Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Beyond the Gate is a celebration, extraction, exploration and elevation of the lives, gifts, and voices of the young men who are at the intersection of their lives and who get to rewrite their narratives in being a cornerstone in our community. Trauma drives violence, but beyond that lens, our hope is to shine a different type of light on the more that we feel these young men are made for. Our week of activities will be dedicated to them curating a new trajectory for their lives through therapeutic arts, a power panel, music, spoken work, painting, photography, a movie review and media. This event affords an opportunity for youth to dream, discover, and advocate beyond the confines of their environment activate and attain the more they were made for. Through the month of October each week will feature curated events with them in mind and at the forefront of this movement. Week 1 is our Beyond the Gate Power Panel that will feature men from all walks of life who turned pain into passion and adversity into advocacy. Week 2 is Youth Leading the Movement in Unlocking the Lens to tap into the arts (painting, music, spoken word, photography, etc.). Week 3 is the introduction to The Path, it teaches youth their rights and takes them through a series of scenarios where they get to choose and discuss potential outcomes. Week 4 is the culminating event, celebration and showcase of the entire month and what the youth have learned or created. We will have the youth to perform their original song, we will have a local leader for the Obama-led initiative, Our Brothers Keeper's work for Alliance of South Carolina to come share Trapped in Summer, which is a short film created by youth address youth violence and then have a courageous conversation about what came up for them after. .  We will also have a have our photo gallery or short films on "See Us". The When They See Us from a different lens project (what the kids learned from stereotypes).  If time permits, the youth will also perform their poetry/piece we collectively write and we may also have a painting project for everyone to join into together to symbolize our day of unity. Lastly, we grill and gather in community together.