Bizzle's Blog

  Darrien Brown As I explained in my previous blog post, crime is a very disturbing issue in America, especially gun violence in the black community. Gun violence has caused a lot of pain and problems for people and families all over the country and as time goes on, I feel as people are becoming okay with it or expectant of it unfortunately. An article from Gifford’s Law Center states, “ In 2022, one in every 67 Black men ages 18 to 24 in Philadelphia were killed or injured in gun homicides or shootings. In Rochester, New York, it was one in 50 young Black men. In Cincinnati, it was one in 44 young Black men” (Nguyen). Looking at these numbers just imagine being at a family reunion and knowing that by the time everybody leaves, 1 or 2 people you know will be dead due to the absurd gun violence. Giffords Law Center provides another fact that says, “Black Americans die from gun violence at 2.6 times the rate of white Americans. On average, nearly 12,700 Black people die from gun viol...

Darrien Brown Crime has been a very disturbing issue in America for as long as anybody could remember, especially gun violence. Gun violence in America is a serious and ongoing problem that includes shootings, homicides, and suicides. Over the past few years, incidents like mass shootings and black on black violence have increased, leading to widespread concern and discussions about solutions. I’ve personally experienced and seen gun violence since a child, sadly seeing my friends and family pass away due to it. I don’t mean losing people that are gang-banging or in the streets but innocent lives taken from people that don’t even own guns! My first experience with gun-violence and black on black crime, was when I was 7 years old I lost my uncle, who was only 19, to gun violence. Minding his business, chilling on the porch, one of my uncle’s old friends tried to come and rob him and my uncle died in a robbery gone wrong due to senseless gun violence and black on black crime. Unfortunate...

What Is October 14th This Year?!  Darrien Brown         Do you know what today is? Or what every second Monday of October is? If not, it’s okay, I honestly had no idea either. It’s Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day! I’m sure you’ve heard of Columbus Day so I’m here to talk to you about Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a special day that helps us recognize and appreciate the history, culture, and contributions of Native peoples in the Americas. It’s a time to rethink the way we were taught history, especially the way Columbus Day has been celebrated in the past. Instead of focusing on Christopher Columbus, this day gives us a chance to honor the Indigenous communities that lived here long before European settlers arrived. For a long time, many people learned in school that Christopher Columbus “discovered” America, but that story leaves out a lot of important facts. Before Columbus arrived in 1492, millions of Indigenous people alre...

  Darrien Brown DECA, standing for “Distributive Education Clubs of America,” is a global organization that helps prepare the younger generation of leaders and future-seeking business owners for different career fields. The organization was founded in 1946 and has expanded to schools and programs all over the world offering students a variety of opportunities. Today I was able to sit down and talk to Avila’s own DECA president, Susana Mondragon. I got to speak with her about how DECA came about, what they have accomplished, and what they’re doing right here on campus this year!   Susana is a 4th year Avila Student attending on a wrestling scholarship. She’s not only the DECA president but the Student Government President as well. She describes DECA as a community that values its members and believes everybody is important. She describes DECA as a program that allows you to be a part of an academic group and network not only in your community but all over the states as wel...

Darrien Brown At just 18 years old, Le’Taevion East is stepping into a new and exciting chapter of his life: his first year of college. A talented basketball player from Kansas City, Tae is balancing the thrill of pursuing his passion for basketball with the challenges of adjusting to life away from home for the first time. While his focus is on the court, the reality of leaving behind his family and hometown is setting in as he navigates this transition. Tae’s decision to attend college wasn’t solely based on athletics. Growing up, he was always encouraged to pursue higher education by his family, especially his mother, who stressed the importance of a college degree. “My mom has always said, ‘Basketball won’t last forever, but your education will,’” Tae shared. It’s advice that has stayed with him as he adjusts to the demands of both college coursework and a tough basketball schedule. However, being away from home is proving to be a new emotional challenge for Tae, but nothing he can...

  A few days ago was Darrien Brown’s first day at a place where he never thought he would end up. It was his first day of college! Darrien is a communications major attending Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. Darrien graduated from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy last May and he was also a varsity starter 3 years in a row for basketball. Darrien is also known as DB to his friends and family, but Mr. Brown to his elementary students at work. Darrien woke up early that Monday morning excited about his first day of school. DB wasn’t very fond of college through high school because of the extra years of schooling, how much work was talked about, and because of how expensive it is. Although he had many doubts about college, basketball and his academic grades allowed him to gain scholarships and free money for schooling. Even after a lot of doubt about going, Darrien knows how important an education is and he didn’t want to be a product of his environment. After DB got ready...