The kNOw Youth Media: Sisterhood Rising (2015)

Nate Ferry

Claudia Gonzalez

Karina Guzman

Jessica Johnson

Elsa Mejia

Kyle Moua

Kody Stoebig

Marissa Vang

Table of Contents

Sandy Close

Financial Officer Maria Alvarez

Cover Illustration by Jarrett M. Ramones

FEEDBACK AND INQUIRES: Phone: 415-503-4170 ext. 129

Email: pschurmann@newamericamedia.org

NAM EDITORIAL & AMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS

209 Ninth Street, 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94103

The Remarkable Lives of the Women Around Me

As a father, a brother, an uncle and a son, my life has been one long, adventurous movie filled with heroines with superpowers performing amazing feats.

My first memory of such a heroine is of my babysitter. Poverty and war forced us to eat every last grain of rice, even the hard crust left in the pot at the end of the day. My babysitter, an eight-year-old girl, had the ingenuity to coax bratty twoyear-old me into eating and even looking forward to these “rice cakes.” She grew up to own one of the most successful Asian grocery stores in all of Wisconsin. Her name is Song Yang.

When my 12-year-old eyes widened upon seeing the name-brand shirt all the other kids were wearing, this next amazing woman paid for it without hesitation. I told her not to because I knew it would

Sisterhood

probably take her 10 hours of scrubbing floors to pay for, but she bought it anyway. Even though I accepted her gift with much guilt I also knew this was her way of showing her deep and unending love for her nephew that she treated like a son. Her name is Pang Yang.

When my one-year-old baby girl surprised me with her first word, I nearly wept. “Daddy,” she murmured in her high-pitched infant voice, gazing at me while her hands followed the contours of my cheeks—a born communicator and nurturer — and audacious to this day. Her name is Audrey Thao.

I have been blessed with an abundance of wonderful women in my life to guide me, nurture me and give my life meaning. I am still in awe as I continue to learn from all the wonderful women around me.

This issue of The kNOw comprises an amazing collection of stories about empowered and enlightened women in and around Fresno who have been leaders, who are leaders today and who will one day become leaders.

From The

I only discovered this leader’s story recently. She is believed to be the first Hmong girl to attend school in Laos and learn English and French. As a teenager, she helped to inspire and embolden an entire generation of Hmong women to get an education and be a part of the war effort against communist forces in Laos. Her name is Choua Thao.

Fresno’s only female city council member brings genuine passion and life experience to her work, which will help support people in poverty and immigrants trying to find a better life for their families. The problems of Fresno are not just concepts to her – she has lived them, challenged them personally and overcome them. Her name is Esmeralda Soria.

I met the mother of one of our youth reporters for the first time recently, and hearing her story explained a lot about that young man’s achievements. Her resilience in providing for her family and her gritty determination to make sure her children succeed have moved me to believe that she can make anything happen through sheer will alone. Her

We came from the hood and we are now sisters, we created sisterhood Our voices are louder and more beautiful than Carrie Underwood 5 days? Make it longer if you could. We are not someone's tool, we are one. Thank you to the shakers and the organizers, Thank yourselves because we are now sisters

Let your voice roar, be heard, make noise & take the power to move like a twister We rose

From our head to our toes

We let that negative energy decompose

Don't judge us by our clothes

You don't know the power we bestow

We don't need "Caballeros", we need us. We rise as one We are sisters, from the planet to the sun

We shine bright

And this here tonight is the last of us being together And let me be the first to say it was my pleasure. I made sisters, not just for the past 5 days but forever Aside from our amazing bonds like Oakchella We did learn each others struggles at home

We are one because we share so many problems

WE ARE NOT ALONE

These problems are known

And this here space is our zone

This sisterhood will make people mind-blown Congrats sisterhood Rising 2014

We're the first and not the last Now let's make next year another blast. Love Yall!

name is Enedina Bibanco.

Another member of The kNOw team is always striving to better herself and the community. Hoping to help offset the cost of a prestigious summer program for emerging young leaders she has spent the past several months getting up at 5 am to cook egg rolls to sell later in the day, all the while staying on top of schoolwork and photography for The kNOw. She recently reached her goal of $3,000 through gritty determination, hard work and a lot of egg rolls. Her name is Marissa Vang.

My life encounters with these amazing women are not unique. Look around and you’ll find superheroines all around, young and old. While their achievements haven’t always made the front pages of your daily newspaper, their impact on our lives and on this city are profound.

-Steve Thao

Written By Diana Castellanos (age 19, Coachella)

Mentorship Program Launched For Fresno Young Women

Kody Stoebig Contributor

FRESNO-- Unique Loftis, 16, is an optimistic student at Sunnyside High School. Like most teens her age, she has plans for her future. But she also realizes that there are obstacles to her goals. Loftis joined the new Fresno Young Women’s Mentorship Program because she knows having a mentor will help her achieve her goals.

“I hope to gain a closer relationship with someone I can look up to, a role model,” Loftis explained.

According to a report done by The Nation’s Report Card and the U.S. Department of Education, black and Latina girls rank near the bottom in both reading and math scores and young black women are suspended at higher rates than their peers. For too long, the young women of Fresno have been left without a local support system. Until now.

advocating for the Hmong community and working with young women through the mentorship program.

She was personally drawn to this program, she said, because “young women face different issues; perhaps related more closely to bodily issues, health issues, and sexuality, because a lot of time young women misunderstand that. They think that seeking love is a form of being accepted.”

The program’s goal, Celdon-Castro said, is to provide a safe place for Fresno’s young women and provide strong mentors and role models to guide them.

“It was a conscious choice for us to really find diverse mentors,” said Vang.

According to Vang, the organizers have been successful in recruiting mentors ranging from faith-based leaders to community benefit organizers to legal experts. Among the many mentors, they have Socorro Santillian, the Executive Director of Fresno Barrios Unidos, Gillian Sonnad, Supervising Attorney for Central California Legal Services, Laneesha Senegal from Helping Others Pursue Excellence (HOPE), and Ashley Werner from Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.

“There may be youth programs that are focused on youth development already for the young women, but I don’t think that there has really been an effort to help them become leaders in terms of championing issues and advocating,” Vang said.

Vang stressed that the entire program is a collaborative effort where organizers have been working closely with the mentors and other organizations to build the best program possible. They are also open to input from the youth mentees. For instance, the young women in the program may vote to change the name of the program.

“We really want to be conscious of the young people,” Vang explained. “Our priority is for them to develop into healthy and strong women.”

Marissa Vang, 15, said she hopes the meetings will teach her “how to be a better daughter, student, leader, and sister.”

