LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
InnerCity Struggle acknowledges the region it is headquartered in and conducts its organizing work as part of unceded lands of the Kizh Nation (Pronounced “Keech”) .
Kizh people are also commonly referred to as Gabrielino or Tongva. The Kizh people have been the traditional caretakers of the Los Angeles basin. The boundaries of their society extended southward to Laguna Beach, the northern limits extended through Ventura to parts of Santa Barbara, the San Gabriel Mountains bordered the territory on the east, and the territory expanded into the ocean to include the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicholas and San Clemente.
The word Kizh refers to the people who made their homes from the willow tree; a native river tree which populated the network of rivers and wetlands. The Willow slowed the river streams while removing pollutants in the water. The Willow made the soil spongier, allowing water to be absorbed and refill underground reservoirs. The Kizh utilized willow root as medicine to treat headaches and pain, the root containing the main ingredient in aspirin. Among the great variety of trees and brushes were the different species of Oak trees that adorned the vast landscapes, hills and valleys and served as a keystone species by providing shade, shelter to thousands of animal species. The oak’s acorns were a staple food in the diet of the people as well as providing nourishment to the large array of
animals including rodents, deer and bears.
The Kizh shared the position and responsibility of retaining balance along with their animal relatives; the gray wolves, cougars and orcas in the ocean, red tail hawks in the sky. Such was the role of the Kizh and other indigenous cultures who shared a deep spiritual and historical connection to the land. The Kizh developed a complex culture, which included religion, astronomy, rich and varied cuisine, economy, and complex social structures. They lived in harmony with neighboring nations trading essential resources such as diatite, tar to construct water crafts, soapstone to carve pottery and potent natural remedies.
Much of the natural beauty that once existed, the landscapes, flora and fauna were decimated by the European colonizers and many important species driven to extinction.
Much like Oak trees and animal species that have survived, resisted colonization and adapted, the Kizh people are still here and they continue their stewardship of the land and protecting our animal and plant siblings that encompass our unique ecosystem.
We share gratitude and pay respect to their elders and descendants past, present, and emerging as they continue to care for these lands, air, and waters.
30TH ANNIVERSARY SPONSOR
$30,000+
LUCHADOR SPONSORS
$10,000+
PAULA & BARRY LITT
PODER SPONSORS
$5,000+
COMPANERO SPONSORS
$2,500+
MARY JANE WAGGLE
PROGRAM
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WELCOME
Sonia Guiñansaca
Poet, Cultural Organizer and Social Justice Activist
Daniel Jimenez
InnerCity Struggle Director of Community Organizing
ESTEBAN E. TORRES AWARD
Eunisses Hernandez
LA City Councilmember, Council District 1
RUBEN SALAZAR AWARD
Kalli Arte
Boyle Heights Family Artists Collective
VIDEO: 30 YEARS EN LA LUCHA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REMARKS
Henry Pérez
GABRIELA AMANDA PÉREZ AWARD
United Students Leaders
Honoring Youth Leaders Past & Present
FIREKEEPERS OF JUSTICE
Elizabeth Lugo
InnerCity Struggle Board Chair
Lydia Avila
Director of Power Building at California Calls
MUSIC, FOOD, & CELEBRATION
Subsuelo
ESTEBAN E. TORRES AWARD PRESENTED TO EUNISSES HERNANDEZ
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMEMBER, DISTRICT 1
RUBEN SALAZAR AWARD PRESENTED TO KALLI ARTE COLLECTIVE
GABRIELA AMANDA PÉREZ AWARD PRESENTED TO UNITED STUDENTS
LEADERS
ACCEPTED BY ESMERALDA RAMIREZ
UNITED STUDENTS LEADER, ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL
Esteemed guests,
Today, we come together to celebrate a historical milestone for InnerCity Struggle (ICS): 30 years en la lucha. As we honor three decades of building community power and creating meaningful impact in the Eastside, I am deeply honored to reflect on this journey, both personally and as the Executive Director of ICS. My family has called this vibrant community “home” since my great-grandparents fled Mexico during the Mexican Revolution in the early 1900s. Our journey reflects the story of countless migrants who established roots in the Eastside in search of better opportunities for themselves and their loved ones. That journey, however, has been and continues to be fraught with barriers. For generations, families in the Eastside have confronted a systematic denial of opportunities. Our communities have had to fight and organize for quality education, better living conditions, and a safer thriving Eastside. For 30 years, ICS has been at the forefront of that struggle!
