The Boys of Baraka

You have three choices," an adult shouts to a crowd of inner-city middle schoolers, "jail, an early death, or graduating high school." 

'The Boys of Baraka' is a touching, yet heart-wrenching, documentary that follows a handful of African-American boys from the violent streets of Baltimore to the Baraka School in Kenya, East Africa.

Each year, the Baraka School selects 20 male middle-schoolers, who then leave to experience life 10,000 miles away from the inner city for two years. The boys then take advantage of the boarding school's educational opportunities while experiencing  a newfound sense of renewal and self-growth.

'The Boys of Baraka' is an unflinching, dramatic look at the social and educational environment that exists in the US' inner city neighborhoods. But most importantly, the film raises important questions about the kind of positive change we can provide for every "boy of Baraka" in our own cities.

• Winner of the 2006 Image Award for Outstanding Independent or Foreign Film
• Winner of the 2005 Newport International Film Festival for Best Documentary

2005. 84 minutes. Rated R for some language. For more information, check out: www.urbanministry.org/boys_of_baraka_dvd.