Filmmaker Aishah Shahidah Simmons: Women's History Month presentation

Friday, March 7, 2014
Washington Prep High School
Room 1306, 11:30am-12:30pm

Please join us for an insightful discussion with award-winning African-American feminist lesbian independent documentary filmmaker, television and radio producer, published writer, international lecturer and activist Aishah Shahidah Simmons. She will come to speak on her latest groundbreaking film "No! The Rape Documentary", which explores the reality of rape and other forms of sexual violence and healing in African-American communities.

Young Women of Color College Panel

Although record numbers of women of color are entering colleges and universities, persistent barriers still exist. Institutional factors such as massive cuts to K-16 education, limited-to-no access to college preparation courses, nonexistent college mentoring, high student-to-college counselor ratios, and sexual abuse hinder opportunities for youth of color (particular first generation college students) to go to and succeed in college. On January 30th, Gardena High School's WLP will hold its first Women of Color College Forum in 2014. WLP and Gardena HS alumni will discuss their experiences negotiating the college landscape as first generation students challenging stereotypes, low expectations, sexism, and access inequities.

Location: GHS Library, 2:15-3:30

Panelists:

Jamion Allen, (WLP '13), El Camino College
Betty Rosenda Green, MA. UC Berkeley
Quinn Howard, CSU Fullerton
Janeth Silva, (WLP '12) El Camino College
Clay Wesley, (WLP '10) Southwest College

Thank You to Our Donors!!

A heartfelt thank you to all of the amazing donors who stepped up to support us for the 2013-2014 school year!

WLP presents for World AIDS week, December 2013

Who Defines black hair and Blackness?

By Marenda Kyle

As a little girl my mother braided my hair as way to stay in touch with my African-American roots. As someone who continued to wear and became fond of braid culture, seeing my peers bleaching and straightening their hair made me feel like an outcast.

In the January 2014 Big Holiday and Glamour Issue of Sophisticate’s Black Hair Styles & Care Guide, I was relieved to see the advertisement of a Braids and Natural Hair mini-magazine. However the Black Hair magazine’s definition of “black hair” was light and straight hair opposed to what real black hair is, which is braids and natural hair in the mini-magazine.

Who defines black hair and Blackness?

As I looked through the magazine I realized that most of the Black models and actresses were light-skinned with light hair. Most of the pages promoted weaves and chemicals to lighten and straighten hair. By these examples, the magazine is conveying the message that is what black hair is supposed to look like. I did come across a page that glorified braids, but that acceptance was short-lived because the next page had a light-skinned model advertising the KOEE Skin Lightening System. This holiday issue of Sophisticate’s Black Hair Styles & Hair Guide is telling black girls that if you want to be festive for the holidays, wear your hair like this and look like this.

I have now came to the realization that braids and natural hair are a thing of the past and if you want “glamorous” hair you have to straighten, bleach, or do anything it takes to achieve the desired European look. As a proud wearer of braids I encourage people to stick with what they have. To quote India Arie, “I am not my hair.”

Marenda Kyle is a 12^th grader at Gardena High School. She has volunteered over 400 hours and is passionate about teaching individuals to love themselves.

Reflection on "American Terror" and Homophobia

By Danielle Woodcock

In health class a few days ago, we were given articles that we were supposed to respond to. I chose to respond to "American Terror", a response to the death of Carl Walker Hoover, a "gender non-conforming" youth who was bullied to death.

I agree with what the girl who wrote the article was saying. LGBTQIAP+ youth are far too often terrorized by cis-heterosexual people that are conditioned to dehumanize people who don't fit in with our heteronormative society. Often times, their only argument is the slogan "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve". Sometimes their arguments aren't even arguments at all - they just call the LGBT community fags or do unmentionable things to them. A simple Google search can give you an idea of those things.

