JCM - JAMES COMMUNITY MOVEMENT

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Changing Minds, Reshaping Our Community

Mission Statement:

JCM is a New Jersey based non-profit organization that was formed to give a voice to the voiceless. Its aim is to bring our community closer by speaking on the social issues that affects the people.

· Method:

We understand that it is always a difficult task to mobilize people without a sound plan in place. JCM founder and President, Gary Lloyd James, has always had this vision of seeing a community being motivated, taking action and making a better life for themselves, become a reality. He feels he can use his unique gift of poetry, to bring a community together. Though poetry isn’t the method that is often used in these situations, James believes it still has the power to bring individuals from varied backgrounds to the table where tangible agreements can be reached.

· The Organization:

The need for an organization like JCM is a timely one in our view. One does not have to look very far to see what is going on in our society. Seeing our young men being hauled off to prison in such enormous numbers is disturbing to say the least. We as a people have always found unique ways to overcome pressing issues that threatens to destroy our community. We can’t always leave everything up to the government, these are the times that call for real solutions.

· Programs:

With the upcoming documentary, “Tomorrow’s Light”, which tells the story of domestic violence and it’s effects on the family, JCM has already began to blaze a new trail by showing society a profound way of bringing awareness to the issue of domestic abuse.

Future projects are already in the works, to motivate our young people to choose a better path for their lives. One such program is called, “Say What U Mean”, where members of JCM, will show our youth how to use the art and poetry as a tool to channel their feelings into words, thus, enabling them to express themselves and avoid resorting to violence. These are a few of the programs that this organization intends to bring to our community. With the help of other non-profit organizations, the goal of bringing our community together in a positive manner is within our reach.

Gary L. James

President

If I Had A Father Like You

This program is geared towards the mentoring of young men in our society. We will discuss the issues and concerns that our young men face on a daily basis and create straight forward way of dealing with them. This program was engineered to give our youth a positive way of thinking and to encourage older men to help the next generation stay clear of life’s pitfalls. We have heard the cries of those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law and when interviewed, these young men seem to point to the same fundamental problem, which is, “The lack of a father figure in the home”.

If I Had A Father Like You: Was developed by Poet, Author, Artist and Domestic Violence Activist,

Gary Lloyd James. The idea for this program came from Gary’s poem of the same name. In which, a young man with his head pointed to the heavens, explains to God how his life would have been different if he had a father like Him. It’s clear that our young men need a new point of view in order to change the way they perceive the world and in turn, change the world’s perception of them.

With the power that these and other poems hold, Gary hopes to fill the void between many fathers and sons. Some footage from these programs will be added to an upcoming documentary with the above theme. Gary’s methods of combining Art and Poetry to send a powerful message have received positive feedback from those that have seen his work. This issue can no longer be ignored, our young men need us, let us not disappoint them again.

Become a Mentor

(JCM) is seeking male volunteers who would like to be apart of a growing organization whose goal is to improve our communities and become a mentor our young men.

Interested parties please contact us at -Phone: 201-407-5947 / www.GaryJamesPoetry.com

The Son I Never Knew - New novel from Gary James

Jason Peters wakes up in the wee hours of the morning, he glances over at the nightstand by his bed and sees a gun in a zip lock plastic bag, still very sleepy, he rushes into the bathroom to wash his face, reaching down to turn on the water, he notices dried blood caked around his fingers and palm. Now perplexed, Jason tried to retrace his steps to find out what had taken place the night before. Hearing comments like, “Good job last night man” coming from his gang leader, Tony Jefferson, only propels his quest to get to the bottom of his eventful night. Continuing his search, Jason fielded words of caution from his best friend, Andrew Lawrence, imploring him to leave this life style, but Jason cannot rest until he finds out whose blood is on his hands. Moving with a sense of urgency and without prior knowledge of last night’s events, Jason found himself on the other side of town where he was recognized by a store owner who witnessed the murder. An argument ensues where the store owner revealed that he was a witness to the crime. Overhearing the commotion, a young lady and her son came around from the adjacent aisle, accuses him of killing her boyfriend, and hearing the little boy saying the words, “You killed my daddy” then spits on his shoes. Jason ran out of the store pushing the young lady and her son out of his path en route to his beat up Volkswagen. Now on the run from a gang leader who feels betrayed, trying to disassociate himself from his girlfriend for her own protection and plagued with a deep-seated anger over a lack of relationship with his father, Jason buys a train ticket to Atlanta, leaving the city of Los Angeles where he lived for the past nine years. While on the train he met and fell in love with the lovely Miss Monica Daley, who happens to be the daughter of Eric Daley, owner of Daley Publishing, the third biggest Publishing house in Atlanta. Jason also met the friendly bartender Jake, who told him stories of rich white men traveling to resorts with their mistresses and men who have turned their backs on their families to start a new life in some other state. What Jason does not realize is that Jake is actually Jake Peters, his very own father who walked out on him and his mother when he was just a young man. Seven years later, Jason is now the Vice President of Daley Publishing and riding high after receiving the news that a film producer is interested in turning one of his company’s books into a movie. This means he must return to LA to represent his company and to face the past he tried so hard to forget.

Click on the above photo to find out more about mentoring

BYLAWS

Of the

JAMES COMMUNITY MOVEMENT

ARTICLE 1 - PURPOSES

The purpose of this organization is to increase the awareness of domestic violence.To motivateTo bridge the gap between fathers and neglected sons and to promote community togetherness and to establish a new way of looking at the future.

ARTICLE 2 – METHOD

The method by which these endeavors will be accomplished, is by using Art, Poetry and Drama. We will teach young men and women the art of poetry, introducing them to a new way of thinking by giving them an avenue to express themselves verbally. We will also create skits and short plays to tell the stories of domestic violence and other social issues that affects their community.

ARTICLE 3 – HISTORY

JCM was formed for the sole purpose of creating a better way of life for everyone in our community. This organization was founded by Gary Lloyd James, who is an Artist, Poet, Minister and Author. Through his poetry and artwork he has found an avenue to the heart of those who are disadvantaged, by telling stories of the everyday family struggling to keep their heads above water. In so doing, Gary has managed to capture the ears of the common man, which made this organization worthwhile.

The Son I Never Knew - The Poem

The Son I Never Knew

There are days when I remind myself that I do have a son
I know I am being looked upon as a man who is always on the run
Despite all the bad things you have heard about me, I must say, that I am sorry

But I am asking you son, please allow me to tell my story

I know I am asking a lot because I was always in a hurry

In a hurry to chase after my dreams

In a hurry to come up with the next selfish scheme

It was never my intention to leave you alone with your mother

The pain of a part time job and making ends meet, I just could not botherThat day when I pack my bags I knew what I was doingI knew when all is said and done; it will be a son that I'll be loosing So hear me son and forgive me if you canI am sorry for being a bad example, and a poor excuse of a manI am sorry for leaving without given you a planAnd explain some of life’s mysteries and make sure you understand Now that I had sometime to think about the times I have missed with youTimes when you were looking for me, the stories I told that weren’t trueI can certainly understand your hatred towards meI know I have made you into a young man who is classified as being angry Believe son if I could take it back I wouldBut as a man, I too, was misunderstoodSo as I swallow this bitter pill, bearing the burden I have createdDealing with the issue of my own son from whom I am separated If you are willing to take any advise from meI would say watch out for the pitfalls; that are waiting for you in societyIf I had it to do over again, I definitely would have stayedTo watch you grow up, and to see all the high school games you would have playedSo I am left to carry this guilt, my whole life throughOf not having a relationship, with the son I never knew.

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