"The Saturday afternoon was muggy, and the Third Ward corner at Live Oak and Alabama was alive with the usual urban noises when the Young Maroons claimed the empty gazebo. Under the shade of the structure, the group transformed the concrete space into a momentary escape from life in the big city.
"'Young maroons,' Teidra Bandele called to the 14 youngsters under her charge that day. 'Ke, ke, ke,' they exclaimed in unison. 'Ke, ke, ke.' Their sing-song, birdlike response strikes an odd contrast to the booming car stereos and blaring emergency vehicle sirens that seem to compete for attention. But that is the point of the Young Maroons, giving inner-city kids a taste of something different.
"The organization is a homegrown scouting program designed for black kids and led by Bandele and her husband, JaMaymon, a couple in their 20s. The program, which started in November, meets at Shape Community Center. The group accepts children ages 5 to 17. A couple of 2-year-olds are honorary maroons.
"While the program includes an introduction to nature, it also ensures the youngsters get a healthy dose of black history, African languages and African traditions. This component is critically important for many of the parents who have enrolled their children in the program offered by the Afrikans Committed to Liberation, a community-based organization."
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