Throughout history, our heroes are thought to be cis and heterosexual, as if the notion that LGBT people exist is a completely new and foreign concept. No one stops to think that maybe George Washington was bisexual, or that James Buchanan could have been gay or asexual, or that Hapshepsut really was trans*. No, according to nearly every history book out there, everyone was cis and straight, there were definitely no identities other than these two, and even if there were, there were laws against that kind of behavior. Because of this ancient ignorance, there are still laws that inhibit LGBT progress.

That's to say nothing of society's apparent obsession with harmful heterosexual relationships. Men often dominate their female partners in the media, their female partners' lives revolve around these men, and women who actually exist are expected to idealize these kinds of relationships. In all honesty, who would rather see the relationship between Bella and Edward, one of the most toxic relationships in the media today, praised, while the relationship between Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, a loving real couple with two beautiful children, is said to be ruining the sanctity of marriage?

This behavior of homophobia is instilled and put into action as early as elementary school; often times it starts even earlier than that. This is all because blurred gender and sexuality lines cause children to harass their peers, or so we're told. In reality, people's identities don't subject them to harmful behavior from others; people who are unwilling to accept these identities do.

Danielle Woodcock is an eleventh grader at Gardena High School.

My Inspiration

By Jennifer Gomez

On a gloomy Saturday morning my father asked if I wanted to see my brother. I was eight years old and very close to my fourteen year old brother, Martin. Martin had disappeared from one day to the next. I had wondered what had happened to him and no one would answer when I asked. Instead of explaining to me that my brother had gone to juvenile hall, we arrived at an ugly building and proceeded to the waiting room. I sat alone. I felt scared as I noticed lots of policemen patrolling the mostly Brown and Black mothers and children in the waiting room. My father returned to tell me I was too small to visit Martin.

No one would ever explicitly tell me what happened but I figured it out. I wouldn't see Martin for weeks but was aware that he desperately wanted to come home but my father insisted he stay and learn his lesson. When he came home he was a different person.

As a recent immigrant family my parents worked long hours and were unable to provide the support and guidance they have shown me. At school Martin was perceived “as just another” misguided Latino kid. He was ignored by a school system that should have cared more and could have provided meaningful intervention.

The injustice of how Martin’s life was altered by mistakes that are not uncommon for boys to make, has motivated me to pursue a degree in criminal justice. I wonder if Martin had been surrounded by people who cared more, what his life would be now?

Jennifer Gomez is a senior at Gardena High School. In the fall of 2014 Jennifer will become the first in her family to go to college.

A Typical Latina

By Yvonne Arechiga

As a seventeen year old Latina living at home with both of her parents, I feel how high the expectations are for me. Due to the fact that only one of my parents completed a high school education and the other didn’t, I feel the pressure to go beyond high school and make them proud. Being a young female of color can be so stressful. As my father’s oldest daughter, he spends much of his time worrying about the decisions I make in life, which I don’t blame him for. Topics that are constantly being brought to my attention are success and boys.

Boys are my father’s biggest fear. Whether I am having sexual intercourse seems to be constantly crossing my parent's minds. Regardless if I am sexually active or not they remind me constantly that I have to be careful with all boys. My parent’s warn that boys will sweet talk me into a stupid decision. Although my parents have never said, “DON’T GET PREGNANT!” in our culture you’re taught to read between the lines. My response to them every single time they bring this topic up is that I am focused on my future and no boy is on my mind at the moment.

Staying focused in school and not losing track of what I have to do can be a bit difficult given the gender and cultural expectations I experience.  Like most Latinas I know, I’ve been raised to limpiar, cocinar, y cuidar (clean, cook, and care for the household and its members.) and not expect thank yous in return for my contributions. Unlike most of my Latina peers I have found mentors who believe I can achieve great things. I am determined to use my work experiences in catering gained over four years to one day achieve a Master’s degree in business. After business school I plan to become CEO. 

Yvonne Arechiga is a senior at Gardena High School and is proud of working at the Alpine Village swapmeet since the age of thirteen. She hopes to one day have her own catering business but is open to being influenced by other industries as she goes through life and college.