Teen Pregnancy, Gang Violence, Single-Parent Households, Racial Stereotyping - these hinder the lives of many urban youth.

But awareness of these issues is not enough. There needs to be a dialogue not only about teens, but one that includes them as well. But how do you get young people interested in social issues? How do you reach them?
Mah-leek Yusef is a Chicago-based spoken-word artist who wrote the poem “Hollywood Jerome.” The poem tells the tragic story of a South Side black teenager caught up in the gangster lifestyle. Local film producer, Frey Hoffman adapted the poem into a short film. He is currently working on a documentary about gang life in Chicago.

On this episode of Community, Media and You we are joined by Mah-leek Yusef and Frey Hoffman. We’ll talk about their film and how they hope its unique approach will reach teens and inspire an inclusive dialogue.