Encouraged by last summer’s Sisterhood Rising Leadership Retreat, The California Endowment (TCE) paired with Fresno-Building Healthy Communities (BHC) to create their own women’s program that focuses on mentorship and the specific challenges young women face.

With the support and guidance of TCE’s Sarah Reyes and BHC’s Sabina Gonzalez-Erana, Sandra Celdon-Castro and Seng Vang have worked to build this program from the ground up.

Vang grew up in Fresno and returned after graduating from University of California, Berkeley. She currently works as a BHC advocacy specialist, where she focuses on

Reyes and Celdon-Castro who are volunteering as mentors as well.

Vang recognizes that the mentors “come with lots and lots of knowledge in terms of youth development that are really useful and, at the same time, necessary to shape this program.”

The program leads mentors and mentees through a yearlong curriculum meant to facilitate personal growth, with the goal of participants taking a more active role in their communities. Each month there will be a different theme, such as cultural awareness, financial literacy, and selfidentity.

The program leads mentors and mentees through a year-long curriculum meant to facilitate personal growth, with the goal of participants taking a more active role in their communities.

Photo by Victor Aparicio

Other local and national programs focus on young men of color, from President Obama’s program, My Brother’s Keeper, to Fresno’s local Boys and Men of Color (BMOC) initiative. Young women often attend BMOC meetings as allies, but expressed the need for their own group.

Karisma Senegal, 15, echoed this, saying, “I think this program is important because young women of Fresno, they need help… I feel like everybody needs their own help and that’s what I really want.”

While the Young Women’s Mentorship Program is starting small, with around a dozen youth members, Vang hopes that after this trial year it will be able to grow to support more young women.

The hope is that these separate meetings will allow for the young women to meet other peers and mentors and to make connections that will help them grow personally and also as civic leaders. That’s what Loftis is hoping for.

“I feel like it’s very beneficial for, not only the [young] person, but for our community,” she said.

For more information and to get involved, please contact Seng Vang at svang@fresnobhc.org.

“We really want to be conscious of the young people,” Vang explained. “Our priority is for them to develop into healthy and strong women.”

Photo by Victor Aparicio

Esmerelda Soria:

Bringing Diversity and A Unique Perspective to Fresno City Council

Elsa Mejía Contributor

She’s the only woman in a 7-member council which represents half a million people in Fresno. Born 60 miles south, in Lindsay, Calif., Esmeralda Soria spent most of her childhood there when she wasn’t following the crops with her family throughout the state.

Soria was raised by immigrant farmworkers who were drawn to the Central Valley in the 1970s from Michoacán, México in hopes of a better future.

Though the couple did not earn college degrees, they expected it from their four children.

“They instilled in me not only hard work, but also the importance of getting an education if I didn’t want to end up working the fields like they did,” Esmeralda said. “They motivated us and told us to get our schooling done.”

True to their parents’ hopes, the Soria children earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees, and Esmeralda landed a Gates Millennium Scholarship for her entire undergraduate education.

The petite, black-haired and brown-eyed 33-year-old is the first woman ever to be elected to District One, which encompasses the Tower District and Fresno High as well as neighborhoods near Lions Park and west of State Route 99.

She beat contender Cary Catalano in the general election last November by 534 votes. The District One seat she holds is the first she’s occupied as an elected official, but Soria is no stranger to politics.

“I’ve always known it’s important for me to be civically engaged,” she said. “I was motivated to get involved in the political and policy process through an experience I had in high school. As a sophomore, I spent a week in Sacramento learning about the political process in California and advocacy through the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project.”

One experience shaped her interest in civic engagement early on.

“My grandfather [influenced me],” she said. “In 1992, when there was a presidential election, I remember I was 10 years old and seeing him so excited to have the ability to

vote.”

The Soria family’s struggles became top issues of interest.

“Early on I was very conscious of the disparities and inequities that existed in our communities,” she said. “Not having free summer or spring breaks to go on vacations like my friends did, because I did have to go and work, that was our reality, it made me very passionate. They were not the happiest moments in my childhood, but they were moments who shaped who I am today and I am grateful because they influenced who I am.”

Soria’s career choices show her passion for issues around immigration and education. As an undergraduate, she had an internship in Washington, D.C. through the National Council of La Raza where she learned immigration advocacy. After she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, Soria did a fellowship with former state Sen. Gil Cedillo, where she worked on legislation which would allow immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. The bill finally came to fruition this January, when the first licenses were issued under Assembly Bill 60.

In Cedillo’s office she also worked on legislation for public safety, women’s health and education for undocumented students.

“I was always an advocate at heart,” she said. “The personal experience I had growing up as a child of farmworkers, and seeing the injustices and inequities that existed, I always said I’m going to be an attorney, to be able to have the tools and skills necessary to continue advocating on behalf of disenfranchised communities.”

She returned to UC Davis to pursue her law degree, as well as work with the Immigration Law Clinic and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation on environmental justice issues. But the state capital kept calling her back.

“After graduating law school I gravitated again back to Sacramento to continue advocating on behalf of the issues that impact underrepresented communities here in the Valley, [including] issues of water quality, [and] environmental justice like air quality that impact many of

Photo by Elsa Mejia

our poorer neighborhoods,” Soria said. Soria later took a job with Assemblymember Henry Perea, where her work centered on water quality, environment, health and veteran’s issues. Soria observed a lack of representative leadership in the Valley, and felt she could change that.

“I do believe that we need better leadership here in Fresno,” she said. “I believe that my experience and background would help me to be a good advocate for our community.”

Soria frequently worked behind the scenes of political campaigns supporting others, such as when she helped her sister get elected to the school board in Lindsay.

“I never thought I would [run for office],” she said. “It was overwhelming being the candidate because now I was on the front end, but I had a lot of support.”

She was motivated to run to bring more female leadership to the Valley.

“I thought [women] also deserve a seat at the table,” she said. “We have the skills and knowledge. I saw the void that exists in our community and the need of leadership, so I said I have the skills and I have the experience. Also, I believe I bring a unique perspective. I’ve known what it is to create state policy.”

Every member on the council supported her opponent, but Soria did not let that intimidate her.

“The day I got elected it was a new day, and I began to build the relationships and finding commonalities with my colleagues, which is necessary to create good policy, because that’s the only way we will get there,” she said.

That new day was Jan. 8, when she was sworn in by her sister, the same person she helped win votes for in their hometown. Their parents watched their daughters take the stage.

“I think that they are very proud,” she said. “They have been my inspiration and the speech that I gave during my swearing in, I gave it in Spanish, because I know it was all because of them, and their hard work, and who they are as individuals. They’re survivors in this country. So they’re

just proud that they’re able to see all their kids do great stuff in the community, because that’s what it’s about in the end, it’s about uplifting others.”

