Sidewalks Saving Lives

Sidewalks is a nationally acclaimed HIV/AIDS prevention and community engagement initiative created by Kwanzaa, utilizes middle- and high-school youth and professional artists to organize communities and impact the HIV/AIDS pandemic in north Minneapolis. The initiative trains youth ages 13-22 in basic community organizing techniques and engages the community to paint sidewalks utilizing the ABC’S of HIV/AIDS prevention. This will be a crucial part of our year-round work with this age group.

Activities:
The Sidewalks are painted all on one day in order to create energy, enthusiasm, and public and media awareness. Each site is constructed by a team of one professional artist and ten intergenerational community members who received an extensive HIV/AIDS education prior to the event. Each site is assigned a community organizer who has been mentoring and working with the youth , who also help promote and encourage community participation. Every location has a HIV/AIDS expert that educates, shares information and encourages testing. Test sites are located throughout the community and are available throughout the event. Transportation and food are also provided. This youth portion of this program runs all year; youth continue to meet and work on this project garnering community support, required permission and permits, designing and planning with the artists, finding their voice, sitting on community boards and the like.

Community organizing efforts through our Sidewalks project will help our older youth regain a sense of power over their own lives; through the use of collective power, young men and women will realize alternatives to gang affiliation and craft additional tools for violence reduction in the community. Community organizing also leads to more effective youth leadership. Seemingly simple, but important tasks, like getting permits through the city and talking with business owners and local community groups, is empowering and positive. Gaining a sense of belonging, hope and respect for self in a positive way will also help lower the likelihood of gang involvement, and clarify the actual (not perceived) benefits of affiliation.