Brownsville Boy
Change for Kids on Film
Segment Directed By: John Turturro
Gregory Jackson was hired mid-year 1999 to take over a 3rd grade class at P.S. 243 "Weeksville School". His students had fallen extremely behind in their studies due to a high teacher turnover rate and a number of cancelled classes. Yet Mr. Jackson was determined to get his class back on track and immediately scheduled family visits with each one of his students.
Mr. Jackson has made a tremendous impact on his students, but an even greater one by forming the "Weeksville Warriors". He started this basketball team as a means of keeping young boys off the streets, out of trouble and by engaging them physically. Greg himself grew up in the projects and also played professional basketball in Puerto Rico for over three years. He recalls the feeling of hopelessness and apathy associated with being a poverty-stricken, minority kid with a bleak future -- an "expendable child". He also remembers the many hours he spent on the court as his only salvation.
So every Saturday morning, Mr. Jackson drives to the Brownsville Recreation Center run by his father, former Knicks player Greg Sr., borrows a van and picks up a group of boys from their homes to play basketball. They spend the entire day together shooting hoops and hanging out, sometimes into the evening. The team competes in leagues year-round and has actually done quite well.
Directed by John Turturro, the segment focused on Mr. Jackson, his role as a mentor, friend and life line, his relationship with the "Weeksville Warriors," as well as with his father, Greg Jackson, Sr., who serves as a role model for his whole family. The team spoke candidly about Coach Jackson, basketball, and their ambitions. This proved to be a Saturday filled with laughter, fun and surprises, as we are led into the hearts and minds of these young kids and their unsung hero.