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Keith Jones
Keith Jones is a poet/rapper/spoken-word artist with over six years of experience mentoring and facilitating writing workshops for at-risk and gang-affiliated youth. His community work began at 17 when he became one of the founding members of Street Poets United, a poetry performance group composed of formerly incarcerated youth engaged in violence prevention outreach throughout Los Angeles, California and beyond. This group eventually helped inspire the formation of a non-profit organization called Street Poets Inc. through which Keith to this day continues to serve his community. As a teaching artist with Street Poets, he has performed his original poetry and led workshops for youth and young adults in schools, juvenile detention facilities, churches and youth centers. An experienced performer and motivational speaker, Keith co-hosts the Street Poets Inc. community open-mic on a quarterly basis. Keith also worked as a script consultant with screenwriter Susannah Grant on a production re-write for the feature-film Honey (Universal, 2003). With his Street Poets co-worker Andres Rivera, Keith recently received an official commendation from City Councilwoman Janice Hahn for his peace-making work in Los Angeles. Keith believes deeply in the transformational power of the creative process, and hopes his own redemptive journey from gangbanger to community-builder will inspire others to step beyond the self-destructive cycles in which too many of our young people find themselves. |