Public safety and infrastructure are currently two of her top concerns. She wants to prioritize areas where the need is greatest, such as Highway City, where she said sidewalks need to be built in the Shaw and Polk areas.

Getting young people engaged in politics is also a focus area.

“I think it is sad to see, statistically, in the last elections, especially with young people, you had a larger likelihood of being incarcerated than the percentage of people that went out to vote,” she said. “Our young people are not engaged, and so for me it’s important.”

Her office has an internship program for college students

and she’s currently working on implementing a 9-month leadership program for high schoolers.

“I think young people need to realize how important their engagement is to making our community a better place,” she said. “They need to not only register, but actually vote. We need to educate ourselves because we can’t just let other people make decisions. We need to take ownership of our power.”

Photo by Steve Thao

My Faith in Fresno

By Jeremy Miller

The kNOw is proud to announce the winner of the 2015 spring essay writing contest, Did You kNOw Fresno is a Great Place to Live. Below, Fresno native Jeremy Miller, 22, writes about where his own faith in Fresno comes from and why he believes the city will become an inspiration for others. Thanks to all those who took part! Visit thekNOw.org to read other contributions.

Some people say Fresno is boring and that you should just pass through it. Rather than investing in the city, they prefer to abandon it to the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that surround our communities.

But I believe that I have a future in Fresno because I see the potential for Fresno to be a great place for people of all ages and all backgrounds. Many before me also saw this potential and devoted their lives to help make this community a better place.

I am inspired by people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who led protests in Fresno over equal housing rights in the 1950’s. I am deeply encouraged by the life of Reverend Chester Riggins, who was a phenomenal leader known for the love he showed his community and for empowering residents to help Fresno become the city it is today. I am also motivated by the late former Fresno City Council member and founder of The California Advocate Newspaper, “Les” Kimber. He was a great leader who stood for racial equality for all races and cultural backgrounds.

It is upon the shoulders of these great leaders that my

faith in this community stands. Many members of the community have also found themselves inspired and have devoted their lives to changing Fresno for the better. I myself have committed to pouring my heart, time, resources and energy into this city and am seeing many others of all ages do the same.

Those efforts are paying off. This year alone Fresno has made great strides that shine a positive light on the direction we as a city will go. Fresno formed its first Fresno Police Youth Council to help bridge the gap between youth, the Fresno Police Department and the community. There is also an effort underway to tackle the issue of blight and ensure that all Fresno families are given the opportunity to live in quality housing. Community organizations are now taking the initiative on ending the literacy gap impacting children in parts of Fresno by making sure they have the same opportunities to quality education as everyone else.

California’s passing of Prop. 47 signals a shift in Fresno and the rest of the state toward the rehabilitation of those caught up in the criminal justice system instead of investing in our prisons. Fresno is now actively finding

ways to help those now in prison or recently released become contributing members of society.

New relationships are being forged between the residents who come together to push for the kinds of change that will restore our community and help build one healthy Fresno.

I recently became involved with the Fresno Police Department’s Youth Council, First 5 Fresno County, Faith in Community, and Boys and Men of Color because I know that we can and will help create a better Fresno. I see my fellow brothers and sisters of all ages, races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds coming together to become part of the history of this city. And I know that because of them Fresno will be a city full of life, opportunity and equality. Just like the many great leaders before them a new generation of leaders are stepping into that role today.

Because of them I have faith that not only will our city reach its full potential but that it will inspire others around us to do the same.

The YouthWire Network is Connecting Youth to Their: Community School Careers Government Future

The YouthWire network uses journalism as a tool to train local youth in civic-engagement and leadership. YouthWire serves to broaden the collective reach of their content — beyond the local — to include a statewide audience of policymakers, advocacy groups, activists, educators and youth.

Learn more about California’s next generation of community leaders at YouthWire.org

“I love being someone who people recognize as a young person who’s making a difference in Fresno. I like being a part of what’s going on.”

Miguel Bibanco’s experience as a youth reporter for The kNOw has built his confidence and leadership skills and given him the opportunity to facilitate discussions and mentor younger reporters.

Choua Thao,

Female Hmong Veteran Reflects on Secret War

Kyle Moua Contributor

Choua Thao wasn’t like other Hmong girls. At the age of six, she believes she was the first Hmong girl in Laos to attend school and learn English.

Her father, a regional chief, had seen other Laotian girls attend school and decided that his five children, too, should become educated. But it was unheard of for a Hmong girl to go to school, rather than learning to cultivate the fields.

Thao, now 72, recalls the disparaging comments she heard among villagers of Ban Phoukabaht, in the Xieng Khouang Province in Laos, where she grew up. Some questioned her father’s decision, calling him a “stupid man,” and saying she would turn out to be lazy. “She will go be a prostitute,” she remembers hearing them say. “The lazy don’t know how to farm.”

Her father’s decision set in motion a series of events that would lead her to become a nurse during the CIA’s Secret War in Laos, and eventually flee to the United States.

Now living in San Jose, Calif., the grandmother and war veteran says it was learning English that offered her an opportunity to escape the fields and farming life traditionally expected of young Hmong women.

For eight years, Thao’s father sent her out of the house every morning at 6:00 am. She would walk for two hours to reach school in time for lessons, and walk two hours home again.

Becoming a nurse when she turned 13, she was recruited by the International Volunteer Service to join a one-year nursing program. After that she went to Thailand to train for two more years at the U.S. Udon Military Hospital. At the age of 16, she was sent to a hospital in Xieng Khouang to “be a good example,” of Western medical practices. Trained in the “American way,” Thao infuriated her colleagues by throwing away needles and syringes after a single use. Although her fellow nurses were older and had more years of experience, Thao was a supervisor and would take on some of the doctor’s responsibilities when he was away.

In 1969, at the age of 22, with three small children, Thao was asked to oversee the busy American Sam Thong Hospital.

Thao says Edgar ‘Pop’ Buell, the American humanitarian aid worker, told her she would be the boss. “I say no… I’m too young,” she recalls. But he insisted, telling her that her language skills set her apart from the older nurses. In the end, Thao found herself working around the clock at the hospital.

Fleeing Laos like many Hmong who assisted the United

Photo Courtesy of the Thao Family

States in the Secret War in Laos, Thao found that her close associations with the U.S. and its allies carried a high price.

The United States was not officially supposed to be in Laos through an international agreement signed in 1962. So the CIA fought communism in Laos through a secret army.

Though other indigenous populations were recruited, much of the army was Hmong. The Hmong army was used to rescue downed American fighters, combat Communist forces in Laos and cause havoc on North Vietnamese forces along the Ho Chi Minh trail.

