The word I most resonate with is human. I think that this word encapsulates many of the other words given. To be human is to experience heartbreak, brotherhood, and hope. To be human is to have pride, power, strength, and resiliency. We all experience these things to varying degrees which is why I think it's easy to root for, and feel connected to the Baraka boys.

One of the boys that I found fascinating was Montrey. In the beginning of the movie, Montrey was considered a behavior problem. Even after he was at Baraka, he had a hard time keeping his emotions in check (or at least finding healthier ways to express himself).

At one point he had to spend the night setting up a tent with the other young man he had been fighting with. This scene really reminded me of what Chip Wood says of middle schoolers in "Yardsticks":

For most of my career I have maintained that twelves (and thirteens and fourteens for that matter) probably do not belong in formal school environments at all, but in some kind of cross between summer camp and the Civilian Conservation Corps camps of the Great Depression - plenty of physical activity, structured groups, and plenty of time with peers with a little formal education thrown in.

Baraka seemed the perfect developmental environment for boys of this age - out in the open, amongst boys their own age, and lots of group time.

One of my absolute favorite quotes from Delpit is a long one :) -

This lesson was only one of many I received on learning to be a part of the world rather than trying to dominate it - on learning to see rather than merely look, to feel rather than touch, to hear rather than listen: to learn, in short, about the world by being still and opening myself to experiencing it. If I realize that I am an organic part of all that is, and learn to adopt a receptive, connected stance, then I need not take an active, dominant role to understand; the universe will, in essence, include me in understanding.

Even though this quote doesn't directly relate to Delpit's pedagogical theories, I think it expresses the heart of her writings. When I think about the boys of Baraka in relation to this quote, I am reminded of the scene where the boys are lying on the floor, silently watching a hedge hog. As I watched the boys watch the hedge hog I had a profound sense that what Delpit describes above, the boys were experiencing in some small way watching the hedge hog. They were learning to see, to feel, to hear, and learning that they too are an organic part of all that is. I think we all know this deep down and we all need the time and space to be allowed to experience that connectedness.
I also saw this in the group discussion the boys had about African culture. Just like Bill Cosby said, the boys recognized human beings enjoying the spirit of each other.

I also saw the theories of Vygotsky at work in the film as well. Vygotsky believed that children learn by working with others and persisting at a task until they get it. The example of Montrey setting up the tent with Derek (?) was a great example of social learning. I also saw a lot of social learning happening with the boys during group discussions.