Source: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/cripsandbloods/index.html

A cluster of neighborhoods in the heart of Southern California is home to two of America’s most infamous gangs: the Crips and the Bloods. Over the course of their 40-year feud, more than 15,000 people have been murdered in an ongoing cycle of violence that continues unabated. Neighborhoods are staked out, and rigid boundaries are drawn; crossing a street or taking a wrong turn can mean death. Nearly a quarter of the region’s young men who survive the violence will end up in jail or prison.

Narrated by Forest Whitaker, CRIPS AND BLOODS: Made in America combines in-depth interviews with current and former gang members, educators, historians, family members and experts with historical and present-day footage to graphically portray the rivalry between African American gangs in South Los Angeles. Three former gang members—Ron, Bird and Kumasi—recount their experiences growing up in the neighborhood in the 1950s, when segregation kept blacks and whites strictly separated, both by police-enforced neighborhood boundaries and in public organizations like the Boy Scouts. Young black males began forming their own groups, clubs where they could find a sense of belonging. Fighting between rival clubs became part of that culture, but the only weapons then were a strong pair of fists.

The 1950s were a period of black prosperity in Los Angeles, fed by the abundance of industry-based jobs. By the end of the decade, however, those industries began to disappear, resulting in high rates of unemployment. This downward economic spiral along with years of prejudice, racial profiling and heavy-handed police methods, produced an explosive situation. In 1965, a routine traffic stop erupted into full-scale civil conflict on the streets of Watts. The FBI killed and jailed many leaders of the era’s Black Pride Movement, and without strong leadership to steer youth in positive directions, gangs became active once more. This time, their weapons were guns.

In the film, current gang members describe gang life and the status, protection and other benefits membership gives them, painting a bleak picture of the physical, social and personal devastation that is the hallmark of South Los Angeles. Academics and other experts, including California State Senator Tom Hayden and author Gerald Horne, suggest ways of solving underlying problems, rather than just attacking gang-related street violence. Meanwhile, the most promising solutions may come from the people in the neighborhood itself, where former gang members and other concerned individuals have taken on the task of working with young people and providing a positive alternative to gang membership.

Director Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z Boys, Riding Giants) brings his trademark dynamic visual style and storytelling ability to this often-ignored chapter of America’s history. Hard-hitting, yet ultimately hopeful, CRIPS AND BLOODS not only documents the emergence of the Bloods and the Crips and their growth beyond the borders of South Central, but also offers insight as to how this continuing tragedy might be resolved.

Keith Ferrazzi Presents Who’s Got Your Back: The breakthrough program to build deep trusting relationships that create success - and won’t let you fail

Disregard the myth of the lone professional “superman” and the rest of our culture’s go-it alone mentality. The real path to success in your work and in your life is through creating an inner circle of “lifeline relationships” - deep, close relationships with a few key trusted individuals who will offer the encouragement, feedback, and generous mutual support every one of us needs to reach our full potential. Whether your dream is to lead your own company, move up the corporate ladder, overcome the self-destructive habits that hold you back, or make a difference in the larger world, Who’s Got Your Back will give you the roadmap you’ve been looking for to achieve the success you deserve.

Keith Ferrazzi, the internationally renowned thought leader, consultant, and bestselling author of Never Eat Alone, shows us that becoming a winner in any field of endeavor requires a trusted team of advisors who can offer guidance and help to hold us accountable to achieving our goals. It is the reason PH.D candidates have advisor teams, top executives have boards, world class athletes have fitness coaches, and presidents have cabinets.

In his Who’s Got Your Back keynote, Keith will introduce you to his 9-step program for building the ultimate team-based success strategy - in fact, he will help start putting the principles and tactics into practice, right in the room.

The keynote is an interactive, transformative experience for sustainable change. In the first part of the 60-minute talk, Keith leads participants through a series of exercises to shift their mindsets from isolation to connection.

This creates the foundation for two powerful tools for personal and professional excellence: candor and accountability, the keys to identifying problems, developing creative solutions, and then sticking to plans for follow through.

Ferrazzi then introduces the Who’s Got Your Back roadmap for building and creating a core group of lifeline relationships, including:

• A process to identify and strengthen bonds with lifeline candidates - those who have the potential to “get it and care”
• A team-based format for refining goals and workplans
• Tools to identify and overcome career-crippling bad habits
• Keys to sustaining a commitment to excellence and growth over time
• A commitment to lower our guards and let others help

None of us can do it alone. We need the perspective and advice of a trusted team. And in Who’s Got Your Back, Keith Ferrazzi shows us how to put our own “dream team” together.

Click here to Register for Workshop | Click here to Purchase Book

Source: thanks to my good buddy Aaron Gray (Harvard Business School ‘09) for the mention

Pictured above: CLIMB Youth Leadership Institute visit to the California African-American Museum (CAAM) as Part II in a learning session on Flexibility and Empathy (photo by Zsanae)

The CLIMB Youth Leadership Institute (CYLI), developed by Tiffani Saxton (Program Coordinator) and Ray Cahill (CLIMB VP), is designed to promote and cultivate leadership skills in 6th, 7th, and 8th graders through workshops, self-exploration, and service.

As we head into the 6th week, we are elated to see the great response and feedback from the community as we continue to lend programs within the realm of youth development and mentorship. Through exposure to a wide-array of young progressionals as well as various interactive learning techniques, CLIMB is determined to make a difference in our community, servicing the at-risk youth.

