Student receives college scholarship

October 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Gardena High School student Betsy Casas.

Gardena High School student Betsy Casas.

Betsy Casas, a 4.0 GPA student at Gardena High School in Los Angeles, is a finalist in the prestigious QuestBridge scholarship program. QuestBridge provides low income, high achieving students with full four year scholarships to leading colleges and universities of their choice. QuestBridge partner colleges include Ivy Leagues like Yale, Princeton and Stanford. Betsy is a former foster care youth who wants to pursue a degree in environmental science. Her top college choice is Stanford University and she will be the first in her family to go to college. According to QuestBridge, “Over 84% of high achieving low-income students don’t even apply to top colleges and 44% don’t go to college at all.”

For the past two years, Betsy has participated in the Women’s Leadership Project mentoring program, a feminist humanist civic engagement initiative that provides first generation young women of color with community leadership and public speaking opportunities while preparing them for college. In addition to QuestBridge, WLP alumni have received scholarships from the prestigious Posse Foundation and Horatio Alger Foundation. QuestBridge scholarship recipients are notified of their college admission status in December.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , , ,

South LA health clinics waiting for Obamacare

October 31, 2013 By Leave a Comment


StJohns

St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in South Los Angeles delivers comprehensive health care and medical guidance to one of the nation’s poorest communities. What of Obamacare? St. John’s counselors aren’t certified to enroll anyone in the Affordable Care Act exchanges yet, but they will be soon.

To learn more details about Obamacare in South L.A., listen to an audio story from Annenberg Radio News:

Filed Under: Health, Politics Tagged With: ,

L.A.U.S.D. Superintendent Deasy to stay through 2016

October 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Superintendent John Deasy at L.A. Board of Education meeting on October 29, 2013. Photo credit: Brianna Sacks

Superintendent John Deasy at L.A. Board of Education meeting on October 29, 2013. Photo credit: Brianna Sacks

After days of tense rumors that he would resign, L.A. Unified Superintendent John Deasy will remain at the helm of the nation’s second largest school district until 2016, the Los Angeles Board of Education announced Tuesday afternoon.

After a passionate rally led by scores of parents, community activists and educators, and a marathon five-hour deliberation behind closed doors, the board said Deasy had satisfactorily passed his performance and extended his contract.

Deasy has been battling a pro-union school board after the new president Richard Vladovic was elected in July. Before that, the brash and often stubborn leader had been working with a clearly pro-reform, anti-union board that easily passed his initiatives.

Deasy thanked the board Tuesday for a “good and robust evaluation” and “excellent and honest conversation so we can continue to lift youth out of poverty.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , , , ,

South LA pot shop landlord first to pay fine for violating Prop D; Cellphone charger saves deputy’s life in shootout

October 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment


October 27th marked the one-year anniversary of the Endevour's delivery to Exposition Park

October 27th marked the one-year anniversary of the Endeavour’s delivery to Exposition Park

A roundup of South L.A. in the news…

Food drive kicks into high gear ahead of launch (CTV)

South LA pot shop landlord first to pay fine for violating Prop D (Venice-Mar Vista Patch)

Family sues LAPD over shooting of mentally ill Baldwin Hills woman (CBS)

Cellphone charger saves deputy’s life in shootout (LAist)

Filed Under: In the news

Dorsey High football coach Paul Knox on the 2013 season

October 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment


DorseyHighPaul Knox has led Dorsey High School’s football team since 1985. In that time, Knox said he has helped produce at least 20 NFL players — among the highest success rates in the nation. Draftees in 2013 included Johnathan Franklin and Jeremy Harris.

“It’s exciting that we’ve had that kind of talent come through the program and use it as a stepping stone to get to college,” Knox told Annenberg Radio News. “Some have been fortunate enough to play in the NFL.”

Click play to hear more comments from Knox and the sounds of a recent team practice in a story from Annenberg Radio News:

Filed Under: Sports

Q&A: Donald Jolly on ‘Riot/Rebellion’

October 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Playwright Donald Jolly has written a new play about the 1965 Watts Riots.

