Damond Collier created the Pride in Unity Program to help at-risk youth and young adults advance and expand their creativity. The program aims to generate higher self-esteem, mental stability, self-sufficiency, and pride in community relations. The program gives rise to new entrepreneurs with positive mindsets by training young people in business, sports, entertainment, and spiritual growth.
One of the programs under Pride in Unity is Media and Music Production. As part of this program, individuals aged 14-25 are given free lessons in various aspects of putting a song together, such as songwriting, artistry, recording, and engineering. Along the way, these students learn to focus and develop the work ethic they need to create successful careers in the music production industry. Those who are learning under the media production program are also given hands-on training with established professionals. They are asked to complete various projects such as short films, full-length films, documentaries, and music videos, among other things. Everyone training under these programs is taught how to plan out their future businesses or aspirations in music or media production.
Damond Collier experienced first-hand how gang culture can derail a person’s life. He was incarcerated for eight years on drug-related charges, and once he was released, he promised to turn his life around for his children’s sake. After learning from mentors such as the late Darren “Bo” Taylor and Pete Carroll, Damond committed his life to mentoring, fostering, and educating at-risk youth and reformed gang members through the Pride in Unity Program.
From a young age, Damond Collier was interested in filmmaking. He wanted to create films that not only mirrored his life on the streets but also provide creative opportunities for at-risk people like him to move past systemic injustices they experience. With his film Baby Gangsta, Damond was able to achieve those goals. Baby Gangsta is a film with a cause. Members of the Pride in Unity community were involved in the making of this feature film. It is a modern-day gangster film that emphasizes the importance of community in creating a better life away from the crime and violence of the streets.
“What makes our productions different is that they are all community-based. The people from disadvantaged communities who are part of our productions have ownership of the films they help create,” Damond Collier says. In telling stories that these individuals have experienced, they create films that give the audience an authentic depiction of the effects of gang violence. In giving at-risk individuals ownership, Pride in Unity further empowers them to pursue their creative passions.
Damond Collier shares, “Our programs at Pride in Unity offers a way out from the violence that gang culture perpetuates. In supporting young people who want to turn their life around, we provide them with hope and inspiration. With work and dedication, they can succeed and accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.”
To learn more about Pride in Unity and the film Gangsta Baby, you may visit this website.
