Gardena High School Women’s History Month Forum

On March 24th students from the Women’s Leadership Project and Leadership of Diversity club collaborated on a Women’s History Month Forum. The forum was attended by Social Studies, Health, English and Government classes in the Social Hall. The event featured spoken word narratives on female historical figures like Sojourner Truth, Dolores Huerta, Shirley Chisholm, Luisa Moreno and Ida B. Wells. The forum was designed to introduce Gardena students to little known social history on communities of color. Students also developed a role reversal skit that highlighted women’s everyday experiences with sexual harassment, workplace discrimination and the double burden of domestic work and caregiving in the home. The forum concluded with a spirited student debate on a woman’s right to choose, featuring pro-choice and anti-choice perspectives and questions from the audience.

Women’s Leadership Project 2008-2009

This year’s cohort of the Women’s Leadership Project (WLP) has been involved in organizing around health literacy, media literacy and women’s rights. Highlights include taking the lead on launching Mix It Up Day for cultural diversity, organizing a Day of Remembrance for youth, attending an HIV/AIDS awareness conference for women and girls and educating GHS students and adults about sexual assault and sexual harassment through meetings with administrators, workshops and Denim Day outreach. WLP president Clay Wesley is also a foster care youth advocate who has traveled to Sacramento to lobby for foster care legislation and a participant in the Women of Color Media Justice Initiative’s radio production training at KPFK radio.

Media Literacy and Advocacy

During the spring semester of 2009 the Women of Color Media Justice Initiative (WCMJI) partnered with GHS and two other high schools to train students on media literacy and media advocacy with an emphasis on gender politics. February-March trainings featured students from GHS Life Skills, Peer Health and Government classes in addition to King-Drew Medical Magnet’s after school program. WCMJI partners Ida B. Wells Institute, Mother’s Day Radio, the City Commission on the Status of Women and the Women’s Leadership Project has received funding from the California Women’s Foundation to do training and education on media education. WCMJI has recruited and trained Cal State Los Angeles students to work with its high schools on deconstructing racism and sexism in the media, challenging mainstream media-influenced gender roles and examining the gender/racial politics of hip hop representation. Students who participate in the program will be involved in letter writing, drafting editorials and contacting music industry corporations and media outlets to advocate for socially responsible images in hip hop, rap and other music genres.