Our fight has always been about more than just survival—it’s been about building community power to transform systems, and reclaim the future for ourselves and for the generations to come. InnerCity Struggle was founded in 1994 in response to the violence that gripped our neighborhoods—a violence rooted in deeper systemic issues like poverty, an underfunded education system, and the criminalization of Black and Brown youth. For thirty years, our organization has been unwavering in addressing these root causes of injustice. We have developed the leadership of thousands of youth and parent members to have a powerful voice and to be taken into account. Just this year, they have been at the forefront of campaigns like the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI) which guaranteed $700 million in equitable funding to support the district’s highest-need schools, and the County’s Tenant’s Right to Counsel Ordinance passed in July of 2024, which secured free legal representation for low-income renters in Unincorporated L.A. County. Ultimately, our goal is to advance justice, life opportunities and dignity in the Eastside.
Our work has always been rooted in love— the love that propels us forward even in the face of injustice, the love that binds us together as a community, and the love that fuels our fight for justice. True systemic transformation begins with building relationships rooted in love for each other and our communities. These relationships are the building blocks of community power—uniting Eastsiders to address our challenges, envision a better future, and hold those in power accountable. Love is the foundation of our work and the essence of liberation.
As we reflect on this 30 year journey, we also take time to honor the incredible leaders who continue to inspire us. Tonight, we are proud to recognize the work of Los Angeles City Council District 1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and the Kalli Arte Boyle Heights Family Artists Collective. We also honor our United Students youth leaders - past and present. Their leadership embodies the transformative power of community-led efforts, and their dedication to justice mirrors the mission that has guided InnerCity Struggle for the past three decades.
As we move into the next chapter, we know that there is still so much work ahead. We are in the midst of a housing crisis and Eastside residents continue to face the threat of displacement. Failed leadership has left Eastside residents vulnerable and without a voice in City Hall. And right wing, conservative forces are lashing back in an attempt to undo the gains of our collective movement over the last several decades. With 30 years of organizational perspective and with your continued support, we are primed to continue organizing our communities when they are under attack— to always stand up and fight back! Thank you for being part of this movement. Here’s to 30 years of struggle, impact, and of love—and to many more years of advancing justice together.
Juntos en la lucha,
Henry Pérez Executive Director, InnerCity Struggle
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elizabeth Lugo, Chair Associate Director, Power California
Hector Sanchez, Treasurer Deputy Political Director, Community Coalition
Jennifer Maldonado, Secretary Program Manager, Funder’s Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) Youth Alumna, InnerCity Struggle
Margarita Ramirez Director of Grantmaking (Ret.), Liberty Hill Foundation
Belen Vargas
Senior Director of Los Angeles County Programs, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools
Tom DeSimone President & CEO, Genesis LA
Kristie Hernandez Community Advocate
Camila Chávez Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dolores Huerta Foundation
Rose Contreras Vice President (Ret.), Creative Services Lakeshore Learning Materials
Silvia R. Argueta Executive Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Gabriel Robles Sr. Vice President and Group Director, Flagstar Bank N.A.
ADVISORY BOARD
Amy Cooper, Past Chair Education Consultant
Lester Garcia, Past Chair Political Director, SEIU Local 99
Aurea Montes-Rodriguez, Past Chair Vice President of Community Engagement and Policy, First 5 LA
Douglas Wance, Past Chair Shareholder, Buchalter
ADELANTE AMBASSADORS
Honorable Wendy Carrillo California State Assemblymember, District 52
Luis Sánchez Executive Director, Power California Co-Founder, InnerCity Struggle
Max Arias Executive Director, SEIU Local 99
Elise Buik President and CEO, United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Camila Chávez
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dolores Huerta Foundation Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Tom De Simone President & CEO, Genesis LA Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Rose Contreras Vice President (Ret.), Creative Services
Lakeshore Learning Materials Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Honorable Marqueece HarrisDawson Los Angeles City Council President, District 8
Elmer Roldán Executive Director, Communities in Schools
Lester García Government Relations Director, SEIU Local 99 Advisory Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Margarita Ramírez Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Belen Vargas
Senior Director of Los Angeles County Programs, Harbor Freights Tools for Schools Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Silvia Argueta Executive Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Jennifer Maldonado Program Manager, Funder’s Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) Board Member & Youth Alumna, InnerCity Struggle
María Brenes Co-Executive Director, Movement Innovation Center Executive Director Emeritus, InnerCity Struggle
Jim Mangia President & CEO, St. John’s Community Health
Dr. Ryan Smith President & CEO, St. Joseph Center
Elizabeth E. Lugo
Associate Director, Power California Board Chair, InnerCity Struggle
Gabriel Robles
Senior Vice President & Group Director, Flagstar Bank N.A. Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Kristie Hernández Community Advocate Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
Héctor Sánchez
Deputy Political Director, Community Coalition Board Member, InnerCity Struggle
THE SPIRIT OF STRUGGLE AWARDS
INNERCITY STRUGGLE IS PROUD TO HONOR THE WORK OF TONIGHT’S HONOREES FOR CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF THE SPIRIT OF STRUGGLE AWARDS. THESE AWARDS ARE NAMED AFTER DISTINGUISHED HISTORIC INDIVIDUALS WHO STRIVED FOR FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY.