After the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam and the Lao Communist forces took over the country, the Hmong and other allies of the U.S. were targeted for death.

“It was… the Communist way,” Thao explains. “If you are working for the American, they want to capture you, take you to kill you.”

She recalls her escape from the Laotian Communists, called Pathet Lao, or Lao Nation. “They [were] late by about two hours,” she recalls. “I took off before that.” Journey to the U.S.

Thao, her husband, Nhot Kham Sinwongsa, and their six children arrived in Winpun, Wisc. on April 15, 1976. They were sponsored by a local church, a common support network for the first wave of Hmong refugees.

Thao delayed her arrival by three months, however, because she wanted to train young women at the Napho Refugee Camp in Thailand on proper nursing techniques before she left for America. She and her family stayed at the refugee camp for nine months. Within weeks of arriving in the U.S., Thao and her husband had found jobs. But she was determined to make a new life for her family, and set about getting an American education. “I work during the day, I go to night school for seven years,” she recalls.

With her daughter at her side, she went to the University of Minnesota for two years to get a degree in social work. But she says her children felt neglected, and thought she was being selfish by pursuing her own education. She agreed to stop getting degrees, on the condition that her children all did well in school. ‘[If] you don’t make it, then I‘m gonna [be] very angry,” she told them.

Caring for the community in order to help other women refugees, Thao and several other Hmong women founded

the Women’s Association of Hmong and Laos (WAHL) in St. Paul, Minnesota. Initially, she says, some men in the community feared that their authority would be usurped. But Thao says she simply wanted to empower and educate women, to prepare them for their new lives. Her reputation from the Secret War helped her gain the trust of the older Hmong men, and eventually her work on behalf of both men and women won the community over. In 1985 Thao received an invitation from President Reagan to go to the White House. When questioned on what she wanted for her people, Thao told the president, “I’m here today, in D.C. I want to advocate for the poor in America.” Thao feels very fortunate that her father sent her to school. Her education and work allowed her to come to America in the first wave of war refugees. She in turn advocated for young Hmong women to get educated in Laos. She always pushed young people to have a dream and fight for it.

Her dream as a young girl was watching large powerful helicopters and hoped one day to be in one. As a hospital administrator during the war, she would fly to all parts of Laos to recruit young women to be nurses in the American helicopters. As she reached her dream of flying in a helicopter she helped lead the way for Hmong women in Laos and for immigrants in America years later.

Photo Courtesy of the Thao Family

Photo Courtesy of the Thao Family

Q&A: For Fresno Farmworkers, No Water Means No Jobs

Miguel Bibanco Contributor

Ed. Note: California is now in the fourth year of a record-breaking drought. For the thousands of farmworkers in the state the continued dry conditions mean shrinking harvests and fewer jobs. The kNOw youth reporter Miguel Bibanco’s mother, Enedina Bibanco, has worked in the fields since first coming to Fresno from Tijuana, Mexico nearly 16 years ago. She says the drought is a “big concern” for her and other farm workers in the area.

What first brought you to Fresno?

I came from Tijuana because I heard from my friends and family that there were more opportunities here. I first settled in Mendota but later moved to Fresno because there were more jobs here. When I arrived, there were very good jobs … there were more chances to find work in the fields.

Has the drought made it harder to find work?

Yes. I have a lot of friends who are not working now. The jobs are disappearing. Because of the drought, I have to go further to find work. Around here there is less work available. I have to go up to Reedley, Selma, Orange Cove, Visalia — that’s how far I have to go to find a job.

Are you always certain there will be work wherever you go?

Most of the time I go that far because people say [farms there] are taking workers. [But] sometimes when I go they are actually not taking workers.

What are some other signs of the drought you are seeing?

When I worked in the cherry fields there was less fruit [than previous years] … the fruit harvest in general is very low this season.

What is you biggest concern with the drought?

As a mother I’m worried that I won’t have a job, and that I wont be able to help my family. If there is no water, there are no jobs … the drought is taking everything

How does that affect you?

Before we worked by contract. When you work under contract you have to finish a pallet [and] you earn about $90. You can finish about midday. These days we are mostly paid by the hour … $9 per hour. Working by the hour is more tiring and because there is less fruit we end up working shorter hours, which means there is usually less money by the end of the month. That affects my ability to pay for things like rent and groceries. But you have to move forward as they say.

Photo by Steve Thao

#OneHealthyFresno Campaign Shines Light on Blight

Colby Tibbet Contributor

FRESNO-- Over six months into Faith in Community’s (FIC) #OneHealthyFresno campaign, the City of Fresno took action against the urban blight that plagues neighborhoods across the city, and especially in southeast and southwest neighborhoods.

On May 14, the Fresno City Council decided to change city ordinances to mandate a $250/day fine for blighted homes, create a registry of vacant homes, require landlords to keep the exterior of homes in good repair, which means that Fresnans that live in blighted areas should be seeing less plywood on doors and windows of vacant buildings. Additionally, the council created a 5-person blight team aimed at assessing the problem and assigning fees.

For, FIC, this is the result of a long campaign to improve parts of the city that suffer from blight. "[The campaign is] part of this broader emphasis that South Fresno neighborhoods [have] been left behind and neglected for decades and aren’t really prioritized by the city," said Andy Levine, Executive Director of Faith in Community.

Blighted homes are often vacant, with desolate lawns, stained driveways, and makeshift plywood on the windows. They are not only an eyesore, but also bring down the market-value of neighboring houses. Additionally, vacant lots and blighted lots often attract crime, drugs, gang activity, and a lower standard of living for residents. Some of these vacant homes, Levine says, have been empty and ignored for upwards of 8 years.

Levine told the story of an eight year-old girl who he met during one of FIC’s “night-walk” events, where the organization brings out community members to walk in neighborhoods with high rates of violence. Levine asked her what she would change in her neighborhood, and she immediately pointed to one of the handful of boarded-up homes on her block.

“She didn't need to know the policies or the background of what the business model is to know that this is not right and it’s not normal, and the city could be doing something about it,” said Levine.

The recently-approved 2035 Fresno General Plan includes finding solutions to the problem of blight. One proposal is to replace the plywood on boarded-up homes with durable plexiglass, which improves the appearance of the home and also aims to keep out would-be transient occupants.

In January, Mayor Ashley Swearengin and city officials held a media event to show off how indestructible the plexiglass is by inviting a former professional baseball player Terance Frazier to use a bat to try to break the plexiglass. In a surprise twist the plexiglass broke.

Levine believes local policy makers do understand the need to for strategies to address blighted homes. The change to two city ordinances is only a start, though.

