The CalArts Community Arts Partnership (CAP), Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations and
William S. Hart High School hosted a reception and reading on May 7 to celebrate the publication of FOOD
FOR THOUGHT, a book authored by immigrant student participants in the CAP/William S. Hart High School
Creative Writing Program. The Community Arts Partnership was made possible by a generous grant from
Lockheed Martin Foundation to the Human Relations Commission’s zerohour: No Haters Here! initiative at
Hart HS.
Like tapas, the Iberian appetizers that provide a variety of flavor in a small, quick bite, the publication, Food For
Thought offers insight from the students of Hart High School's English Language learners. Poetry, essays, fiction, and
non-fiction in Spanish and English opens the homes, and hopes of nearly 60 first-time writers to the world.
To produce this publication, the Cal-Arts Community Arts Project sent a dozen graduate fiction students into the school
to teach, mentor, and inspire. Over 6 months, the entrees began to emerge, until the collected stories of this entire group
was collected in Food For Thought.
The idea for such a publication came about when the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission began working at the school
to promote better relations between students groups- hoping to prevent the academic frustration and cultural misunderstanding
which underlined a racial riot at the school in May, 2005. Giving traditionally marginalized students a voice and opportunity
to express themselves, leads to the school community as a whole to understand them as individuals, lessening the traditional
barriers of culture, language and race which can separate people.
We are extremely proud of the hard work of the collaborative to increase cultural understanding through the creative arts.
So, we hope you enjoy this literary appetizer. Food For Thought.
Unity theme at
the diverse Pomona High
By Monica Rodriguez,
Staff Writer of Daily Bulletin
POMONA - With "The Pink Panther Theme" in the background,
a girl and a boy played the roles of detectives in long
raincoats armed with huge magnifying glasses searching
the Pomona High School gym Thursday for unity.
The search before about 800 members of the student
body was a central piece of Unity Week, designed to
improve relations on the diverse campus...more
World AIDS Day 2007
On November 30, students from Gardena High’s Peer Health
mentoring class and the Women’s Leadership Project gave
presentations to Health and Life Skills classes for
World AIDS Day, which is commemorated on December 1.
Students distributed posters and pamphlets that they
prepared with bullet points debunking myths and misconceptions
about HIV/AIDS contraction and facilitated discussion
with students on relationship communication, the “down
low” phenomenon in black/brown communities, and the
culturally specific challenges that black and Latina
women face around safe sex practices. Students were
joined by doctors from UCLA/Harbor Medical Center for
an in depth presentation on quality of life issues HIV/AIDS
patients encounter after their diagnoses.
On December 13th GHS Life Skills classes participated
in a day of dialogue on campus conditions. The sessions
were lead by seven student facilitators. The facilitators
lead students through an icebreaker, survey and discussion
on such topics as intergroup relations between young
people of different racial and cultural groups, youth-adult
relations, discipline, campus safety and cleanliness
and sexual harassment. Approximately two-hundred 9-11th
grade students participated in the activity. Survey
results will be used to develop an agenda for Healthy
Start’s new youth commission in January.
The
Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations has
been in existence for over 60 years working to improve
the way different groups of people get along in L.A.
County . We believe young people possess the keys to
unlock a future free from hate and discrimination and
we want YOU to get involved! Whether you’re a young
person, teacher, parent, guardian or community member,
sign up today and make social change in L.A. County
a part of your reality. It’s zerohour: the time to act
is now!
THANK YOU to our 2008 Summer Human Relations
Interns: UCLA School of Public Affairs graduate students
Nicole Vazquez and Francisco Reyes, and undergraduates Sandy Lopez (Calif.
State University, Long Beach), John Soliman (UC Riverside), and Liam
Hanlon (UCLA), Eddie Torres (University of Phoenix) and Eric Gavica
(Cal. State University, Los Angeles) for their outstanding volunteer
service to the Commission on Human Relations and the residents of Los
Angeles County. Each of them has distinguished themselves by their passion
and commitment to the mission of the Commission to build, strengthen
and support intergroup relations throughout the county's 88 cities.
Internships with the Commission are designed to be professional development
opportunities for students and recent graduates to gain exposure, experience,
insight and appreciation for work with government. L.A County is the
largest regional government entity in the U.S, and perhaps in the world.
