Youth

SYOA intern Khushboo Gulati wrote this essay on the importance of Art as Resistance. "Resistance art is the product of stories unheard, resilience ignored, and ideas suppressed. It is a vessel through which people unite, histories are documented and through which one can learn. Recording our work, our struggle, our losses and our victories is the only way we can keep our unheard histories and herstories alive as US hegemony controls our textbooks and classes."

As the Summer Youth Organizing Academy begins its program, we asked the youth to write about their experiences. First in the series is summer intern Stephen Samayoa.

A coalition of parents, students and civil rights groups are working together to reform school discipline. Right now in California there are bills in the State Assembly that address school discipline policy and we are working with our Dignity in Schools allies to support this vital reform.

On March 2nd a historical gathering was held by members of the California State Assembly. Focusing on the issues facing boys and men of color in California communities, it was one of 5 regional hearings held.

National attention is being turned on the Los Angeles School Police as their data on citations is released. Community Rights Campaign has done a preliminary analysis which is showing troubling trends and an apparent pattern of unnecessary and unjustified policing.

Building off the momentum of our victory in amending Municipal Code 45.04 and after four years of requests from the Community Rights Campaign (CRC), along with allies from the LA Chapter of the Dignity In Schools Campaign, Public Counsel and ACLU, the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) has finally released data for citations issued to students from 2009-2011. Releasing the data at a rally on May 3rd.

Since L.A.'s major win against truancy ticketing and the daytime curfew in February, we're trying to take the fight bigger and are now in the early stages of opening up a broader challenge to ALL forms of student ticketing and aggressive school policing.

On April 12th, 2012, Cleveland High School's Taking Action organized a "1000 Hoodie March" with the support of the Village Nation and Black Student Union. Hundreds of students gathered outside the gym during lunch in solidarity with the nation's call for justice in the murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin.

On Monday, April 2nd the Spring Break Taking Action begins. The club is a political education and action program that welcomes high school students from all over Los Angeles.