Powerful profiles

Doug Fort fell into the gang life at age 13, after, he says, "crack came into our community." Today he works in violence prevention.

His is one of five stories told in video profiles, all talking about life and loss, violence and rebirth in East Palo Alto. For those of us who remember the frightening stories coming out of the city in the early '90s, the stories are grim and powerful reminders.

Made by high school filmmakers, the videos are paired with seven spoken-word pieces by youthful poets in a project called "Alive and Free." The idea, as described on the project website, is to "shine a light on exemplary folks who found a positive pathway threaded through the violence, or who had turned their lives around from the lure of gangs, easy money and violence."

One thing that struck me in particular is how calm Doug Fort was during his video interviews, how easily he spoke about the pervasive violence that must have left a terrifying imprint.

The profiles and spoken-word videos can always be watched online, and they'll also be shown on the local Channel 27 on Friday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m. The project is a joint effort by the Midpeninsula Community Media Center and For Youth By Youth.

Pictured: A peace-march photo from the "Alive and Free" website.