RUBÉN SALAZAR
Rubén Salazar, a Mexican-American journalist from Ciudad Juarez, was born in 1928 and grew up in El Paso, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor’s in journalism. Salazar was a reporter and columnist at the LA Times from 1959 - 1970. He traveled all over the world as the LA Times foreign correspondent, including places like Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. He later became the director at KMEX-TV, California’s first Spanish news network.
As a columnist with the LA Times, he was widely known for providing a mainstream voice to the growing Chicanx movement in the East Los Angeles community. Throughout the 60’s, he wrote columns like “Who is a Chicano, and What is it the Chicano’s Want?” and also covered the East LA Blowouts of 1968. Salazar became recognized as a symbol for civil rights through his work and unexpected death, and remains one of the most renowned Mexican-American journalists. Salazar’s work has impacted more than just the Latinx community, as his dedication to uncovering injustices and the pursuit of truths have influenced journalism and activism for decades. His tenacity was visible from the beginning of his career. One of his first stories at the El Paso Herald Post unveiled the terrible conditions of jails in El Paso, Texas. He was able to report on this by posing as intoxicated in public. He was surveilled by the FBI for most of his life.
On August 29th, 1970, 20,000 - 30,000 people marched in the Chicano Moratorium in opposition to the Vietnam War. The protest erupted in uproar as tensions between police and demonstrators turned violent. A tear gas projectile was thrown at the back of Salazar’s head by an LA Sheriff while Salazar sat at the Silver Dollar, where he took respite from the demonstration. The canister killed Salazar, which caused more unrest within the community and resulted in Salazar becoming a martyr for the Chicanx movement.
ESTEBAN E. TORRES
Congressman Esteban E. Torres is a nationally recognized environmental leader and former ambassador to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He served eight terms as congressman representing California’s 34th Congressional District from 1983-1999.
During his distinguished 16-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Torres served as Deputy Democratic Whip, senior member of the House Banking Committee, and chaired the House Banking Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Coinage. In his own community, Mr. Torres served as a United Auto Workers union organizer and co-founded The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU), which evolved into one of the largest anti-poverty community development organizations in the nation and serves thousands of families.
Mr. Torres graduated from James A. Garfield High School in 1949, attended East Los Angeles College, Cal-State Los Angeles, the University of Maryland and American University in Washington D.C. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Whittier College and National University.
Due to his contributions to the Eastside, Esteban E. Torres High School -- the first new high school to be built in unincorporated East Los Angeles in over 85 years -- is named in his honor.
GABRIELA AMANDA PÉREZ
Gabriela Amanda Pérez began her work at InnerCity Struggle at the age of 15 – a spunky and energetic young person who loved punk rock and was known as a good friend. As a student at Garfield High School, one of the most overcrowded schools in the country, Gabriela dedicated her high school years and young adult life to the struggle for educational justice. She advocated for more resources in the schools, an end to punitive school policies, the hiring of more counselors and teachers, as well as advocating for higher expectations for all students by leading the campaign to ensure college access.
In 2004, while still a student at Garfield High School, she led the fight to win a new high school in East Los Angeles, the first in over 85 years. Even though she knew that she would not directly benefit from the new school, since it would open after she graduated, she felt passionately about providing the future generations of youth in East Los Angeles with better opportunities to graduate high school and attend a four-year university. She collected petition signatures in support of the new school and spoke in front of the school board demanding that the Eastside be made a priority. She inspired fellow students and community residents to become involved in marches and rallies in favor of the new school. Through her leadership and perseverance – Esteban E. Torres High School opened in 2010 – a symbol of hope and opportunity for the Eastside.
