September 22, 2007
By Jennifer Akers
Thirty-six City Year leaders are sworn in Friday, pledging to serve 1,700 hours giving back to the Little Rock community. City Year is a service organization that unites young people 17-24 for a demanding year of community service.
After taking their oath, the young leaders spread out to different neighborhoods around Central High, sprucing them up in preparation for Tuesday's 50th anniversary celebration of the desegregation of Central High.
The newest group of City Year members are all excited to do their part, giving back to make a difference in the lives of children and families in Central Arkansas.
Leader, Bess Schaefer, traveled from Columbus, Ohio to help get Little Rock ready for Tuesday's 50th anniversary celebration.
Her excitement to give back is hard to contain. "Just seeing reaction, your giving service, it's exciting, to give service, I love it."
After being sworn in, the newest corps of City Year spreads out into several neighborhoods surrounding Central High at Wright and Schiller, a mural of the Little Rock Nine is drawn out and painted.
It's City Year's way of beautifying the neighborhood. Antoinette Johnson says many of the people who live here can't afford murals or landscaping so the service means a lot. "It's going to make the wall less of an eyesore, good thing for the neighborhood," she said.
At the Little Rock Nine mural is a Zulu proverb, "Unbuntu." Basically it means that we all need to work together, all of us, black or white. Bess says uniting people of all backgrounds is what City Year is all about. That's why she wanted to be a part of the vision.
"I felt like it was my chance to give back for a year," said Bess Schaefer.
The 36 City Year members in Little Rock are among 1,300 City Year members across the U.S. Members spend four days leading one-on-one tutoring sessions. And, every other Friday, City Year members get out in the neighborhoods, doing physical service.