We have been very fortunate to have such a dedicated group of graduate and undergraduate students who have made
exceptional contributions over the past three months with their research and support of programs and initiatives
such as the Interfaith Roundtable on Hate Crime, annual Hate Crime Report and press conference, zerohour youth
initiative, racialized gang violence initiative, zerohour marketing campaign and school outreach project, intergroup
crisis response, our upcoming John Anson Ford Human Relations Awards Luncheon (October 23) and the countywide Teens
Make A Difference Day (October 25). I hope that the assignments, big and small, and the opportunities that we provided
to support our work these past several months were as satisfying to them, as they are appreciated by us. As they
return to their studies over the next few weeks, we wish them the best of luck, look forward to working with them in
the future, and we offer our heartfelt THANKS...more
PeaceJam
Global Call to Action 2008 Conference
on
September 11 – 13th at Loyola Marymount University!
On
September 11-13, Loyola Marymount University
in Los Angeles, California will be throwing open its
doors to host the 2008 PeaceJam Global Call
to Action Conference. This three-day event
will bring together seven leading Nobel Peace Prize
Winners and over 3,000 youth from around the world to
take on some of the most pressing issues of our time—with
the goal of implementing over one BILLION acts of peace
over the next ten years that address the most pressing
issues facing humanity today…more
For
ONLY $50, LA Youth
have the opportunity of a lifetime to interact with
and learn from Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, and
5 other Nobel Peace Prize winners.
Don't
wait another minute, time is running out and space is
limited! Fill out the attached Group Scholarship Form
and e-mail it to communications@cecfmail.org or fax
it to 213-362-0265 TODAY!
The
deadline to register students is this Friday,
August 22nd so this is your last chance to
be apart of this global youth movement.
If
you would like to take part in this conference at this
special rate, please contact
us directly at 213-362-0260 ext. 2.
***Please
note: the $50 discounted rate for LA area youth, is
ONLY for youth registered through the Cesar E. Chavez
Foundation and/or the Los Angeles Peace Collaborative.
The reason we are able to offer this price is because
of our fundraising efforts to offset the total cost
for the youth that we are working with.
The
Human Relations Commission was presented a framed award
from Chuck Gabrielson, Publisher of USA Weekend Magazine
and Norrell Nelson, Circulation Manager of the Daily
News, along with a check for $10,000 from (Paul) Newman’s
Own Foundation during a pre-game ceremony at Dodger
Stadium on May 19 in recognition for being selected
as one of the ten 2007 Make A Difference Day national
award winners. Richard Verches, Chief Deputy Director
of the Commission, Ellen Linsley, Co-Founder of Connect
L.A. and Carl Cooper from L.A. City Recreation and Parks,
and 5 teen volunteer project leaders and project coordinator
Juan Huezo joined Dodger legend, Manny Mota in the presentation.
SGS Produce and USA Weekend Magazine hosted youth volunteers,
agency representatives from LAUSD, L.A. City Recreation
and Parks and Human Relations Commissioners as guests
at the game.
Day
of Silence @ Pomona High School
By: Jessica Caro, Keannie Arvizu, Janette Ambriz, Johnette
Punch, and Hilario Rafael
The
Day of Silence is an annual day in which an oath of
Silence is taken. The silence on this day honors the
people who have been harassed, abused, or made fun of
for their sexuality.
The
preparation for this day involved ambitious teamwork
between the PHS students in the GSA, Campus Action Team,
and Peer Resource classes to make a difference. First,
posters were made for the upcoming events and were posted
around campus. Second, we sent students out to discuss
the purpose of the Day of Silence and see if anyone
wanted to sign up for the event. Once the event came
close, we sent reminders to the people who pledged to
participate. We made the placards and buttons for the
Day of Silence to hand out to the participants.
After
the students received their materials, they were encouraged
to attend the debriefing session with one of our supporting
teachers during 6th period in the gym to discuss our
experiences.
"When
I walked out of room 8 once I signed in, I couldn't
believe I was actually going to stay quiet all day,"
shared Keannie Arvizu. "People tried to make me talk;
it was really tempting. Toward the end, I would say
a few words, but only words like yes or no. For example,
my friend asked me for a pencil and I said no."...more
Martin
Luther King, Jr. was honored by the Pomona High School
students with a mural that was presented to the student
body during an assembly honoring the late civil rights
leader. The project is a collaborative effort between
the school, the Pomona Unified School District, the
Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and "Hands
on Inland Empire", a program of the Inland Empire United
Way.
