ways a family will thrive and function that we learned in class definitely pertain to “Boys of
Because most of the boy’s families are struggling with income, poverty definitely affects the four African American boys. A lack of income certainly affects a stable, healthy, and all around good life style for the children. Lacking in these issues will certainly lead to a greater chance of the boys joining the crimes that surround them. While praying that it will not affect their son’s the mothers even admitted that they are bound to join in on the street crimes that occur right outside their doorstep. The harmony within the families that is portrayed in “Boys of Baraka” cannot necessarily guarantee that the boys will live a crime free life. As I said before, by not providing a complete stable lifestyle the kids might not succeed in school and will lead them to dropping out and joining the crime. Also looking back, the Baraka School really helped to show the boys that they are better than the street life around them and could actually go somewhere in life. It amazes me that even after one year of attending the Baraka School in Africa, the boy’s attitudes about learning changed completely. Even just an attitude change could potentially save these African American boys from joining a lifestyle that has no importance. I was truly touched by the “Boys of Baraka” film because it gives you a real life example of how poorly some people actually have it. I believe that Richard and his brother,