After graduating from high school in 2005, Gabriela went on to undergraduate studies at Long Beach State University. In 2007, Gabriela returned to InnerCity Struggle as part of the staff team. She was an amazing organizer who activated youth, built a base, and inspired a new generation of students from the Eastside. Gabriela passed away suddenly on July 27, 2011 and is remembered as an amazing youth leader that left a long-lasting imprint on her community.
LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMEMBER, DISTRICT 1
EUNISSES HERNANDEZ ESTEBAN E. TORRES AWARD
Eunisses Hernandez is a community organizer, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, and a lifelong District 1 resident. She has led major policy wins, such as Measure J and Care First, Jails Last, which have begun to drive hundreds of millions of dollars into expanding and creating access to community based services, housing, and support for young people in LA County.
Eunisses witnessed firsthand the suffering wrought by decades of bad policy and negligent leadership in her own neighborhood and across Los Angeles—decision-making that resulted in an unprecedented housing crisis, the nation’s largest jail population, and severely underfunded social services.
Since taking office in December 2022, Councilmember Hernandez has prioritized a Care First agenda that focuses on investing in community care, workforce development, social services, and harm-reduction programs that help make our neighborhoods safer and healthier places for all Angelenos. She has built up a team dedicated to bringing neighborhood services back to District 1 and meeting local residents and businesses where they are at with resources, education, supportive services, and more.
She is the Chair of the Neighborhoods & Community Enrichment Committee, Vice Chair of the Government Operations Committee, and serves on the Civil Rights, Equity, Aging and Disability, Energy & Environment, and Transportation Committees.
Councilmember Hernandez lives in Highland Park with her family and dogs.
KALLI ARTE
BOYLE HEIGHTS FAMILY
ARTISTS COLLECTIVE
RUBEN SALAZAR AWARD
Kalli Arte is a family artists collective based in Boyle Heights. Kalli Arte was started by two self-taught artists: Adriana Carranza, Alfonso Aceves and their four children. Kalli Arte is dedicated to speaking directly to their community and beyond through printmaking, gallery exhibitions, art installations, community workshops and marketplaces. All artwork created is originally designed and made by them.
In 2024, Kalli Arte collective created a powerful mural at Roosevelt High School and part of the modernization project ICS youth and parent leaders organized for. The mural focuses on the future of Roosevelt students through their embracement of each other’s identities. Over the past year, Kalli Arte has served as InnerCity Struggle’s first artist in residence. We are honored to have them share their artistic talents, visions, and skills to support youth and parents leaders in connecting with and expressing their narratives and building their power through culturally relevant mediums.
UNITED STUDENTS LEADERS HONORING YOUTH LEADERS PAST
AND
PRESENT GABRIELA AMANDA PÉREZ AWARD
In 1999, a group of Roosevelt high school students came together, with their organizers, to fight against the criminalization of youth. In the spirit of the 1968 Eastside student organizing, the group later expanded to other high schools including Garfield, Wilson, Lincoln, Esteban Torres, and Mendez. United Students leaders are trained by InnerCity Struggle to become expert community organizers through education, community building, and participation in direct action campaigns. United Students work together to make a positive change in their schools and community and develop and lead campaigns around issues that matter most to them. United Students has been at the forefront of all of InnerCity Stuggle’s campaigns including organizing against the school-to-prison pipeline, demanding more schools and education equity and most recently, advocating for tenant protections. Tonight we honor all United Students, past and present!
HOUSING JUSTICE
2024 VICTORIES FOR
Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Approves Tenant Right to Counsel
InnerCity Struggle with Keep LA Housed Coalition and in partnership with the Right to Counsel coalition, supported the passage of the Right to Counsel Ordinance for unincorporated areas of LA County. This victory ensures more tenants stay housed by free legal representation to lowincome renters who are facing eviction.
Los Angeles City Council Strengthen Protections for Tenants
InnerCity Struggle with Keep LA Housed Coalition, secured stronger tenant anti-harassment protections for Angelenos. This victory provides tenants with compensatory compensation if harassed by their landlord.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Engaged 18,000 Eastside Voters
InnerCity Struggle spoke to more than 18,000 voters to provide education and get their support for our progressive agenda.
2024 California Non-Profit of the Year
In recognition of the organization’s efforts in education equity, youth development and housing justice, InnerCity Struggle is named Assembly District 54’s Non Profit of the Year in Sacramento.