"We are hearing that there is a shared concern that this is a real problem,” he said. “I’m just not sure what that means in actual policy change.”

Last October Mayor Swearengin designated a code enforcement task force, which includes City Council members Oliver Baines, Paul Caprioglio, and Clint Olivier plus other officials and community leaders. During a meeting in April, the task force drafted a final ordinance for Phase 1 of their project, which includes abandoned homes and urban blight.

FIC had four recommendations for the ordinance: a fee for property owners who have homes vacant for more than 60 days; an inspection on vacant properties before tenants move back in; transparency in code development that includes a periodic report from the city attorney on properties that are improved; and an inclusion of a private attorney clause which would allow outside legal action if the city fails to uphold their codes.

Levine is pleased with the direction the city is moving in, but said that the other recommendations are common in cities across the state, but that Fresno only partially approved of them. Critically, they left out the mandatory inspection on homes that have previously been vacant before new tenants move in and they refused to include a private attorney clause to protect tenants.

“We have significant concerns about the ordinance...that it isn’t going nearly far enough,” said Levine. “We believe this is a chance to address this problem and we believe the mayor and others want to get this done, but there is a genuine concern of commitment to this.”

Whitney Aguilar and her husband rent a home in the Lowell District, which borders downtown. An abandoned property sits directly across the street and has been unoccupied for a year and a half. Aguilar noted that her landlord wants to purchase it, but has been hitting roadblocks as the city now owns the property.

“It upsets me that the city won’t do more to try and sell it to someone who helps our neighborhood a ton,” said Aguilar.

Around the corner from Aguilar’s home there are signs of revitalization, such as the Granville Urban loft apartments which have been filling up as soon as they are built, plus new restaurants and local businesses which have been sprouting up on the Fulton Mall. But Aguilar says even one abandoned property affects the entire area.

“My neighborhood has gotten a lot better in the last 3 years and that house is dragging the street down,” she said.

FIC to conduct research on the public perception of urban blight. Sociology major Clayton Whited has been involved with the project, where he has been working with opensource technology to track and observe urban blight over time within Fresno. The aim is to understand what causes concentrated areas of blight in certain parts of town.

“The goal is to bring attention to [blight], and then find a way to have community partners, the people who live in the neighborhood, and city officials and the property owners to come together and find a common ground and solution to this,” said Whited.

In the researchers’ first day of canvassing blighted areas, they found 250 vacant and abandoned homes within the city limits.

“It’s very important for us to take what we learned in the classroom and put it into an application outside the field, and do some good in the community you live in,” said Whited of the students involved in the project.

Whited said he would like to see more clearly defined language in the municipal code and a more substantial budget devoted to code enforcement.

“There needs to be the means to communicate from the neighborhood to the city and from the city to the neighborhood, and to the property owner, and accountability on all accounts,” he said.

Phase 2 of the process to update the code will begin later this year. To get involved or find out more, contact Faith in Community at their website, faithinfresno.org, or on their Facebook page.

A Fresno State-led project has been working alongside

Photos provided by Faith in Community

Colby Tibbet is a writer based in Fresno, CA. He writes on homelessness and community health.

Profile: My Sister’s Closet

Jessica Johnson Contributor

FRESNO-- This is not about borrowing your sister’s clothes. Many women do not have the luxury of that perfect interview-ready outfit, which is where Fresnobased My Sister’s Closet (MSC) comes in.

The organization, located at the United Faith Christian Fellowship, provides professional clothing, resume building and interview workshops for women entering the workforce or professionally advancing.

Yamilette Rodriguez founded My Sister’s Closet in 2008, when she acted on her feeling that women in her zip code (93702 in Southeast Fresno) “are some of the most impoverished in the nation.” Her faith informed her choice, saying that she “felt God’s call to this ministry.”

She set out to provide a safe place for women in her community to be encouraged and supported in their career goals. Rodriguez believes that these women are “not just in our neighborhood, but are our neighbors.”

Rodriguez’s first call was to her friend Cindy Jurado, who became the first volunteer intern. After listening to what

women in their community needed in order to advance, MSC started collecting “gently used professional clothing,” as Jurado puts it.

“The unemployed often struggle with professional clothing and nowhere else in the valley provides professional clothing in this way,” Jurado said.

Clothing was only the beginning. Jurado recalls that they quickly realized that these women could benefit from additional support in order to move ahead in life.

Now MSC’s education programming focuses on straightforward topics such as resume writing and interview skills, plus health, financial literacy, professional appearance, and spiritual development.

Jurado believes that MSC communicates to these women “they are worthy of this care and attention.” So far, MSC has reached about 120 women with their career development services.

Upon receipt of these clothes and graduation from the

career education program, participants proudly display them at a fashion show, arranged after the career development conference. This fashion show comes complete with hair and makeup services donated by professionals in the Fresno community.

After working as an unofficial intern for two years, Jurado joined the MSC board in 2010 as an original member. Rodriguez is appreciative that her organization’s board supports her original mission. “They ask ‘what does justice look like?’” she said.

Jurado gave the example of a woman from Belize was a successful participant in the program during their first year of operation. This woman was found in indentured servitude in Clovis and was issued a T visa through the Economic Opportunities Commission, which is issued to victims of human trafficking.

Jurado is proud of what MSC was able to offer this individual, saying, “Someone cared for her.”

Women who use MSC range from early twenties to midforties. Some are college graduates, and some are escaping abusive relationships. No matter where they are coming from, Jurado sees these as “hardworking and smart” women who “want the best for their families.” In the end, “they are trying to advance in life and that’s a good thing.”

Anyka Harris is one of those women. After finishing at College of the Sequoias, Harris continued her education at Fresno Pacific University (FPU) in order to give her five children a better life. During her time at FPU, she lived out of her car while her children stayed with family friends.

Harris finished school and sought professional clothing and tips on dressing appropriately for the workplace from MSC.

Harris emphasizes that instead of a hand out, the MSC program represents “a hand up.” In response to the way this program impacted her life, Harris began her own program in 2014, called My Sista’s Closet and based in Tulare and Visalia.

Harris is grateful for the work of MSC, saying “I thank God that Yami (Rodriguez) was obedient to the call on her life, to the vision that God gave her and that she went for it.”

As for the women that have benefitted from this support: “I don’t know where they would be without it,” said Harris.

To donate to My Sister’s Closet, email mscfresno@gmail. com to arrange a pickup or drop off a donation on Sunday mornings at United Faith Christian Fellowship.

Illustration by Lauren Baker

Youth on LCAP

Students Weigh In On Spending Needs

Marissa Vang Contributor

Fresno Unified School District is now in the process of creating its Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) for the 2015-16 school year. This is a critical moment for students to get involved to ensure the LCAP directs state funding to the students who need it most.

