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While taking a movie break at home I came across a film OnDemand called “Skid Row”. The film documents Pras Michel of the Fugees as he spends 9 days among the homeless on Skid Row in Downtown, Los Angeles. His journey is a difficult one, riddled with hunger, exposure to the elements, drugs and danger. It was also a very life changing experience for the rapper to go from the life-style of the rich and famous to one with not even a dime in his pocket. Unfortunately, no money in pocket or a pot to piss in is a harsh reality for thousands in sunny Southern California.
Watching the film brought tears to my eyes and made my heartache; not because it’s a sad ordeal but because it hit close to home. My grandfather was a resident of the streets of Skid Row for years. I remember every year around his birthday or when no one has heard from him in a few months, my mom would put me in the car and we would take that 20 minute ride to Downtown, exiting the 110 freeway on 9th Ave. As soon as we would pass Los Angeles Blvd, I would take off my seat belt and sit up in the car so that I can have a good view out the car window as if I was looking for my lost puppy. Yet instead of it being a lost puppy I was searching for a lost soul, my Pops. The only man in my life that I respected, although he seemed to love the taste of a pipe more than the feel of his grand-daughters hug.
In the film “Skid Row” Pras does a great job of shining light on the fact that it’s more than just a place – it’s a way of life, a mind set, the last resort for those who have given up on society and in many cases, themselves. Therefore in the depression of things they turn to the streets, the hustle. On the Row hustling is as natural as breathing. Its either kill or be killed. The homeless turn to begging for change, prostituting, selling drugs and whatever means necessary to survive. Being only eight miles from Beverly Hills, Skid Row has the highest rate of violent crimes on the west coast. On any given day there are 80,000 homeless in LA county and over 11,000 live on the streets of Skid Row, which is only consist of a 50 square block area in Downtown. The even sadder part if over 5,000 of them are under the age of 18.
The experience of living on the street inspired Pras to launch prAsperity project in May of 2007. prAsperity project is a non-profit organization that jump-starts awareness and solutions for intractable problems affecting the human condition. The organization takes on humanity "projects" as distinct crusades that need attention, working on behalf of established community groups to inject energy and progress towards issues ranging from homelessness to social injustice.
Check out the film! For those interested in making a difference check out the sites below:
www.skidrowthemovie.com
www.midnightmission.org
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I applaud Pras for getting involved in a project like this. I mean, because homelessness is a problem that the entire country faces to some degree or another. It's a known problem, but what's crazy is, it still exists. Here in DC I think it's ridiculously crazy because when I get off the train to go to work, there are homeless people who have set up a spot that they basically live out of everyday right there at the top of the escalator. My job is located, a block from the White House. That is flat out mind-boggling to me.
Hopefully a film like this will get enough publicity to spark some form of movement to do ... SOMEthing. Who knows. Because any help, even the smallest amount is better than none at all.
Posted on Apr-11-2008, 8:25 AM