In a city that was previously named among the most dangerous in the nation, young people in Richmond, California often grapple with violence in their community. The organization RYSE formed as a way to help those young people cope with the violence surrounding them in their schools and neighborhoods.  In a recently released video, young men of color from that community respond to the deaths of three other young men of color as part of their Street Literature project: 

Street Literature is the result of young folks coming together to share the impact that the deaths of individuals such as Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, and  Israel Hernández have had on them. Tired of being ignored, silenced, judged, and criminalized, these youth decided to voice their thoughts on how they are viewed and treated in our larger society.