Each of the five 4 by 7 foot panels has silhouettes
of students engaged in diverse activities such as studying,
playing sports and spending time together. Each panel
contains an inspirational quote from King.
Sophomore Lori Phambui, one of the creators of the mural
and shown on one of the silhouettes, comments that the
final product "promotes what he was all about, that
everyone is equal."
***Note: Credit must be given to Monica Rodriguez, Daily
Bulletin reporter.
Freedom
Writers
Two
of the more than 200 county-sponsored zerohour students
pose for a photo as they enjoy their all-day excursion
to Paramount Studios, where they saw the movie "Freedom
Writers" and met with writers on the importance of journaling
their life experiences. The students were thrilled to
meet with three of the young actors who were in the
film. The event was sponsored by both the L.A. County
Human Relations Commission and its support group for
fair media depictions, The Media Image Coalition.
On October 24, 2007, Queen Rania of Jordan visited zerohour
school Taft High to hear from a diverse group of student
leaders about their work to reduce prejudice on their
campus and to talk about how these students’ efforts
embodies Her Majesty’s own commitment to promoting cross
cultural understanding. Taft High is one of six zerohour
schools committed to sustainable human relations programs
that work to reduce prejudice, discrimination and intergroup
violence on campus.
Queen
Rania Visits Taft High School Nov. 27, 2007,
6:23 p.m. PT
CBS feature on Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of
Jordan’s visit to zerohour school, William Howard Taft
High in Woodland Hills.
On
Saturday October 13th, students from Gardena High School's
Women's Leadership Project participated in the Mother's
Day Radio (MDR) media literacy forum with students from
King-Drew High School and Peary Middle School. The forum
followed up on a presentation MDR gave at the HRC's
June women's leadership conference and featured documentary
filmmaker Byron Hurt (Beyond Beats and Rhymes), KPFK's
Some Us Are Brave radio show and youth organizers from
Take Back the Mic, a socially responsible hip hop collective.
Over 50 students from both campuses participated in
breakout sessions examining imagery in hip hop music
and video and the global role of corporate America in
the promotion and distribution of mainstream rap and
hip hop. ...More
The
"Power and Privilege" Workshop conducted by Taft High
School
Student
participants point to others who hold more assets and
privilege during the "Power and Privilege" Workshop
conducted by the Taft Campus Action Team...More
Teens
Make A Difference Day 2007: Crenshaw High School Eco
Club Continued Their Volunteer Work
1.
A Crenshaw High School Eco Club member sports a "Teens
Make A Difference Day" tee-shirt. 2. Dale Hall, a Parks
and Recreation employee speaks to the Crenshaw High
School Eco Club members. The youth spent the night under
the stars and continued their volunteer work, picking
up litter, in the morning. 3. Richard Verches, the Chief
Deputy Director of the L.A. County Commission on Human
Relations, spoke to the volunteers about the importance
of volunteerism. 4. Teens plant vegetation in the new
area. 5. An Eco Club student volunteer picks up trash
as a volunteer. 6. Crenshaw High School teens do their
volunteer work in the outdoors.
Queen
promotes tolerance, acceptance at Los Angeles high school
AMMAN (JT) - Her Majesty Queen Rania on Wednesday visited
the William Howard Taft High School in Los Angeles to
support its integration programmes and promote her message
of tolerance and acceptance.
Five years ago, Taft High piloted an innovative and
bold programme to eradicate prejudice and intolerance
among its students. Since its inception, the Zerohour
campaign has successfully fought to tackle those problems
and promote multicultural inclusion. ..More
Teens
Make A Difference Day 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Informational Meeting: August 24 8-10am
Friendship Hall 3201 Riverside Drive L.A. 90027
RSVP: Jhuezo@hrc.lacounty.gov or (213) 974-6499
Teens
Make a Difference Day - a way that the L.A. County Commission
on Human Relations Can Connect with LA youth!