YOUTH JUSTICE
Permanently Banned Pepper Spray in LAUSD
InnerCity Struggle with the Police Free Schools coalition wins the complete ban of pepper spray use against LAUSD students.
California bans willful defiance suspensions across California for Minor Misbehavior
As part of Brother, Sons, Selves (BSS), and in collaboration with the statewide Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC), ICS successfully secured the passage of SB274. This bill bans willful defiance suspensions across California, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the LAUSD School Climate Bill of Rights.
EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE
Securing $700 Million for LA’s Highest Need Schools
As a key partner in the Equity Alliance, InnerCity Struggle leaders successfully secured $700 million to be invested into the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI) for the 2024-25 LAUSD school year.
FOR THE EASTSIDE
10th Anniversary of Student Equity Needs Index (SENI)
Developed in response to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in California, the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI) is an equity-based funding index that uses academic and community-based indicators to rank schools from highest to lowest according to student need. The SENI was formed in 2014 by the Equity Alliance for LA’s Kids which is made up of Catalyst California, Community Coalition, InnerCity Struggle, and Partnership for Los Angeles School.
On SENI’s 10th anniversary, the Equity Alliance urged LAUSD to prioritize long-term funding for the highest-need schools and protect 100% of carryover funds to address existing achievement gaps stemming from systemic injustices in LA’s schooling system.
Education Equity Champion Award
As part of the Equity Alliance for LA’s Kids, ICS received the Education Equity Champion Award presented by EdTrust-West during the 2024 Education Equity Forum. The award recognizes individuals and organizations committed to fostering inclusive, high quality education for Black and Brown, high-need and multilingual students.
GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP
Educated 14,400 Eastside Residents on Their Tenant Rights
InnerCity Struggle’s Eastside LEADS Outreach and Education team connected with 14,480 tenants through texting and phone banking to inform residents about their tenant rights.
100% Graduation Rate & College Enrollment
All of the 20 senior leaders enrolled in InnerCity Struggle’s Academic Services program graduated high school. 100% are attending higher education institutions.
360 Eastside Youth and Young Adults Educated & Trained
360 Eastside students were educated and trained about housing justice, educational and youth justice, and civic engagement.
150 Eastside Parent Leaders Trained
150 parent leaders were trained to organize in their communities for housing justice, educational justice, and civic engagement.
1994
InnerCity Struggle Founded
Mothers and youth in Boyle Heights come together to combat the rising gang violence and lack of opportunities for young people through “Mujeres Unidas” and “Peace Club” at Roosevelt High.
Silent March of Shoes
ICS held “Silent March Shoes” to honor lives gun violence by writing names on hundreds as they marched in silence.
1998
New Schools Campaign
LAUSD approves construction of two new schools, an elementary School and an school after youth leaders, their peers, and community demand that the school district alleviate overcrowding at Garfield High.
2004
2004
ICS Launches Familias Unidas
Component
ICS establishes a parent organizing arm, inspired by youth organizing for a new high school.
A-G Life Prep For All Campaign
ICS together with Communities Educational Equity win the “A-G Policy mandating college-prep for all LAUSD students as a high graduation requirement.
Shoes March of lives lost to writing their of shoes silence.
new high adult and their district 2000
ICS Launches United Students
Students at Roosevelt and Garfield High Schools unite to organize against the rising criminalization of youth.
Campaign Communities for Life Prep”
courses
school
Tardy Room CampaignRoosevelt & Garfield High Schools
High School Students organize to end punitive discipline policies and win the implementation of a proactive approach to tardiness and discipline.
LAUSD Board Resolution in Support of Undocumented Students
LAUSD votes to declare schools safe zones from immigration enforcement in response to the anti-immigrant legislation HR-4437.
ICS Launches Civic Engagement Component
ICS begins to organize voters and community members to build a progressive voting block in the Eastside.
Esteban E. Torres High School Opens
William R. Anton School Opens
Anton Elementary City Terrace, named Latino Superintendent and a product
The first new high school in East L.A. opens and effectively eliminates the track system and alleviates overcrowding over 80 years after the construction of Garfield High.
Quality Education and Investment Act (QEIA)
ICS wins an equity commitment from the LAUSD Board to allocate $200 million for Eastside schools from QEIA funds to hire counselors, reduce class sizes, and improve school facilities
Anton Elementary Opens Elementary School opens in named after the first Superintendent of LAUSD product of Eastside schools.
Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School Opens
The first new high school is built in Boyle Heights after more than 80 years, alleviating the overcrowding at Roosevelt High School as a result of winning the New Schools Campaign.
Breakfast
in the Classroom Parent Leaders of Familias Unidas
LAUSD to pass a policy that ensures students receive a daily school breakfast at the start of their day.
TIMELINE CONT’D
2012
2015
Equity in A-G Campaign
Hilda L. Solis Learning Academy and Eastside Learning Center Opens
This large site acquired to house the new Eastside Learning Center for adults also allowed for the construction of a Small High School to further alleviate overcrowding.
Wellness Centers Now Campaign
ICS organized a district wide resolution with an investment of $50 million to build Wellness Centers throughout the district.
The policy invested $31 million in academic support for college-prep completion over two years.
ICS launches Housing Justice Strategy
ICS launches Eastside LEADS, a coalition of key organizations in the Eastside to respond to various development projects and rental market increases.
Equity is Justice ICS secures Justice” resolution, state funds Formula (LCFF)
California Voters Pass Proposition 30Temporary Taxes To Fund Education
The ballot measure increases income taxes on wealthy individuals to restore $6 billion to the Education Budget in California.
Justice Campaign
School Climate Bill of Rights Campaign Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition wins the School Climate Bill of Rights, banning willful defiance suspension in LAUSD and supporting intervention and prevention programs such as restorative justice.
2014 2013
secures the historic LAUSD “Equity is resolution, allocating millions of funds from the Local Control Funding (LCFF) to the highest-need schools.
Reaffirming Safe Zones Resolution
LAUSD reaffirms that all schools as safe zones plus resource centers for students and families threatened by immigration enforcement.
TIMELINE CONT’D
Wellness Center at Mendez High Campaign
ICS secured a $7.4 million commitment to build a Wellness Center at Mendez High, giving vision to a 5,000 square foot facility providing free or low-cost healthcare services to the community.
Permanent Rent Stabilization Ordinance for Unincorporated L.A. County
The ordinance pushed by ICS and partners protects over 400,000 residents from evictions without “just cause” and over 43,000 residents from rent increases that exceed 8% in Unincorporated LA County.
ICS opens Youth and Community Center Headquarters
After 25 years of serving the community, ICS acquired the land to build a modern Youth and Community Center to house various organizing programs.
ICS Launches Generations for Justice
Young adult Eastside residents come together to address systemic issues by organizing city and county wide campaigns.
Roosevelt High School Modernization Campaign
ICS secures an investment of over $180 million for the Roosevelt High Modernization Plan, integrating a 5,000 square foot Wellness Center to provide all members of the community with healthcare services.
Equity Is Justice 2.0 Campaign LAUSD adopts the “Equity is Justice 2.0” resolution, a commitment to strengthen the definition of “high” and “highest” need schools.
L.A. County Temporary Rent Freeze
ICS and allies secure a permanent rent stabilization ordinance from L.A. County –the largest set of permanent rent protections for residents in the history of Unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Eviction Moratorium and Rent Freeze freeze is enacted in the county to financial hardships exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Landlords are prohibited from evicting tenants for nonpayment in the city of Angeles and county.
TIMELINE CONT’D
Defund The Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) Campaign
ICS with the Police-Free LAUSD Coalition wins $25 million in funding when 35% of the School Police budget is diverted to support the educational success of Black students in LAUSD.
2020
Relocation Assistance for Economic Displacement Ordinance
Alongside the Keep L.A. Housed Coalition, ICS wins major tenant protections, advancing the community-developed “Tenant Bill of Rights” and passing of the Relocation Assistance for Economic Displacement Ordinance.
2023
Governor Newsom signs SB274
Youth leaders advocate to pass SB274, writing into law the state-wide banning of willful defiance suspensions in California, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the School Climate Bill of Rights. 2024
CSU CSU to reasoning requirementsaccess
United to House L.A. Approved by L.A. voters, dollar homes in L.A. in housing and homelessness
L.A. County Right to Counsel
Low-income renters
L.A. County who now entitled to
CSU Access for All Campaign
CSU Board of Trustees rejects a proposal add a fourth year of quantitative reasoning to its admission eligibility requirements- protecting equitable access to CSU campuses.
Student
2021
Equity Needs Index (SENI)
LAUSD commits $700 million in equitable funding to support the district’s highestneed schools using SENI.
Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP)
Police-Free LAUSD Coalition commits LAUSD to create a comprehensive plan for supporting the academic and social-emotional needs of Black students, including culturally responsive curriculum and increased staffing.