Playwright Donald Jolly has written a new play about the 1965 Watts Riots. Photo credit: Katherine Davis

Donald Jolly is the 30-year-old playwright behind Watts Village Theater Company’s world premiere play, ‘Riot/Rebellion.’ The play, which opens on Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 24, reflects on the August 1965 Watts Riots. We sat down with Jolly to find out about the inspiration for the show, the writing process, and what progress—or lack of progress—has been made in the past 48 years in Watts. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Featured Story, Watts Tagged With: , , , , ,

My Neighborhood: Martin Luther King & Western

October 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Participants in Reporter Corps, a USC Annenberg program to train young adults from South LA to report on their own communities, created audiovisual introductions to their neighborhoods this summer. Mario Narciso speaks with his neighbors about parks, safety, and community. 

IMG_3105-333x250Mario Narciso 18, Foshay High School graduate, University of California at Riverside incoming freshman, speaks Spanish and Zapotec  

I am from a large, proud family from Oaxaca, Mexico. In their town most speak an indigenous language, Zapotec, as well as some Spanish. In 1989 my parents left Mexico in search of work and moved to South L.A., where I was born. As a participant in Reporter Corps I am interested in focusing on two issues: special education and perceptions of Latino and black youth. I was in special ed for three years and if my father had not helped me leave, I may have been stuck in it. I would also like to also show the positive and the untold stories of the “wild jungles” of L.A. Attending Reporter Corps will allow me to gain more experience in journalism and to help me understand about my major when I attend UC Riverside.

Filed Under: Community, Crime, King Estates, Neighborhood, Public Safety, Reporter Corps, Uncategorized

South Central Tea Party demands apology; Anti-fracking protest at Veterans Park

October 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment


The Dunbar Hotel, located in Watts, was at the center of the Central Avenue jazz scene in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Dunbar Hotel, located in Watts, was at the center of the Central Avenue jazz scene in the 1930s and 1940s.

A roundup of South L.A. in the news…

Anti-fracking rally draws protestors at Veterans Park (LA Wave)

South Central Tea Party demands apology from Alan Grayson (Before It’s News)

Wheelchairs for paralyzed dogs in South LA (My Fox LA)

Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon brings out costumed runners (ABC)

 

 

 

Filed Under: In the news

USC students protest campus lockdown

October 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment


USCCampusFencesAfter a campus shooting during a student-run Halloween party one year ago, USC began tightening its nightly security measures — causing some students to question the university’s intentions. Since last January, campus access from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. has been limited to students, faculty, staff and registered guests.

USC has installed fences both permanent and temporary to enforce the new rules. To student Makiah Green from USC’s Change Movement, the fences symbolize racial and economic divides on and around USC. She began a petition last week to urge President C.L. “Max” Nikias to find different ways to keep the campus safe.

What side of the fence are you on? Listen to the opinions of Green and other students in an audio story from Annenberg Radio News:

Filed Under: Community, Crime, Public Safety, USC

StoryCorps records South LA’s diverse stories

October 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment


StoryCorps kicked off its national mobile tour on Oct. 23 with mariachis, celebrities, and public officials at South L.A.’s California African American Museum. From now until Nov. 16, the StoryCorps mobile booth will be set up in front of the museum waiting to record and share the many stories upon which the vitality of South L.A. is built.

Actors Cheech Marin & Art Evans were in attendance

Actors Cheech Marin & Art Evans were in attendance

StoryCorps is no stranger to South L.A. This is its seventh year visiting greater Los Angeles, and its third time at the California African American Museum. It is also partnering with Pasadena-based radio station KPCC to broadcast some of the stories collected.

“We really love the partnership with CAAM and also KPCC,” Mobile Tour Manager Dina Zempsky said. “These organizations embrace our mission to retain diverse stories. We are back over and over again.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Expo Park, Neighborhoods, South Central LA, University Park, Your Story Tagged With: , , ,
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