LDIR

LDIR alumni, current and former LDIR staff, Ezak Perez, Sam Sunshine, Shoshana Vogel and Dipti Baranwal traveled to Detroit, Michigan for the 2010 United States Social Forum (USSF) on June 22-26. Overall, the USSF provided an opportunity to connect the movement-building work that LDIR is doing in Los Angeles to the broader movements across the US and internationally. Some highlights include:

The 95th birthday celebration of radical Detroit activist and organizer Grace Lee Boggs;

The press conference for Michigan Roundtable’s Truth Commission, funded by the Kellogg foundation; and

The People’s Movement Assembly on Health, Healing Justice and Liberation, and the National People’s Movement Assembly Charter.

Above all, what we learned is that Detroit is a beautiful city, with amazing people, and has a long social justice history that demands national support and recognition. In talking with local folks, we learned that Detroit, much like Los Angeles, is “misunderstood,” and that the people are in a constant power struggle to maintain basic city and government services since the decline of the auto industry. The current unemployment rate, as of December 2009, was just under 30%. But according to the Huffington Press, Detroit’s “underemployment” rate is closer to 50%. Combined with Mayor Dave Bing’s recent decision to close 77 parks in the city of Detroit on July 1st, this had a lot of folks thinking about how to take back community control of their city and its resources.

We plan to provide a more detailed report-back of our experiences and learnings on Tuesday, July 27th in APALC’s Community Room. More information coming soon.

To see our photo album, visit the LDIR Facebook page.

To find out more information about the USSF, visit www.ussf2010.org.

On May 29^th, 2010 LDIR was proud to cosponsor the forum “Building Solidarity Across Race: A Community Forum Against Police Violence” with the Ida B. Wells Institute.  This event captured the essence and impact of police brutality and racial profiling in our country.   Fierce Independent journalist, Thandisizwe Chimurenga, eloquently wove the connections of racial profiling across race and showed that racial profiling is an issue for all people of color.  Representatives from the families of Mike Cho, Christian Portillo, DeAundre Brunston, and Oscar Grant spoke about the racial targeting that was a result of the brutal, open, and unfounded killings of all of these people.  Thandisizwe showed us disturbing yet very crucial video footage of the murder of Oscar Grant. Through watching the video in slow motion, Thandisizwe showed us all what no one wants to believe: the killing of Oscar Grant was unfounded, brutal murder and there is no debating that.  Unfortunately, Thandisizwe explained, through the systems in place within this country, which allow racism and violence against people of color to exist, this topic will be debated in court.  However, for the first time in the State of California, a police officer will be tried for murder. Thandisizwe reinforced during the forum that it is our duty as people of color to gain media attention within our communities around this upcoming trial, because Oscar Grant’s murder is a reflection of the blatant killing of people of color everyday, everywhere.

For additional information check out La Opinion’s coverage of the event, and an article based off of this forum by Muneera Shariff Gardezi, Justice: Policing the Innocent, Domestically and Abroad.

The LDIR program, along with its Merced-based program partner, Healthy House Within A MATCH Coalition,  will be launching a three-year program initiative in the Central Valley this fall. The LDIR/Healthy House collaborative was one of 18 programs funded by the Community Leadership Project (CLP), a three-year funding initiative sponsored by the Hewlett, Irvine and Packard Foundations.

The LDIR Central Valley program will consist of providing training and resources to a diverse cohort of non-profit leaders and emerging leaders from disadvantaged communities serving Merced, Stanislaus, Madera, Fresno, and Tulare Counties. The program will pay particular attention to emerging leaders of color who have the potential of becoming the next tier of senior leadership within non-profit organizations as Executive Directors and/or Board Members.

“This is a bit of a departure for us,” said Carmen Morgan, LDIR Program Director, “Our notion of leadership includes and supports grassroots leaders.  This initiative will have us focusing on mangers within non-profit.  We are excited to see how our methods and curriculum can be applied to this specific audience in a new region.”

Unlike LDIRs 6-month program, these training sessions will take place over two intensive weekends, set at least a month apart so that participants will have time to deeply reflect on the themes presented.   In order to maximize participant’s shared learning and renewal opportunities, one session will take place as an overnight weekend retreat.  In addition, pre-workshop materials, take home assignments, learning teams, and affinity groups will augment the training sessions.

If you are interested in learning more about LDIRs work in the Central Valley, please feel free to contact Sam Sunshine at (213) 241-0244.

LDIR alumni and friends at the inaugural For the Love of Justice event

The LDIR program held its inaugural For the Love of Justice event on February 14^th, 2010 at CARECEN. LDIR’s work – to break the isolation that is shared amongst people in the struggle for social justice – was the foundation for bringing people together on February 14^th. Our hope was to reclaim Valentine’s Day as a justice-loving day, one that included all forms of loving expression – a day that was not bound by gender-conforming heterosexism and consumerism, but instead, a day that celebrated the complex identities and expression of us all. The event brought together LDIR alumni, their friends, loved ones and supporters, to celebrate Lunar New Year, and recognize LDIR’s 19 years of community building work in Los Angeles.

The event was absolutely incredible: held at CARECEN’s beautiful community room, with décor donated by Saadia Kibriya, food donated by Mama’s Hot Tamales and heart-shaped dark chocolate cakes by Jamaica’s Cakes. Las No Que No and 10 East performed live, with DJ’s 2-One and 10 East spinning the jams. A fabulous silent auction, with art created by LDIR alumni MonaLisa Whitaker and Natalie Collins, prints donated by the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, spa services, weekend getaways, and more, helped to secure additional donations for LDIR. Over 65 people were in attendance, and the program raised more than $3,000. For event photos, check out our album on Facebook. For the Love of Justice will be held again in February 2011, to mark the program’s 20^th anniversary. Can’t wait to see you there again next year!