More from Radio Rookies
Best Couple
(00:04:48)
From: Radio Rookies
When seniors at a small public high school in the Bronx cast their votes for "Best Couple" they chose a pair they admire but who definitely defy the stereotype of best couple.
Someone to Tuck Me In
(00:09:54)
From: Radio Rookies
Last year at a routine check-up, 15-year-old Raymond Henderson decided to tell the truth. When his doctor noticed bruises on his neck, Raymond admitted that his stepfather ...
My Mother vs. The Streets
(00:08:20)
From: Radio Rookies
In the past, hanging out with boys has gotten Jacuyra into trouble. But as a 16-year-old who doesn't often think about the consequences of her actions, Jacuyra would love ...
I'm Not Emo
(00:09:08)
From: Radio Rookies
Like most of the kids in her school and on her block, 16-year-old Josetta Adams used to listen to hip-hop. But when she slipped into a depression, Josetta started listening ...
Read a Book
(00:09:24)
From: Radio Rookies
Keith Harris had a secret when he started school in the U.S. for the first time: he didn't know how to read and write.
Home Alone
(00:07:27)
From: Radio Rookies
Krystle loves her mom very much and she feels guilty about how hard her mom has worked to provide a good life for them, but Krystle sometimes wonders if all the work hours ...
The Chernobyl Disaster
(00:08:17)
From: Radio Rookies
Rookie Reporter Irina was born in Belarus 6 years after the Chernobyl disaster. She has always seen herself as a Chernobyl victim, but the more she learns about the effects ...
My Mother's Disease
(00:09:37)
From: Radio Rookies
17-years-old Vikky Cruz struggles to cope with her mother's illness, a rare genetic disease called neuroacanthytosis, and the ways it's taken over the mother she once knew.
Money Stress
(00:09:17)
From: Radio Rookies
Rookie Reporter Erikka Diaz, like many of her neighbors in South Bronx, has lived in poverty her whole life. Her family knows well the anxiety that comes with constantly ...
Incarcerated Parents
(00:07:43)
From: Radio Rookies
15-year-old Keith Tingman remembers his tenth birthday better than any other birthday before or since. That was the day he watched his mom get arrested.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
Kaddeem Wright enjoys reading philosophy and arguing with his friends about history and politics. With his smarts and innate curiosity about the world, Kaddeem seems like a kid who should thrive in school, but he's not. Instead he feels unmotivated and rarely does his homework. He scrapes by with a C average, something that frustrates him and his mom. Like a lot of kids, especially young black males in New York City, Kaddeem is not reaching his potential. He wants to know to why he and so many of his friends are barely getting by, uninspired by school or thoughts of the future.
Broadcast History
WNYC Morning Edition - December 15, 2008
Transcript
HOST INTRO: With New Year's just a couple of weeks away, you may be thinking about resolutions for 2009. Perhaps you're considering one from years' past that you still haven't been able to fully tackle...Most of us have some area of our lives we've been struggling to fix for a long time: Making lasting changes can be tough. Radio Rookie Kaddeem Wright has been resolving to do better in school, but over and over again he keeps finding himself stuck:
NARRATION: Have you ever had an epiphany like Buddha sitting under the tree? Like Mohamed meditating on the mountain? Well, my epiphany came about in my 5th grade class. I was day dreaming and I realized: I have potential to do great things. My teacher thought I was smart. And ever since then, I've been hearing that over:
ADULT 1: Like I always tell your mother, you are one in a million.
NARRATION: And over.
ADULT 2: Smart.
ADULT 3: I thi...
Read the full transcript
Additional Credits
Sanda Htyte, Associate Producer
Courtney Stein, Assistant Producer
Marianne McCune, Editor
Related Website
Of 3 purchasers of this piece...
- 4 also bought:
Haunted Cabin (00:19:52) - 4 also bought:
Father's Day (00:05:25) - 3 also bought:
- 3 also bought:
- 3 also bought:
jocelyn rivera
Posted on December 22, 2011 at 03:30 PM | Permalink
hi =)
I found this piece to be interesting mainly because i don't usually hear guys admitting when they are not on top of there school work guys i know usually blow it off an move along they dont take the time out to try and figure out what exactly the problem really is , like kaddem did
what struck me most about the piece (interestingly enough thats the title) was that kaddem seems so driven
hes dont seem to have the same goals as most guys my age which is to become a rapper or a athlete he's more into philosophy i dont really hear that often
another thing that stood out to me in this piece was that he showed other boys his ages point of view of the situation an how they are just like him in the sense that they are just ver lazy . I think that in some aspects it comes down to the community in which the indiviual lives in i think that could change the out come of the persons school intrest