Pin Points Inc

Pin Points is an excellent creative and visionary company, that is community and youth focused. It started out as a grassroot neighborhood theater group, entertaining around the the DC metro area. As the company notoriety grew so did pin points goals and vision. The impact of the multiple plays that were put on started people talking, listening and spreading the word about this unique entertaining company. The creater, developer CEO Ersky freeman is a musician, play write, actor, singer and entreprenuer. With his professional and upstart actors, and supporting staff and volunteers he has, over the past 20 years taken Pin points to audiences all over the country and internationally. Now Pin points is bnringing their expertise and entertainment back to the roots to educate and save our future the Youth, through partnerships with local government and private entities and funding. Pin Points is relevent and is still making a difference in many lives.

Over the past decade or so I have attended many productions put on by PIN POINTS. All of the productions have been not only entertaining but have been educational as well. PIN POINTS' production of 1001 Black Inventions is an example of providing little known historical information about common everyday objects that were created or enhanced by Black people in an interesting and entertaining manner. None of the productions put on by this theatre group are frivolous. The productions are thought provoking and have lasting significance as evidenced by the popularity of the plays locally and outside the Washington area. There is a lack of theatre productions whose themes involve Blacks and Black youth in particular. PINPOINTS fills this void in an exceptional manner.

Pin Points is one of the most diversely community serving organizations that I have ever participated in. Pin Points has been around since I was 8 years old and I've been watching my Dad not only actively manage and participate in an array of community initiatives, but I've also seen him support those who have worked with him as they go out to change the world in their own way. It's like watching the Pin Points family tree grow, year after year, branch after branch. I've had the privilege of being a part of Pin Point's partnership with the Kiamsha Youth Empowerment Organization (which I later joined and am eternally grateful for having been a part of.) I was blessed to help Dad run the My Way summer youth program at Anacostia High School in Southeast DC. I was also able to see the amazing work that PinPoints was doing in its mentoring program (tutoring, theatre training, job training, martial arts. . . the works!!!) Growing up, I was able to see "edu-tainment" at its best in plays like 1,001 Black Inventions, the Meeting, and Hooked on Love as Pin Points travelled around the country to schools and colleges, educating young minds on the intellectual contributions of African Americans. Yet, still he always had time to take care of family, and the people that he worked with, which I see plenty of at our family events, because that's how people are treated at Pin Points and in everything that Pin Points. I'm sure he doesn't want me bragging about him, but I'm really not. I'm just sharing what I've seen him do, and what he's empowered others to do. Oh, and did I mention, that's just the stuff I've seen? I can only begin to list everything that Pin Points has been a part of or initiated over the years, but I know that my time with Kiamsha (via Pin Points) led me to go on to start my own youth empowerment organization, that's still running strong. Thanks Pin Points for the contributions! KEEP CHANGING THE WORLD!!!!

Review of Pin Points
Working with Pin Points over the last twenty years has been an extraordinary experience for me, my students, and the community. I am always promoting Pin Points to my friends and associates who, upon experiencing one of their programs or performances, immediately embrace them as educators, entertainers, workforce development professionals, and community activists. Probably my most rewarding interaction with Pin Points was when I decided to introduce them to my deaf college-aged students at Gallaudet. I wondered if communication would be an insurmountable barrier that would prevent my students from appreciating the message and the performance. Quite the contrary! Pin Points worked with young deaf men who were a part of Keeping the Promise, an organization dedicated to providing deaf Black males with the skills and support necessary to graduate from Gallaudet with a degree. Working in conjunction with a deaf theater company, Pin Points produced a performance that was accessible to both hearing and deaf individuals. Students in the program and others on campus were invited to audition for parts in the play, “One Thousand and One Black Inventions.” The deaf students had an opportunity to work with and learn from their hearing peers and professionals. The CEO of Pin Points also gave a presentation and talked about writing, careers in the theater, and the contributions of African Americans to the world we live in. Each student received a copy of the booklet One Thousand and One Black Inventions, authored by Pin Points founder Ersky Freeman. Students were in awe as they discovered the intellectual contributions of African Americans. What a memorable interactive lecture that was! Of course, one visit is never enough. Pin Points has performed for the deaf community at Gallaudet on numerous occasions and offered programs and performances that have constructed a strong bridge of mutual respect and understanding between the deaf and hearing communities.

Pin Points is an Organization that has entertained, educated, employed, consulted, uplifted, trained and supported young people and adults of all ages and colors all over the USA and Internationally for more than 30 years. In my opinion, this Organization has been a Theatrical Griot for the remembrance and accomplishments of African and African American scholars, artists, scientists and inventors and their tremendous contributions to the world. James Cunningham

Pin Points is the type of organization that allows us to believe that there may be hope for our most vulnerable communities. Pin Points provides a framework that is built on Love, Trust, Health, Security, Spirituality and Positive cultural expression. This mix is comprehensive and holistic in nature and the delivery method, with creative expression being at the core, is strategically designed to be attractive and “cool” for the youth. Moreover, Pin Points impacts youth as people and not cases. They start by understanding the context of the youth and the design is for the youth to become family. There are very few nonprofits that I would recommend without hesitation or mental reservation. As a psychologist, I have seen many organizations that mean well, but they just have not met the mark. Simply, Pin Points delivers exceptional programs for our most vulnerable youth and families and their process should be replicated as a “best practice” for youth engagement and empowerment programs. From creative expression to educational engagement and workforce development, Pin Points gets an A+.

Pin Points is an awesome organization. It provides life changing opportunities to all who enter their presence, whether it’s through theatre, training, conversations, or passing by. With Arts no longer being a focus in our schools/society for our youngsters, Pin Points is a gateway for youth to gain that experience, confidence, skill, and discipline through creativity.
My first experience with Pin Points was many years ago, growing up as a child my dad would always take us to performances. This one particular performance was mind boggling. To see youth and young adults from the inner city performing with so much zeal really moved me.
To my surprise many years later- this same performance entered into the doors of my employer, and we’ve been inseparable since. It’s an honor to be a part of such a wonderful organization that has such a strong impact on the community.

I have been teaching for the past 16 years in private schools in the Washington Metropolitan area. Pin Points Theatre, Inc. has taught me more history in an entertaining production than I can recall in a classroom setting. We are well aware of the African-Americans who have been promoted over the years as contributors to the struggle for equality in the United States, but we hadn't been easly exposed to those who made life easier for us through technology or medical advancement. The supplement "1,001 Black Inventions" provides a resourse with patent numbers that I could show my students. They have been able to SEE history and learn information that I believe they will never forget. I believe that is what Edu-tainment is all about - entertaining while educating. This group is phenomenal!