The program consist of 40 minority students from 8 different middle schools from Inglewood and South LA. It has been our challenge to continue to motivate the students, maintain their participation, and work to assess their need and CLIMB’s effectiveness; what once was a sheer idea, became a reality with the blessing of a partnership with the University of Southern California (Marshall School of Business).

Fast forward through countless meetings, curriculum development, research, and student outreach, the CYLI was blessed to have 50+ young professionals “step to the plate” and not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. Introduced to the program in the 1st Quarter General Body Meeting, many of the CLIMB supporters were compelled to lend their time and knowledge to the vision of the youth leadership program: week by week, the diverse group of volunteers construct and deliver lectures, presentations, and interactive activities to help teach + motivate the students to be future leaders!

As the program enters the second half, the volunteer staff will work with the students to develop presentations that will help to sharpen their public speaking skills as they highlight a [selected] business/community leader. Once completed, the students will take part in a culmination and acknowledged as CLIMB Ambassadors and be challenged to display leadership skills in the classroom and in their community. 

The CLIMB Youth Leadership Institute is a true testament to the model and method of service that aligns with the vision of the organization: change through exposure, developing relationships, and being an influence to the at-risk youth. Although CLIMB is active with various community initiatives, the core programs shows the potential of what we can do as young professionals when we aim to make a difference. It is my true belief that young professionals (primarily the “educated” population) are the greatest asset to the community…and with that, it is my purpose to create such a vehicle that allows for that demographic of people to lend their time, knowledge, and resources to our very own community: send the elevator back down.

This is only a slice of the solution, a few steps in the ultimate journey, and we shall continue to CLIMB!

Sharron Pearson is the first student from the Los Angeles school to be accepted by Oxford Tradition, officials say. She has a scholarship but figures she needs $2,500 for airfare and other expenses.

By Louis Sahagun | LA Times

When Crenshaw High School junior Sharron Pearson asked for permission to apply for a scholarship to attend a summer program at Oxford University, her father’s response was blunt: “No. We can’t afford it.”

Sharron, 17, applied anyway. “Then I went to work trying to persuade my parents to reconsider,” she recalled. “I just knew they’d come around and see things my way.”

A month ago, Sharron was among 400 high school students from around the world chosen to attend the Oxford Tradition 2009 on a scholarship that covers tuition, breakfast and dinner, and 28 days of room and board in a dorm. Her studies will emphasize drama and creative writing.

Sharron is the first Crenshaw High student to be accepted by the program, school officials said.

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My role is to influence.

My challenge is to bring our story and our service to the desk of those who are looking to get involved, those who are looking to support, those who have questions, those who are hesitant, those who have interest in donating, etc.

This (CLIMB) is all organic. It derived from a collective group of young professionals (read: typnetwork) that shared a vested interest in the community…and therefore the mission is simple: send the elevator back down.

As seen in the video above, Mr. William Bradley III (FICS/BOS) has stepped to the plate and been a blessing to CLIMB; here, he leads a presentation on the theme Organization, as it relates to leadership.

The CLIMB Youth Leadership Institute (CYLI) is designed to promote and cultivate leadership skills in 6th, 7th, and 8th graders through workshops, self-exploration, and service.

CLIMB is currently in overdrive.

On Saturday, March 21st, I shall embark on a journey of self-assessment and finding purpose. For starters, I will participate in a day-long workshop engineered by a good friend and business colleague of mine (introduced by JaMaar Everett), Mr. Jullien Gordon: the purpose finder. Jullien has identified his purpose as “helping as many people in the world find their purpose”. (that’s the WHAT) // The HOW? He has developed a new venture and workshop series traveling around the country administering the Driving School for Life: www.drivingschoolforlife.com | Jullien Gordon’s 2009 License To Live Tour

Driving School for Life is a one-day motivational experience designed for anyone who wants to leave their mark on the world, especially career transitioners, students, and entrepreneurs.

The day consists of thought-provoking group activities, discussions, and writing exercises to develop your passions and align them with your life purpose and profession. Participants gain insight about themselves and develop a personal vision and strategy to realize their dreams.

With that said, I’m beyond excited to sit amongst thought-leaders, progressive-thinkers, creatives, and young leaders as we share experiences and help one another in this journey called LIFE. The main thing I am considering is “what do I want to get out of this workshop?”…after drawn out thought, I think the main thing(s) I want to get out of the workshop is identifying the HOW. I’m almost certain about my purpose (connecting the progressive + serving the at-risk community), so I’m more interested/focused on the HOW: how to grow influence in the community? how to encourage potential funders? how to connect all of the dots (leveraging capitals)? etc.

All in all, this shall be an interesting experience and again, I’m anxious to take part in it. Stay tuned…

Click here to view recent CLIMB eblast »

By ALICE WALTON, City News Service 

LOS ANGELES — Crime in the city of Los Angeles continued to hit 40-year lows in 2008, a trend which Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and law enforcement officials credited to more police officers and interagency relationships.

There were 381 murders in 2008, 15 fewer than the previous year, and the lowest number since 1969 when there were 377 homicides. New York and Chicago, in contrast, saw their murder rates increase in 2008.

“From the valley to Boyle Heights, from West L.A. to South L.A., violence subsided in our neighborhoods,” Villaraigosa said. “Gang crime continues to decline thanks to the remarkable work and the bravery of the men and women of the LAPD.”

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The story of an undocumented immigrant who grew up in the United States but has never been able to obtain residency, although all of the rest of her family has documented status. She speaks of the impact the uncertainty has upon her life.