About six weeks ago, I was given the chance to shoot one day in the lives of some people that make up A Better LA, a Los Angeles based charity founded by USC Coach Pete Carroll.
This project, a collaboration with L.A. based clothing company Five Four, aims to bring awareness to the greater L.A community about the dire situation in its own backyard - In violence ridden South Los Angeles, a greater percentage of children and teens suffer from PTSD than the current military numbers for returning US war veterans.
A Better LA's mission is to stop senseless violence and build under-served communities into healthy places where kids and families can safely play, succeed at school or work, and follow their dreams. Andres 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 the other non-profit organizations that they help fund such as CURE.
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.
"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, Co-founder CURE, was raised in the Watts Jordan Downs Projects.
A city of Watts community space
3PM - Afternoon Safe Passage, Renee Reaser (ex-gang member born and raised in the greater Watts area), 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.
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.
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.
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 taken for granted by 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.
A photo exhibit of these images will be on display at Five Four Clothing stores in Los Angeles and at the A Better L.A. fund raising gala event.
To see more images from the project and their related captions visit:
http://www.fivefourclothing.com/blog/blog?editorial_page=2
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