About Us
Rhythmic Roots Revolution is a collective of social justice musicians, artists, and poets providing educational and therapeutic personal empowerment programs. “Rhythmic" embodies the earliest forms of music and communication as well as ancient life patterns. "Roots" signifies origin and grounding as we establish firm foundations for positive change. "Revolution" encapsulates our commitment to catalyzing a paradigm shift, igniting fundamental transformations in thinking, perception, and behavior.
Mission
Rhythmic Roots Revolution music, art, and writing programs empower youth and adults with critical thinking skills, healthy relationship practices, and the self-efficacy to identify opportunities for success, disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and reduce recidivism.
Philosophy
"Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for life."
Similarly, critical thinking skills and healthy relationship practices are foundational to a long, prosperous and rewarding life.
Vision
Rhythmic Roots Revolution envisions a world with equal access to high quality education and role models who demonstrate positive problem-solving and social skills that boost self-esteem and self-efficacy.
"It takes a village." Rhythmic Roots Revolution is an integral part of this village.
Values
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Incorporating varied ethnic and cultural representations and valuing their presence, perspectives and contributions increase individual awareness and empathy while providing a deeper understanding of the world, our communities, and life experience.
Courtesy and Respect
Acknowledging and valuing each other's dignity and worth form the foundation of harmonious interactions.
Cooperation
Active agency and group participation toward common goals.
Integrity
A code of honesty and moral principle allow us to live with peace of mind and ground us in the face of adversity.
Perseverance
Persistence and determination despite difficulty and delay are necessary to overcome obstacles and develop character and resilience.
Juvenile Justice Reform Roots
Brian Bilsky served on Hawaii’s first Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) assessment in 2010.
JDAI, from The Annie E. Casey Foundation, is one of the nation’s most effective, influential and widespread juvenile justice reform initiatives.
Due to the “woeful lack of relevant and meaningful programming” found inside Hawaii’s major youth detention facility, Brian recruited several Youth Speaks Hawai'i poet mentors and started a detention home writing workshop program, 'Opio Haku Mo'olelo (OHM) with emphasis on critical thinking training.
2010-2012 Initial Growth
OHM writing workshops were immediately popular inside the detention home with both residents and staff.
Brian gained funding from small state and foundation grants and individual donors.
He grew the OHM team to over a dozen mentors, added art workshops to their curriculum, and OHM delivered creative writing and art workshops to both girls and boys inside detention several afternoons and evenings per week.
2012-2014 Growth, partnerships, 501c3 status
OHM was hired by Project Kealahou to deliver trauma-informed, gender responsive writing workshops to girls inside Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF), Hawaii’s long-term incarceration center for adjudicated youth.
OHM was recruited by Family Court to deliver weekly art and writing workshops to mostly runaway youth at Home Maluhia, the state’s status-offender facility.
2014-2016 DRUMBEAT and further growth
OHM added DRUMBEAT to their services and delivered regular therapeutic drum circles inside four state facilities and one transition home.
OHM helped Hawaii Family Court repurpose their old detention home into a community center for youth probation programs.
OHM mentors trained with Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice to deliver Huikahi reentry circles to youth leaving long-term incarceration.
Brian moved to New Jersey in 2016 while OHM continued delivering programs in Hawaii.
2016-2019 OHM in New Jersey
African Drum and Dance instructor, Yahaya Kamate and music instructor Evelyn Dacosta joined OHM, NJ in 2017.
From 2017-2019 OHM delivered DRUMBEAT and writing workshops inside eight NJ JJC facilities and residential homes. They added traditional African rhythms, R&B and hip hop covers to the DRUMBEAT curriculum and made the final performance a multi-facility participatory event.
2020 - 2022