The LCAP process was introduced as part of the Local Control Funding Formula, enacted by Gov. Brown in 2013 to bring more equity to how Sacramento funds public education. LCFF apportions state funding to districts based on the number of high-need students enrolled. The target populations include low income students, English learners and foster youth.

Under LCFF, districts also have more leeway in deciding just how they will spend state money though they are required to engage the community as part of that process. Earlier this year the State Board of Education approved a plan that gives students a seat at that table.

We, as students, need to get involved because we are the ones who will be affected most by how the money is spent. This is our chance to help shape decisions around technology upgrades in class, healthier lunches in the cafeteria, or increasing classes for the many English Learner students in Fresno.

The point is this is our education! And this is our chance to make our voice heard.

Schools need to do more to encourage students to get involved. the LCAP is a teriffic learning tool. Schools should provide assignments or extra credit to students for participating in LCAP discussions. This happens with other events all the time. Also, schools should encourage in-class discussion on how money is spent on education. Doing so could help inspire more young people to get involved at school and in the community.

Students, take advantage of these discussions. Your voice can be heard. Help yourself and your peers get a better education by telling the district what you think your school needs.

I asked students at Edison High School what they thought LCFF dollars should be spent on. Below are a few of their responses.

Photos by Marissa Vang

Fresno BMX Riders Need Home

Nate Ferry Contributor

Fresno needs another bike park. I’ve been a local BMX rider for 6 years. Other riders and I perform tricks on 20-inch bicycles, such as grinds, big ramp jumps, and balancing tricks on flat ground.

Fresno has some good skate parks, such as Lions, Rotary, and Romain. But there are only three bike parks in Fresno, and only one of them is in Central or South Fresno. The nearest bike park to my house is over 5 miles away, and the other two bike parks are over 15 miles away from my house.

Without a park, the only other option is to ride at schools, businesses, and other public spaces. This is frowned upon by many people outside of the BMX community. I’ve been stopped by police, cussed at, and I’ve even had people try to become physical with me just for riding my bike. I'm not the only person I know that this has happened to. As a BMX rider, I am very upset with the way this problem is handled. I’m constantly and unfairly looked as a threat whenever I ride in public spaces.

Many people believe that we have enough places to ride, but they fail to realize that most skate parks in Fresno have regulations that keep me from riding BMX at those places.

Riding BMX is important to me because it’s where I express my creativity, unlike in traditional sports. It’s a great way for me to stay active and healthy, and my bike is my main form of transportation. Riding is a way to fill my time so that I stay out of trouble.

There are so many ways that the city of Fresno make changes to the pre-existing parks without spending too much money. One way to help solve this is to have more diverse skate parks that allow more than just skateboards to be ridden in the park.There are so many amazing skate parks that are already built. But these are all skate only.

One park in particular that would be great for this is Lions Skatepark. This spot has an amazing layout for not only skateboards, but for bikes as well. Unfortunately, it is a

skate-only park. The staff person will kick out bikers. Ideally Fresno should also build BMX-specific parks because the design features are usually larger than skate specific park elements. But, many of Fresno’s existing skate parks are pretty well suited for BMX riding. Most skaters I know are fine with BMX riders in skate parks. I think that skaters and BMX riders should work together to get as much space for our sports as possible.

I’m tired of this problem, and it only seems to get worse. Are the people of Fresno’s BMX community just not that important enough to be heard? For me, and many other young people who rely on BMX for fun, exercise, creative expression, and a safe way to stay out of trouble, a devoted place to ride would greatly improve our lives.

Photo by Joey Ceppagila

FAX Leaves Evening, Weekend Riders Out in the Cold

Karina Guzman Contributor

FRESNO -- Fresno resident Violet Ayala has for a decade now relied on the Fresno Area Express (FAX) to ferry her to and from work. But while the city’s main public transportation provider boasts over 12 million riders annually, Ayala and others say FAX’s limited hours often leave them stranded.

Ayala, 52, commutes to her job at St. Agnes Medical Center five days a week. Her schedule often changes or requires unusual hours either late into the night or early into the morning. “When I get off at five AM and have to wait two hours [for a bus], no, it doesn’t work,” she said of FAX service.

Ayala adds she sometimes has to leave for work two hours early to accommodate FAX’s schedule. She says that the solution is simple: requiring early service for weekends and longer weekday hours.

FAX’s 100-strong bus fleet currently operates on 16 fixed routes which run from 6 AM to 10 PM during the week and from 7 AM to 7 PM on weekends and holidays. According to The Fresno Bee, nearly 93 percent of Fresnans live within three-quarters of a mile from a bus stop, while FAX’s website boasts service to over 12 million fixed-route riders in 2013.

Sara Hernandez, 20, is a Fresno State University student and, like Ayala, struggles with FAX service. “The bus tends to lag sometimes [with] intervals between bus times of 30 minutes.” She also says that at least once or twice a week she has to work late and so is forced to look for other ways home.

Anna Vue, 21, points out that longer hours on weekends would allow people who have been out drinking a safe way of getting home without getting behind the wheel. “On the weekends it should be run longer because that’s when everybody goes out. It would be a lot better and safer for them to get on the bus than it is for them to drive home.”

A spokesperson with FAX told The kNOw that “given the available resources, FAX places service in times when the ridership levels are the highest.” FAX uses data from passenger counts, customer surveys and public comments to determine exactly when those hours are.

District 6 City Council Representative Lee Brand acknowledges the need to expand public transportation services, especially in a city where, according to Bloomberg News, 31% of residents live below the poverty line, many of them without their own cars.

But with only 20 percent of FAX’s budget covered by rider fees, he says there’s little room to maneuver. “We have to make do with what we have. Do we provide more lines but shorter service or less lines with longer hours of service?”

Fresno residents have for years complained about FAX’s services, including its limited hours. Last year a group of riders came before the City Council to list their grievances.

In response, the council approved a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan that will create express bus lines that run along Blackstone and Kings Canyon. BRT was initially shot down by Council members, who turned down tens of millions in federal and state grants to fund the project. Council also created a subcommittee tasked with addressing rider complaints.

In the meantime, FAX is urging riders to continue taking the bus during available hours and to consider alternative means at other times, including carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking or jogging.

Illustration by Jarrett M. Ramones

Meet Fresno’s Emerging Leaders: Jaylin White

Claudia Gonzalez We’Ced Beat Reporter

Editor’s Note: Fresno native Jaylin White is taking on mass incarceration and she’s pushing other young people to join her. The 15-year-old says young people need to create the change they want to see. White recently co-chaired a town hall event that brought organizers, youth, and community members together with the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) to discuss solutions to incarceration, community violence, recidivism and the implementation of Proposition 47, which allows those with non-violent felonies to reduce their convictions to misdemeanors.