L.A. (ULA) Ballot Measure voters, ULA taxes multimillionin order to fund affordable homelessness prevention.
2022
Eliminate Use of Pepper Spray in LAUSD ICS and coalition partners win the complete banning of pepper spray use against LAUSD students.
Supervisors pass Tenant Counsel
renters in Unincorporated who are facing eviction are to free legal representation.
SONIA GUIÑANSACA
EMCEE Sonia Guiñansaca is an international award winning queer migrant indigenous Kichwa-Kañari poet, cultural organizer and social justice activist. Sonia has over 17 years of movement and cultural organizing experience that began when they were among the first waves of young people to publicly come out as undocumented. They emerged as a national leader in the migrant artistic and political communities where they coordinated and participated in groundbreaking civil disobedience actions and built some of the largest undocumented organizations in the US. Sonia has worked for over a decade in both policy and cultural efforts building equitable infrastructures for migrant artists. They have performed in Ecuador, Colombia, U.K and across the United States. Guiñansaca consults for national social justice organizations, cultural institutions, and foundations on artists convening, cultural activations, and civic engagement. Clients include: Fwd.us, National Employment Law Project, Latina Institute, Your Neighborhood Museum, InnerCity Struggle, and The Rasmuson Foundation.
Sonia self-published their debut mini chapbook Nostalgia and Borders in 2016. In November 2023 they partnered with Severo Editorial to publish Nostalgia Y Fronteras, Sonia’s poetry collection translated in Spanish & Kichwa. Sonia is represented by Johanna Castillo at Writers House Agency, and is also working on their first memoir, and recently co-edited the highly anticipated anthology “SomeWhere We Are Human” (HarperCollins June 2022).
In April 2022 Guiñansaca launched House of Alegría, a multi-fold creative project supporting emerging undocumented Queer/Trans/Non-binary artists. Guiñansaca is releasing their second chapbook #PapiFemme soon. @thesonisg
ERNESTO ROCHA ARTIST
INNERCITY STRUGGLE’S
30TH ANNIVERSARY ART EXHIBIT
Ernesto Rocha is an organizer, storyteller, transformational coach, TEDx Speaker, and advocate for social, racial, and economic justice. Ernesto’s twelve years of organizing experience include working and advocating for immigrant rights and low-wage workers in various industries, including nursing homes and port trucking.
An avid storyteller, Ernesto co-created Cocoon Storytelling, a bi-monthly, live storytelling platform designed for people of color to share their lived experiences with their communities as a way to heal, transform, and liberate themselves from their current conditions.
Most recently he delivered his first TEDx Talk at CSULB entitled, I AM NOT My Status: Perspectives of an Undocumented Immigrant. In it, he explores the theme of identity formation and the process of personal liberation through storytelling. He graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a Bachelors in Political Science and Chicana/o Studies.
@Undocubae
QUETZAL FLORES ARTIST
SON FOR INNERCITY STRUGGLE’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
Quetzal Flores is a Chican@ musician, producer and cultural strategist/ organizer raised in East Los Angeles. He is the founder and musical director of the Grammy Award winning Chican@ band, Quetzal. From the experiences generated through his family, mentors and the Chican@ arts & cultural community he has participated in multiple moments of radical transformation. Currently, Quetzal is the co-founder and Director of Membership and Wellness for the Community Power Collective(CPC), overseeing internal and external facing cultural processes to build power with low-income tenants and workers through transformative, cross-sectoral organizing.
MARGARITA GONZALEZ ARTIST
Margarita González was born in Puebla, Mexico. She is the Cultural Power Organizer at Community Power Collective. As a co-founder for the first community land trust in Boyle Heights and East LA, Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre, she documented the importance of women of color to participate in creating alternatives to the capitalist values in order to remain in our community with dignity and preserve our culture. Most recently, she has worked as a community documentarian for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Sounds of Boyle Heights program collecting stories from traditional practitioners and culture bearers in Boyle Heights. Margarita is a proud mother of four children and two grandchildren.
SUBSUELO ENTERTAINMENT
Subsuelo is a global bass crew from Los Angeles that brings together DJs, dancers, visual artists and live instrumentation for a unique blend of cumbia, salsa, hip-hop, house, reggaeton, and tropical funk. Cutting across genres and generations, criss-crossing borders and BPMs, Subsuelo has performed at Coachella, Red Bull Music Academy, Boiler Room, Museum of Modern Art (NYC), Joshua Tree Music Festival, LAMC, Northern Nights, Lightning In a Bottle and more.
