About six weeks ago, photographer Marco Bollinger and I were given the chance to shoot one day in the lives of the people that make up A Better LA, a Los Angeles based charity out of Los Angeles founded by Coach Pete Carroll.
A Better LA aims to stop senseless violence and build underserved communities into healthy places where kids and families can safely play, succeed at school or work, and follow their dreams. Marco and I started our journey at 5am, arrived at the location in South Los Angeles around 6am, and started shooting upon arrival. The day was filled with many ups, downs, and never before seen experiences. We encountered hundreds of people throughout the day, all that have been touched in a positive way by A Better LA, or one of their other non-profit organizations that they help fund, such as CURE. The impact that CURE & A Better LA has had on the community thus far is quite substantial, and has helped not only give hope to members of the community, but a better place to live. With education being the equalizer to many people, whether rich or poor, they aim for all students to have an equal opportunity to be able to learn the tools that they need, in order to go on to college and beyond. The simple action of arriving to school in a safe manner, which is strange to most people, at least around me, is a big obstacle in this community. CURE & A Better LA have aimed to not make this a problem, in their local junior high, Henry Clay Middle School. Along with after school programs that provide tutoring, recreational activities that involve sports, job training and resume building, and much much more, A Better LA is helping many hard shipped communities make LA a better place.
Below is the exhibit that was debut at our Century City store two weeks back, and is currently at exhibit at both Century City & Culver City locations.
7AM - Reynaldo prepares for Safe Passage, the before and after-school program aims to provide security for Henry Clay Junior High students as they go to and from school every day.
Henry Clay Middle School, 12226 South Western Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90047
Jazmine and Carissa, twin sisters, take the bus to school every day. Their bus stop is 50 feet from Vermont Ave that divides 6 major gang territories. Getting to school on a daily basis is a dangerous prospect for many students.
7:45 AM - Students arrive to school, the Safe Passage allows students to enter Henry Clay Safely.
"Five people have been killed in the last six days [in the Jordan Downs Projects], there's a war going on in there with bounty hunters." - Shonda Robinson, Gary's Robinson wife, was raised in the Watts Jordan Downs Projects.
A local church and its parishioners, hand out a free shopping bag of essential food such as milk, bread, fruits and vegetables.
A city of Watts community space
A local house that recently burned down in the community, has people scavenging through its remains.
3PM - Afternoon Safe Passage, Renee Reaser (Reynaldo's wife), consoles a troubled student. Many of the students at Henry Clay don't feel comfortable talking to their teachers or counselors looking instead to the CURE (a non-profit mostly funded by A Better L.A.) staff because they feel more connected to them.
Reynaldo Reaser and Gary Robinson (Wiz), helped rebuild Helen Keller Park, in the last few years. Both former gang members work now on CURE, and are helping to rebuild the community. "I wanted to help rebuild the neighborhood I helped destroy." - Reynaldo Reaser
As tension builds in a gang conflict between rivals adjacent Hellen Keller Park, Wiz and Reynaldo make their rounds trying to understand the facts of the conflict in attempt to stay ahead of it and hopefully diffuse the situation through mediation before a war breaks out in their community.
Gary Robinson, aka Wiz, mediates a situation that broke out the day before, between a member of the after school program and a local gang.
The after school program also provides free tutoring at Helen Keller Park, and the CURE / A Better LA offices, for local students in the community. They recently opened the computer lab at the park, thanks to a charitable donation.
7:00 PM - The CURE / A Better LA job and resume workshop, offers guidance and resources to community adults looking for work. Gary and Shonda Robinson, discuss the football program that has had a positive effect on the community.
7:30 PM - Gary runs basketball practice at Helen Keller Park. "When the king Football League lost its funding in the 70's, the number of kids joining gangs sky-rocketed. That's why we wanted to clean up Helen Keller Park and start a sports program, so the kids had something else to do other than just joining a gang."
Helen Keller Park used to be a place that you couldn't go to at night, it was only for drug deals and gangs. Now we have after-school football and basketball programs almost every day. "We're trying to get funding to start using the pool too." - Gary, who founded the Cowboys football program, which now has 6 teams in various age groups from 4-14 years old.
