The SouthSide Soul Youth Empowerment Program

The SouthSide Soul Youth Empowerment Program was founded in 2020 by James Weaver, IV in Chicago, IL. James is a spoken word artist, activist, educator, and rhythmic poet (rapper). As a child, he attended D.R.E.A.M Studios, where his love for the arts began to develop. Though James had learned to sing, act & dance, it was another form of art that his soul gravitated to--Hip-Hop. He attended Hampton University, where he studied communication and marketing. & upon graduating in 2019, James became a music teacher & choir director at Southwood Middle School. He has since relocated to Atlanta, where he now teaches grades K-8 at Kindezi Old Fourth Ward.

While teaching in various school environments, James began to notice the music & art classes being taken out of schools, especially during the pandemic. Therefore, he created this program to incorporate all art forms called The SouthSide Soul.

The SouthSide Soul is a unique group of emerging artists that perform and create original music. Students in the program learn how to song write, produce/engineer, and receive professional studio experience while gaining valuable insight into the music industry by offering affordable training and access to opportunities that will grant them a platform to exceed.

This summer, James will be hosting an 8-week program that will last from June 6th-July 31st.

Your contribution will allow us to provide experiences of a lifetime for our students.

These experiences include college visits, professional studio time, music videos, scholarships, & more.

Thank you for your generosity.

- James Weaver, IV