Before I was even born, someone decided that my life did not matter. As it turns out, [California’s] infamous three strikes law actually originated in Fresno after some very serious crimes occurred in the area. But after it passed, people of color were mostly targeted. This is not fair, because Black lives do matter.

Right now, there are too many people in jail. It is an injustice. Instead of investing in rehabilitation and programs, we are investing in incarceration. People in power were elected to serve us, but they are not doing their jobs. They say things are bad and that Prop. 47 is part of the problem, but that is not true. An event like this town hall allows us to voice our opinions, because

they need to listen to what we have to say. Having safer communities does not mean we have to incarcerate more people.

What we need is more cooperation between law enforcement and the community in order to create a more positive environment. Every single one of us needs to invest in human dignity and life, not death and injustice, but people in power need to be more committed to investing in our communities.

I think law enforcement needs to change the way they view policies such as Prop. 47. They need to start supporting these laws and see them as opportunities to better serve and protect the community. We voted for these laws so they have to respect and follow them. My main goal is to be an example for youth. It is necessary for kids my age to get involved because if we want to make positive change, we need to create it ourselves.

Incarceration is affecting youth of color mostly and the community is not doing enough to address this issue. We need to change that. We need to mobilize, and we need to act. It is very important to have more events and more roundtable discussions so that people know we are serious about changing our community.

Photo by Claudia Gonzalez

Illustration by Lauren Baker

Get To kNOw Us

Fernando Flores Duran Vang

Marissa

Kody Stoebig

Fernando Flores Duran, 15, is a sophomore at Edison High School. He loves to play sports and is in The kNOw to tell his community’s stories. He wants to be in the F.B.I. when he grows up.

Karina Guzman

Marissa Vang, 15, is a sophomore at Edison High School, wehere she plays basketball. She is a member of the Youth Leadership Institute and an aspiring photographer and entrepreneur.

Miguel Bibanco

Karina Guzman, 21, graduated from the Communication department at Fresno Pacific University in 2014. She like collaborating with other members of The kNOw on stories that are important. She likes the chance for Fresno youth to partake in exploring their passions and community issues with The kNOw.

Miguel Bibanco, 20, is a longtime member of The kNOw and a strong proponent of community storytelling. Always eager to help his community through direct advocacy or journalism Miguel can be found on the frontlines of youth advocacy in Fresno.

Kody Stoebig, 23, graduated from the Communication department at Fresno Pacific University in 2014. She joined The kNOw so that she could have the opportunity to tell her own story and help others to do the same.

Elsa Mejía

Elsa Mejía, 26, graduated from the Mass Communication and Journalism department at Fresno State in 2015. This summer she will be a public relations intern in Washington, D.C. through the Institute on Political Journalism program, which is part of The Fund for American Studies.

Photos by Victor Aparicio

Fresno Officer ‘Building Bridges’ to City’s Youth

Fernando Flores Duran Contributor

Editor’s Note: Officer Mike Martin is the Youth Liaison Officer for the Fresno Police Department. A native of Fresno, Martin joined the force in 2005 and has since then worked in various assignments with the city’s youth. He describes his current role as a “go between” for Fresno law enforcement and young people who he says often feel “unfairly targeted.” Martin spoke with The kNOw youth reporter Fernando Flores Duran, 15, about building trust with the community, entering the law enforcement profession, and about the recent protests over police violence nationwide.

Why did you decide to become a police officer?

My dad was a police officer for 30 years, so I grew up in a law enforcement environment. I’ve been a full officer since June of 2005. Since then I’ve worked on various assignments: I was part of the district crime suppression team which targeted violent crime, gang members, drugs. From there, I did school resource, where I worked at a continuation school for kids who got expelled from Fresno Unified. My current position is Youth Liaison Officer.

What do you do as a Youth Liaison Officer?

I act as the go-between for the police department and the youth of Fresno. I typically work with youth ages 14-24. I plan different events, such as midnight basketball, that try to reduce violence in Fresno. We’ve also done trainings at the Institute of Technology, where youth used a simulator that let them go through a real-life scenario as a police officer. I’ve also been a big part of Fresno BMOC (Boys and Men of Color). Really, I’m getting out into the community to shed a positive light on the police department.

What drew you to working with young people?

I always wanted to teach, so when the school resource position became available I knew I wanted it. It was a small, but very challenging environment. Many of the students had negative perceptions of the police, but I was able to see them everyday and build relationships. And students started opening up to me and we were able to break down the barriers.

As a person of color, what has been your experience in law enforcement?

How do you build those bridges?

I think it really comes down to communication, talking to youth and explaining why we do certain things. It’s important for police officers to take the time to explain why they stopped someone. But it goes both ways. It’s interesting, one of the young men from Fresno BMOC just went on a ride-along because he wants to become a police officer. So, I text him to see how it went, and he had a really good time, but he was surprised at how disrespectful people were to the police officers. That really shocked him. So, we need to fix that. And it’s really hard. But it starts with communication.

What are your biggest challenges to building a better relationship with the community?

How have your fellow officers responded to the recent wave of protests over police violence in cities like Ferguson and Baltimore?

I haven’t had any problems as a person of color; I’ve had a lot of opportunities within the department. But, as far as the community goes, it’s important to reflect the people you serve. (Chief Jerry Dyer) has said that he wants to get more men and, especially, women of color in the department. I know as an officer, you are always aware of what’s going on, and you don’t want to do things that will get you in trouble. I definitely think officers are aware of the tensions within the community. Which is the whole reason my position exists, to build bridges especially with youth … [many of whom] feel unfairly targeted or disrespected on the streets.

First of all, citizens have to feel safe in their community. If you don’t feel safe in your neighborhood then you aren’t going to approach a police officer. It’s a big issue. Especially after something happens, people don’t talk to the police because they’re afraid of retaliation. Getting over that involves making these neighborhoods safer by working with the community, the churches in the area, and the community based organizations. There are also a lot of negative perceptions out there. Young people don’t like talking to police officers. Getting over that barrier, that’s the biggest part of my job.

Where are the opportunities?

The opportunity comes in working with communities. The police department can’t fix all the problems in the community. It’s up to the residents to help us tackle crime and address other problems. We can always come in and help, but it really takes community buy-in.

In Fresno, the [planned] youth council is huge. We tried to find models elsewhere but couldn’t find anything at all, so I think this is one of the first police youth councils that will report directly to the chief. And really hearing the concerns of the youth can help prevent problems like what happened in Ferguson.

