Got Justice?: Observations on a Food Justice Youth Summit and Food as a Means to Youth and Community Empowerment
When speaking with a major non-profit about their decision to put gardens in South Los Angeles, Garrett Broad says he was struck by their declaration that, after running the data, "it just so happen[ed]" that the highest incidences of heart disease, diabetes, and other health risk factors were found there.
July 31, 2013
Art, Food Justice, and Bike Rides Make South L.A. the Place to be this Weekend
One of the really fun things about tracking South L.A. as intimately as I have over the past couple of years is seeing how the area is transforming itself, both as a site of innovation in community organizing and as a destination for arts and fun. This weekend's events offer a perfect example of what I mean.
July 25, 2013
City Recommends General Contractor for Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement
I'm not sure I'm ready to let the 6th Street Bridge go just yet, but it seems I have little choice.
July 23, 2013
It’s Coming: the Organizing Committee Meets to Finalize Plans for August Clitoral Mass
Several months ago, I sat down with Sean Deyoe, one of the masterminds behind the Passage Ride. He had asked about setting up a bike ride through South L.A. and if I would think about an interesting and informative route through the area.
July 19, 2013
Demonstrations of Solidarity are Not Enough to Make Public Space Safe for Everyone
Listening to reports of the murder of yet another Sikh in the wake of 9/11, my mother looked up at the portrait of my father and sighed, "It's a good thing he's not here to see this."
July 17, 2013
Gardena PD Ticket, Harass United Riders of South Los Angeles for Taking Lane while the Case of the Hit-and-Run Victim They Were Honoring Remains Unsolved
The United Riders of South Los Angeles had just left the memorial site for Benjamin Torres, killed last October in Gardena in a hit-and-run, when they were pulled over by the Gardena Police Department.
July 12, 2013
Visit a New Grocery Stand, Help Build Bikes for Kids, Participate in a Vacant Lots Project, or Help Recode L.A.
There are several things afoot in South L.A. this weekend that will essentially cover the four food groups of livability: fresh food stands, bicycle building (and donating), recoding the city's outdated zoning codes (OK, that's a stretch), and vacant lot identification. The best thing? They're spaced out well enough that you can check out all four events if you plan right.
July 11, 2013
Assessing the Momentum of the Bike Movement in South L.A., a Year and a Half On
We've known for a while what NPR and the League of American Bicyclists appear to just be figuring out: namely, that people of color ride bikes and are doing so in ever-increasing numbers.
July 10, 2013
After the Fireworks, There is Still Fun to Be Had on Bikes This Weekend
Last July, the Peace, Love and Family ride took a couple hundred riders on a tour through some of the major corridors of South L.A. before returning to a festival at Manchester and Vermont to show people that the streets could be sites for recreation.
July 3, 2013
Hearing Today Will Determine if Lead-Acid Battery Recycler Can Resume Operations in Vernon
"Lead-acid batteries are the environmental success story of our time," touts the Battery Council International.
July 2, 2013