We run a lot of stories most days that don’t paint young people in Delaware County in an especially good light.
That’s why when I get a chance to play up kids doing something positive, I usually snag it.
Meet the kids from the Lansdowne Library.
They, along with some officials from the library, joined us last night for our live-stream Internet broadcast. We call the show ‘Live From the Newsroom.’ If you missed it you can see the replay here.
The kids made national headlines recently with their ‘Read It’ video, a parody of the famous Michael Jackson ‘Beat It’ video. The kids put the video together to promote literacy. Hey, I edit a newspaper and website. Literacy is pretty close to my heart.
So when I got an email from Abbe Klebanoff, head of public services for the Lansdowne Library, detailing a problem that had popped up with the video, I decided to tell their story.
After our story ran, the national media, outlets like 'Good Morning America,' and the local TV stations, beat a path to the Lansdowne Library.
The kids' video had run afoul of the folks at Sony Music and the Michael Jackson estate over copyright issues tied to the use of the Jackson music for the video. Initially, the powers that be were insisting that the video be taken down from YouTube. The young members of the library's teen advisory panel, who had worked so hard on something they were using to promote reading and literacy among young people, were crestfallen.
Klebanoff proved pretty adamant in taking up the kids’ case. With the help of the newspaper, she initially got them to at least allow the video to be posted on the library website.
But the teens were not satisfied. YouTube, as most young people will tell you these days, is where it's at in terms of social media and video. They really wanted the video to go back up on YouTube. And guess what? They won.
My thanks to Armani Brown, a sophomore at Penn Wood High School, as well as Mariama Mansaray, a sophomore, who both joined us last night and who both appear in the video.
They made it clear not only how important it was to them that the video go back up on YouTube, after all they had put into it, writing the words and choreographig the dance moves, but also that they wanted to let people know how important the library is in their lives, how it can be a refuge for young people in what very often can be some very tough circumstances. Brown said he heads to the library almost every day after school.
They, along with Madison Ruffin, a seventh grader at St. Andrew’s School, are part of the youth advisory group at the library.
They work with Sandra Gianella, library director, and Rachee Fagg, head of children’s services.
It’s a success story, and one that should be emulated in lots of Delco towns.
Oh, and that video? It’s now been viewed more than 13,700 times.
Here it is.
Thanks to all for showing a great side of young people in this county!
Comments