Reflecting on Second Chances - Unsung, Part 1

Education Today

This is part one of a special three-part mini-series with finalists from the 2020 Unsung: The Voices of Youth Justice competition. You'll hear the personal stories of students who found the inspiration to create award-winning music.

This episode's guests, Paige and Jordan, created two top five songs. They joined the show from Ventura, California to share their stories. Their first song, Second Chances, reflects on Prop 57, the criminal justice reform initiative in California that passed in 2016. Paige and Jordan were both tried at 16 years old with long sentences, but through Prop 57, they received a second chance. They were able to serve their sentence in the juvenile system rather than carrying out extended never-ending sentences in the county system. In their song Racial Injustice, they take a hard look at the pain racism still causes today.

Music became their vehicle to express personal stories and make their voice heard. As they explored and freestyled, a new way of expression opened up. They let the pain speak through the lyrics and started to understand their true talent for speaking truth. They touch on the idea that being silent often serves to suppress, and there's a certain power in speaking up that has a way of creating positive avenues for change.

Listen to the full finalist songs on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3a3OZXJqWMYRMPHkWF0hh05mHbjQMud4

Learn more about Unsung by visiting the BreakFree Education website: https://www.breakfree-ed.org/unsung

Learn more about Soundtrap: https://www.soundtrap.com/edu/

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