The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations
was recently approached by Connect L.A., a non-profit
organization committed to bring diverse groups together
through sharing resources and expertise on worthwhile
projects...more
Artesia High School Students Complete Intensive
Human Relations Summer Camp
In July, ten Artesia High School students completed
a two-week intensive human relations summer camp as
part of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relation's
zerohour program in collaboration with the ABC Unified
Safe Schools Health Students grant. The camp was co-facilitated
by Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations
staff, Daniel Cacho and riKu Matsuda....more
Women's
Leadership Conference
Service Learning and Social Justice Opportunities in
South L.A. West L.A. College, June 7, 2007
Approximately
120 students from Crenshaw, Dorsey, Gardena and King-Drew
High Schools and Audubon and Peary Middle Schools attended
the conference, which was held at West L.A. College from
8:30-2:45. Students received registration packets with
material from sexual assault awareness advocate Peace
Over Violence, New Moon journal (elementary-middle school),
and zerohour, in addition to an evaluation form. The conference
commenced with original poetry and presentations from
Gardena High School zerohour students on the contributions
of unsung African American and Latina activists...more
PeaceJam Global Call to Action 2008 Conference
- Group Scholarship Form
Join us in Los Angeles on Sept. 11-13, 2008 for
PeaceJam’s “Global Call to
Action” Conference
featuring seven Nobel Peace Laureates and thousands
of youth participants
The event is for youth ages 13 (and in 8th grade)
through 25
Adults welcome as sponsors/group leaders with
no more than one adult per 3-10 youth.
Our hard work and dedication paid off!! On April
23rd, 2008, Denim Day was celebrated at Pomona
High School. Catalina Lopez, and I were the chairpersons
for Denim Day. We are both sophomores here at
Pomona High School and are part of the first Diversity
and Social Justice Class. Planning for this important
day began a couple of weeks ago, when Mrs. Balk,
our advisor, chose Catalina and I to be chairpersons...more
L.A.
COUNTY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RELATIONS, L.A. CITY
AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF PARKS AND RECREATION
AND PARTNERS RECEIVE A NATIONAL AWARD FOR TEENS
MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY
For it leadership coordinating Teens Make A
Difference Day 2007, a countywide day of volunteer
and community service, the Human Relations Commission
and eight other agencies and non-profit partners
were selected as one of ten National Award recipients
by USA Weekend Magazine and Points of Light Foundation.
At its April 22, 2008 meeting, the Board of
Supervisors presented scrolls to Robin Toma, Executive
Director of the Human Relations Commission, Russ
Guiney, Executive Director of L.A. Dept. of Parks
and Recreations and representatives of Connect
LA, L.A. City Department of Recreation and Parks
- Class Parks Program, LAUSD Health Education
Programs, LAUSD Beyond the Bell branch, L.A. Junior
Chamber of Commerce and L.A. Conservation Corps
Clean n Green program...More
Hate Acts Decline
at Hart High
By Sharon Cotal Signal Staff Writer of newmedia.the-signal.com
Acts motivated by prejudice against another student
because of race, religion or sexual orientation
have decreased more than 50 percent in the Hart
district compared to this time last year, according
to a report presented by Hart District Diversity
Coordinator Greg Lee. There were 24 bias-motivated
acts, which include fighting, name calling and
threats made against someone because they are
different, during the fall 2007 semester, compared
to 52 reported during the fall 2006 semester in
the William S. Hart Union High School District...
more
Zerohour Writers
Diary
Dear Diary,
Today was a marvelous day; my classmates and I
had a chance to go to Paramount Studios on Melrose
in Hollywood and watched "Freedom Writers". This
movie is a breathtaking movie that touches the
heart. Some students had already watched it so
this gave them a chance to really analyze it...
more
Training Assists
Social Justice Students
By: Jairo Sotelo, 12th grade
There's a new class on campus called social
justice and diversity. The name says it all, this
class is about understanding our differences and
by doing so improving our way of interacting with
each other on campus. Students have noticed Pomona
High has improved throughout the course of time.
Pomona High continues to improve in many aspects.
The students here tend to get along better than
in past years. There are also less racial tensions
among students and for the most part everyone
gets along...more
GSA Announcement
By: Mesha Carr
G is for Gay, S is for straight, and A is for
Alliance. The GSA, (Gay Straight Alliance) is
a safe space for all LGBTQ students and their
friends/allies to come share their experiences.
Whether you have questions that need to be answered,
I think that you might be interested in the same
sex, or just need to make new friends who share
similar views; the GSA is the place to be! Despite
the rumors, this Is Not the " Gay Club"...more
