SAMARITAN SPOTLIGHT: Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed

“What kind of world is this that can send machines to Mars and does nothing to stop the killing of a human being?” – Jose Saramago

We continue to hear more and more stories of violent crime in this country, most of which is completely and utterly senseless. This morning we awoke to another crime story that has gone viral – the one depicting an internet “argument” between 2 acquaintances, where one ended up dead and the other in jail.

Louisiana is home to a man who fights against the ignorance and stupidity that leads to these types of encounters. Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed has made it his mission in life to educate people, particularly our youth, on the perils of violent crime.

In his early teens, Mr. Reed started out on a troubled path. After years of gang banging and bouts of incarceration, his life was spared following a violent motor vehicle accident. He emerged a different person and has worked hard to save our youth ever since. His Stop the Killing Inc. is probably one of the single most important up and coming non-profit organizations in Louisiana and the country as a whole. It certainly has its work cut out for it, but is imperative and needed nonetheless.

Born and raised on Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Southside in a neighborhood known as “The Bottom”, Silky Slim knows all too well the perils that lay in wait for youngsters. He is working hard to lead youth down a brighter path – one with opportunity and endless futures.

Silky Slim had a huge part in bringing to fruition a documentary aptly entitled, “To Live and Die in AmeriKKKa”. I recently viewed the documentary and it is an in your face, straight up warning about the ills of society. It features several interviews, including Tavis Smiley, the real “Freeway” Rick Ross and rapper Young Jeezy. It contains numerous interviews with young people on the streets of Baton Rouge, in addition to footage of murder scenes in Baton Rouge.

The documentary also shows interviews Silky has with several young men who became murder victims shortly after filming. The documentary is excellent for so many reasons, the least of which is how well it demonstrates the dangers and perils of street life – and how unpredictable it is.

The documentary also shows Silky at work in many venues. In one of the scenes, he is shown speaking to a group of young teens in a school gymnasium – one of the more memorable parts of the documentary because not only was it humorous, but it was very poignant, in that it showed the mentality that so many of our teens have in this day and age. It also showed the respect that Silky commands from those teens – and this is an all too important characteristic of a true leader.

If you have not yet had an opportunity to view the documentary, The Heat Magazine encourages you to do so. We viewed the DVD and applaud Silky and his mission – one that he takes around the country. Recently, Silky’s film has garnered critical acclaim and won awards around the nation for his masterpiece. Finally, the world is taking notice at his efforts – through his blood, sweat and tears – and we can all take a page from his book.

One of the largest problems we have as a whole is the fact that most people do not realize the full effect crime has on their communities. They feel it just does not affect them or their families. In terms of tax dollars alone, billions are spent housing offenders, but more importantly, immeasurable damage is done in terms of human suffering. Mothers losing children, children losing parents, friends losing friends – all of this is depicted in the documentary and is done in such a way, that there is no way you could watch it and not shed a tear.

Another problem we encounter is that many do not believe crime affects them, due to their social status or influence. They may be of the belief that just because they do not live in an area considered “high crime”, that it does not affect them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Crime affects us all. We should all care about what happens to our fellow man. Just imagine what kind of community we would live in, if each of us strived to help just one person a day. We can all take a page from Silky’s book in this regard. Make sure if you do nothing else this month, you check out a copy of “To Live and Die in AmeriKKKa”. It should be required viewing for all youth and is sure to start a dialogue about where we go from here.

In an interview months back, Silky is quoted as saying, “I would say it’s the most powerful documentary that has come to this generation and mainly because we are showing you the aftermath of death and destruction that they have caused when they have pulled the trigger and can’t put it back in the barrel. It’s the only documentary that’s showing that.” While one could argue that Silky Slim is biased since the documentary is his own work, after viewing it, there is no arguing the point. I have seen many documentaries in my day, and his is presented in an intelligent manner, yet it does the job of driving home the points it sets out to make – and it does an excellent job.

In several parts of the documentary, Silky tells how people have asked him, “What’s wrong with our youth?” He tells them to spell out the word youth and notice that the first three letters are “Y-O-U.” He goes on a rant in which he asks how you let your child leave dressed a certain way and several other pertinent questions that leave us pondering whether we, as a community, are somewhat responsible for the demise of our youth.

It certainly gives us all something to think about. Like it or not, the youth of today are all our kids and we are all charged with taking care of them – no matter their color or neighborhood. We must.

Mr. Reed is a rapper, activist, community “Messiah”, and can now add author to his list of accomplishments. CLICK HERE to read a very interesting article he recently penned discussing another Baton Rouge rapper, Lil Boosie.

To “fan” Silky Slim’s Facebook page, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/silky-slim/330573644871. You can also follow him on Twitter at @SilkySlim100.