@subsuelo
2NDWND
AUNTIE M
BEU KITCHEN
CHICAS ON THE ROCKS DJ
CHURROS WAY
The long-term care providers of SEIU Local 2015 are thrilled to congratulate Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, Kalli Arte Collective, and United Students Youth Leaders.
We stand with you to celebrate 30 years of InnerCity Struggle’s powerful movement building.
We’re honored to join you in our fight for dignity for all!
SEIU Local 2015 is the largest union in California, representing more than 470,000 long-term care workers (home care, skilled nursing facility, and assisted living center workers) throughout the state. Its members are as diverse as the state’s population, but united in their commitment to caring for California's most vulnerable: seniors and those with disabilities.
NOV 15
REGISTER NOW
East Los A eles Co ege
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754
The annual 501(c)onference, a staple of the Center for Nonprofit Management, has been reimagined as the Social Impact Sector Summit to reflect our vibrant and multifaceted field, driven by care, inclusivity, and justice.
Join us for this transformative event as we gather thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers across the nonprofit sector. This year’s theme, “Time to Thrive: Nurturing Growth in Nonprofit Innovation”, underscores the urgency and opportunity for our sector to thrive by advancing innovation, fostering growth, and embracing a strong workforce.
Together, we will explore new horizons and pave the way for a future where nonprofits survive and thrive.
"We
mural by Paul Botello
Congratulates INNERCITY STRUGGLE & THE
ADELANTE HONOREES
o n t h e i r y e a r s o f m o v e m e n t
b u i l d i n g i n t h e E a s t s i d e . b u e
United Way of Greater Los Angeles congratulates InnerCity Struggle on 30 incredible years of community organizing and impact. We join ICS in honoring Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and Kalli Arte Collective for their invaluable contributions at the 2024 Adelante Awards.
We’re proud to partner in ICS’s mission to drive systemic change and close the racial wealth gap in Los Angeles’ Eastside community. ¡Adelante!
Happy 30th Anniversary!
We’re all made for more. More possibility. More transformation. More healthy families and futures. Adventist Health White Memorial is proud to celebrate InnerCity Struggle’s 30th anniversary and their mission to create a thriving Eastside for all. Because when our community flourishes, we can all experience more.
Advancing Equity and Justice
on this year’s Adelante Awards as you celebrate three decades of promoting equity and justice. A shared vision for building brighter futures for every child in Los Angeles.
The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles is proud to support our friends and partners at InnerCity Struggle in the movement for racial justice and equity. Congratulations to tonight’s honorees! We are grateful for your leadership and service.
OUR TEAM
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Henry Manuel Pérez, Executive Director
Daniela Hernandez, Senior Director of Campaign Development
Ruby Rivera, Senior Director of Community Organizing
Esthefanie Solano, Senior Campaign Strategist
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Brigette Plascencia, Director of Administration
Karrie Harris-Dawson, Director of Finance
Michelle Benavides, Director of Civic Engagement
Daniel Jimenez, Director of Community Organizing
Steven Ortega, Director of Youth Organizing
Diane Orozco, Director of Development
Alejandro Juarez
Ugalde
Alejandro Banuelos
Alexandra Mencias
Angelo Antonio
Ansel Rodriguez
Ariana Rios
Brenda Ortega
Carla Martinez
Carla Torres Montero
Chelsea Rosales
Chloe Garcia
Cinthia Gonzalez
David Gutierrez
STAFF
Emmanuel Matamoros
Erika Jimenez
Eve Sanchez
Gabrielle Garcia
Heidi Gonzalez
Isabel Gonzalez
Jane Rodriguez
Jasmine Perez
Jedi Jimenez
Jennifer Soto
Jessica Castillo
Joaquin Granger
Jonathan Perez
Kristian Cardenas
Lequan Mohammed
Megan Razo
Michelle Aranda-Coss
Mirca Garcia
Pamela Agustin
Paola Estrada
Priscilla Castaneda
Stephanie Cierra-Rodas
Tania Ramon
Usiel Angeles
Wendy Silva
MISSION
ICS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL AND INTERGENERATIONAL MOVEMENT THAT BUILDS COMMUNITY POWER TO ADVANCE JUSTICE, LIFE OPPORTUNITIES AND DIGNITY IN THE EASTSIDE OF LA.
