“Listen” was written as a response to the news that L.A. Unified School District police received military weapons from the Department of Defense, via the 1033 program.

This video is being released in collaboration with the #StudentsNotSuspects campaign to call attention to the militarization of local and school police and to the rampant profiling of youth in communities of color. It is intended as a call to action, demanding that we listen to young people, honor both their gifts and wounds, and make a cultural shift towards restorative and transformative justice, and away from profiling and criminalization.

A collaboration with the Embassy Live collective, the “Listen” song inspired a group of filmmakers, artists and activists to join forces to make this video. Funded by the support of more then two hundred Kickstarter backers, the video’s shoot brought together a number of L.A.’s social justice & youth justice organizations, and community members from around the city, gathering together to help send this message.

Direct actions and continuous programming around these issues are being organized by several of the organizations mentioned above (and many others) and will be posted on the website https://www.studentsnotsuspects.org/

These are critical and urgent issues that affect youth every day, not only in L.A., but across the U.S. The “Listen” team welcomes folks to stay in touch and get involved… #StudentsNotSuspects

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