Photo Courtesy of Mike Martin

Incarcerated Youth Seek Better Relationship With Police

Editor’s Note: We asked young people at the Juvenile Justice Center what they thought the police department could do to improve relationship with the community. Here’s what they said.

Stop being racist. Stop harassing minors. Stop shooting people who stand up for their rights.

-Anonymous

The cops should stop harassing kids and focus on the bigger crimes. They should have two different types of officers: one for adults and the other for the kids to make the community more safe and fair.

-Anonymous

The Fresno Police Department needs to stop assuming we are all in gangs. There are innocent people who are constantly getting harassed about gangs. Cops are always pulling over minors like me. I’m 14 and I am always getting pulled over because I look “suspicious.” Me and my homies are always getting targeted because we live in the ghetto.

-Sammy

The police should stop being rude and judging people by what they wear. They should stop pulling people over for no reason. They should leave people alone when they are not doing anything wrong.

-Trayveen

The Fresno Police Department could provide more programs and work with the schools more closely. When a minor commits a crime they are arrested and sent to juvenile hall. Why don’t they try to start up a boys and girls club for “troubled” minors? Fresno Police Department could also provide schools with classes to educate juveniles on crime, punishment, prevention and public safety.

-Anonymous

To improve the relationship between the Fresno Police Department and the Fresno community, the police need to stop treating the community like criminals. The PD could help the community by showing us how to get a job and how to get back into school. Treating us like equals would help improve the community.

-King

Photo by Steve Thao

Young Men of Color Flip Media Bias

Miguel Bibanco Contributor

Media is a powerful tool. It is the way we become aware of the world around us. It shapes our perspectives and informs our beliefs. Yet while media provides a platform to elevate individual and community voices, just as many voices are just as often ignored.

Take Baltimore as an example. The media machine was quick to report on “rioting” within the African American community following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray while in police custody, despite decades of media silence on the near-daily violence directed at the community by law enforcement prior to Gray’s death.

The reality is that when it comes to shaping the public narrative and public perceptions, marginalized communities are at the mercy of the mainstream media, which carries with it the ingrained biases that it also perpetuates.

What can we do to overcome this harmful bias? It isn’t

always easy, but one important step is to begin to take control of our own narrative.Who is a bigger expert on what you’re going through, than you? Your experiences, thoughts, and struggles are best understood and conveyed by you and by extension your community.

This is the aim of the I AM poster project launched by the Boys and Men of Color (BMOC) group here in Fresno. In an empowering new type of representation, young people are defining themselves and at the same time letting the community know who they are. “I am an artist. I am ambitious. I am caring.” The messages these young men carry challenge the pervasive media stereotypes of youth as either thugs or hoodlums.

For several years the BMOC of Fresno has worked to improve the lives of young men of color through leadership development and direct advocacy. As a BMOC participant I have been able to witness firsthand the profound impact that an organization like this can have.

In Response To: “‘I Just Don’t Like the Black Kids’ Comment by Fresno Vice Principal Causes Uproar,” Carmen George, Fresno Bee, March 17, 2015

Vice Principal Joe DeFilippo from Scandinavian Middle School’s comments on his dislike of black kids upset many people in the community. In the Black community and many other communities of color, we deal with dropouts, expulsions, lack of educational support and encouragement. This overt discrimination just adds to the experiences we are already going through. I feel that the school boards need to be changed. I feel sure there are more people like DiFilippo. We shouldn’t discriminate, we need to learn from our past. We as a people can’t move forward if we repeat the past. The kind of comments Mr. DiFilippo make us feel like we’re being set up to fail. The emotional wear is hard on students of color. We need to incorporate encouragement, trust and leadership in our schools.

Adrien Ferguson, 23

Having gone through the Fresno school systems, I know how biased and judgemental the staff at some schools can be. It’s painful to see a respected school official say he doesn’t like students of color. As a person of color myself, I’m offended. This makes me feel like the reason youth of color keep getting kicked out of school for small issues at record rates is because of attitudes like this.

The young people who participate come from some of the most neglected and underserved communities in Fresno and they work hard to dispel the prejudice that they confront everyday.

This past March, members of the group took part in a Letter to the Editor writing activity. The activity provided media literacy training on learning to identify media bias in reporting around young people of color. The BMOC youth participated in an exercise that helped them question popular media rhetoric and identify the presented narrative as well as how that might differ when introduced by people with different perspectives. Participants then drafted letters to the editor in which they offered their own narratives.

It is powerful when communities are given voice, and it benefits the whole city when all communities are given an equal shot at telling their stories of struggle and triumph. Here are a few of the letters that came from that exercise.

Manuel Rodriguez, 18

Fresno is diverse in culture, language, foods and beliefs. What happens when students in our schools don’t feel like they can be their true selves without being persecuted? The number of undocumented students in Fresno is huge, but the number of students who feel secure in addressing their citizenship is minute. There needs to be a bigger movement in our schools to advocate for and reach out to undocumented youth. The problem is there no is no concrete effort in our schools to organize, unify and help our struggling students find support, security and connection to resources. They matter.

Antonio Jauregui, 18

The kNOw Youth Media Presents:

Fresno Unified Fails Sex Education

Editor’s Note: The kNOw Youth Media presents “Fresno Unified Fails at Sex Education”, a roundtable discussion with sex education health advocates and high schoolers from Fresno. Kody Stoebig wrote and hosted the show. She is joined by Jasmine Leiva, a Health Educator with Fresno Barrios Unidos and Pheng Lor, a senior at Duncan Polytechnical High School.

Kuppajoe Was Safe Place For Artists To Grow

Editor’s Note: When Kuppajoe, a popular all-ages music venue that has operated in Central Fresno for 18 years, announced that it was closing, we knew there was a story to tell. Kuppajoe’s reach included casual fans who attended shows that they were interested in, dedicated volunteers who spent every Friday night helping out, and the artists, who played the stage at Kuppajoe. It was this sense of community that most interested us. Colby Tibbet, who played with many bands at Kuppajoe, tells us his story and interviews some of the key people who helped Kuppajoe to become a safe space for young people and artists until it closed in February.

The kNOw shares the stories of the youth of Fresno.

We train, edit, and pay you for your work!

We’re looking for youth who want to share their stories through:

• Writing

• Video

• Radio

• Other Mediums

Summer Application

Name:

Address: Phone: Email:

What media dicipline are you interested in?

• Writing

• Video

• Radio

• Other

What kind of stories are you interested in?

You can clip this application and mail it to:

302 Fresno Street, Suite #203 Fresno, CA 93706 Or apply online at theknowfresno.org