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For those who would rather enjoy the following
website information on audio-tape.
email sybounds@yahoo.com
To place your order.. 
 
How did the Painters Training Academy Start?
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I created 'The Painter's Training Academy', about
eight months before the One Millon Man March.
( Although I was not thinking about the One Millon Man March, when I
opened up my doors.
Essentially, I created an artistic / vocational
skills-demonstrational workshop at 43 harrison
in
Oak Park,Il.( Which, since I moved, the area (from
Austin-to-Ridgeland) has been given strong financial
and
community support by the village of Oak Park.
( It's been a few hundred years and we still get
ignored.And now,classism
exists among our population).
By the way, from where I had my workshop all the
way down to ridgeland has been developed
into an
important artist row community.With the support of
everyone's tax dollars and those upward moving middle-
class African Americans.I only wanted to teach and train under-skilled at risk African American youth in
the community.Perhaps
there's a low priority on getting
young African American in shape and trained to learn
how-to-rebuild and repair their
communities.That's
the message that the good citizens (all colors) are
sending me.Moving on!
The idea was
to take my various, accummulated skills
as an artist, housepainter, home-renovator, activist
and radio talk show host
experience. To provide a
clearinghouse for those interested young people.
So that they could learn basic, practical,
yet vital
survival techniques / skills in the always fast
growing field of painting/ decorating and home-repair
maintenance.
What followed was a conumdrum of innovative moments,
ideas and creative projects. That I guess you can now
refer
to as groundbreaking and visionary.
Because I did not have stationary and other supplies,
I wrote and recorded
many ideas,thoughts and strategies
on the walls (part of my rent was in exchange for
fixing-up the place).
I
used the walls to map out a number of areas in
the Chicago metropolitan area, where I would train
young people in
their own communities and
neighborhoods.
I created foot stools ( different styles/sizes)
from used and throw
away wood in the alleys and
from housing and contruction sites in the
neighborhood.
A number of hardware stores
donated supplies,paint
brushes,etc...(They were the former Peasley's
hardward in Forest Park as well as Bahcall's,Cragin
and Dandridge hardwares.
Next, I artistically splashed various color paint
all over the floor and walls. And
then I applied
two coats of varnish on the floor.
At that point,media personalities started to notice
my efforts
and what I was trying to do.( By the
way, I was trying to get the black communities
attention.I know,without one doubt,that
we ought
to focus our resources and attention on these
training projects that I have created and developed).
I
was featured by Carol Marin,Ron Majors,Fox-t.v.,
The Sun-Times and many other media outlets. I was
also asked to appear
on Jennings or Brokaw.
I did not receive so much as a whisper from the
black Americans in my community who could and
should
have supported my creative efforts in addressing
vocational skills training.
It is not by accident
that I think of the efforts of
the great Booker T.Washington and how he never stopped
advocating the importance of
our people, learning
vocational skills training. I have in fact and in
practice assummed the thoughtful approach to
this
problem
Yet, I can only surmize that our race 'leaders and
thinkers',continue to bring up the names and
deeds
of Booker T.Washington and others.When in fact,they
use their influence and energies to stiffle the
creative,natural
and sorely needed flow of the very
neccessary attention and growth of vocational skills
training for our young people
and our community.
To summerize: Most any project that I'm involved
with or on.( Including this project).Becomes
in my
mind-An adventure,a creative opportunity that allows
me to demonstrate how these basic and practical
skills
can affect the overall growth and well being
any group or community that has the good sense to
apply these simple
to learn techniques.
Anyone, in any community can fix-up and repair
where they live. This is not rocket science!
The question should be this: Why is the African
American community (ministers,politicians,community
groups and everyday people not demanding that we
set-up skills training projects in our own
communities?It is
insanity,not to do so.
That is the question!
One of the greatest persons who ever lived, was
Mahatma
Ghandi: He said this..
If you want to see change in the the world..
Then you must become a part of the change
that you wish to see occur...
Please,send me the youth!
Don't assume that you know
what they're thinking.I
can
teach them,what you have not.
All the best to you,
Sy Bounds
email sybounds@yahoo.com
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