For Ahkeem -
america reframed

In one of the most volatile places in the country, Daje Shelton is only 17 years old when she faces a judge. Having been suspended from her local high school for a number of petty offenses, Daje's opportunities are narrowing quickly. As a last resort to keep her out of prison the judge enrolls her the Innovative Concept Academy - a school for troubled youth. While at the academy, Daje struggles with her classes, attends funerals of friends killed around her, falls in love with a boy named Antonio and manages a complicated relationship with her mother. As she fights for her future the nearby city of Ferguson erupts into flames, family members including Antonio are incarcerated, and Daje gives birth to a baby boy, Ahkeem. Through the quiet, intimate account of Daje Shelton's life, For Ahkeem presents an unvarnished exploration of a complex web of juvenile justice, education, poverty and race in America today. The judge explains, "Either you make it with me or you don't make it at all." What choices will Daje make?

Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes and 50 seconds

Episode Number: 602

About America ReFramed:

America ReFramed showcases films that will give viewers a "snapshot" of the transforming American life; the guts, the grit and the glamor of a new and changing America.

From contemporary life on Native reservations to stories of recovery on the Gulf, from hardships and revitalization in towns big and small to stories from city streets across the country, these independent, personal and opinionated films document the times in which we live.

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