Our latest Beat Within feature includes a participant from Lubbock, Texas, Christian Martinez and an essay he wrote for a performance that took place at the Keys Academy in El Paso, Texas.  Christian's essay is the first Beat Within publication from a participant representing Texas that the Voices Behind Walls program got involved with.  Each of the publications featured throughout the page going back to our first poetry submission in 2007 are all from New Mexico youth.  An extended thank you to the employees at the IMASTAR program in El Paso who helped facilitate Christian's involvement.  Hopefully this can encourage involvement with The Beat Within from other Far West Texas.  Our program's inception was born out of an El Paso juvenile detention center, so our hope is to emphasize the importance of taking the first step to just make sure that youth at the very least have access to publications of The Beat Within.  Much respect to Christian for being a part of this and as always, much thanks to everyone out in CA at The Beat Within HQ.  Peace.

| LEE RHYANES JR. |