Reflecting on Wilmington's First Womyn's Month

Wilmington’s First Womyn’s Month in March is a collaborative effort between local organizations and community residents to bring awareness to the issue of violence in the community. By creating a series of workshops for women, this group was able to create safe spaces to become empowered and knowledgeable.

(Left: Local Artist, Gloria painting at the Viva La Mujer Community Celebration)

Although the March Workshop Series is nearing its end, this group is already planning on how to continue to share knowledge and resource to

create a safer community for all residents.

I find myself reflecting on what I have learned this month as both an organizer and participant of this event. The recent violence in Wilmington has weighed heavily on me, and I know that I’m not alone; we are all affected by the loss of life in our community. The makeshift altars have mapped out the violence in Wilmington, mixing pain and death, with love and remembrance.

As helicopters circle above my head and I hear stories in the news about my brothers and sisters in Wilmington being killed, I often feel hopeless and continue to ask myself, "What can I do to help inspire change in Wilmington?"

I know that I can't just sit around and expect things to get better. Many of us in Wilmington are stepping up and starting to get involved (attending community meetings and marching together for peace), I want to be a part of the solution. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to work with a group of like-minded people who were ready to take action. Together we planned various workshops for Wilmington’s First Womyn’s Month.

With each death we answered back: empowering ourselves with self defense classes, and educating and expressing ourselves through workshops and discussions. Together, we connected with women and men in Wilmington who supported us by being part of our workshops and events. I believe that we will continue the legacy of love for our city. We can continue to build a strong, vibrant, educated, supportive and loving community, not only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children. So lets continue to take action! With heart, compassion and education, the possibilities are endless.

If you would like to learn more about the Wilmington's First Womyn's Month, please visit our Facebook Page: facebook.com/vivalamujer310.

(Right: Self Defense Class instructed by Officer Garcinella. Photo by ELLAS collective member, Monique Arellanes.)

Residents Join Against Violence at the First Wilmington United Meeting

Community members joined Councilman Joe Buscaino and LAPD Harbor Division Captain, William Hays, at the first Wilmington United meeting Tuesday evening at the Wilmington Senior Citizen Center.

Wilmington United is a new group created in response to the escalating violence in Wilmington. The group consist of representatives from schools, community-based organizations, gang prevention programs, local businesses and churches.

The purpose of the meeting was to bring together and empower residents to take back their neighborhoods from violence, to best determine the needs of the community, bring forth ideas for community projects and identify needed resources for Wilmington.

Here is a video of last night's meeting.

(This video was produces by Branimir Kvartuc, Communications Director for Councilman Joe Buscaino's office)

Councilman Buscaino Announces Formation of Community Empowerment Task Force

In response to the latest violence in Wilmington, Councilman Joe Buscaino and LAPD Harbor Division Captain William Hayes have formed "Wilmington United," a community organization created to empower residents to take back their neighborhoods from violence.

The group will consist of representatives from schools, community-based organizations, gang prevention programs, local businesses and churches.

The first meeting took place Tuesday at LAPD Harbor Division and was attended by Captain Hayes, the principal of Banning High School, the principal of Wilmington Middle School, representatives from Councilman Buscaino's office, Congresswoman Janice Hahn's office, the Toberman Neighborhood Center, the Gang Alternatives Program, the City of LA Crisis Response Team, and other community members.

"No neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles should experience the horror of having anyone, especially teenagers, gunned down in its streets. I want this task force organized to share valuable information with LAPD and to help deliver desperately need resources to Wilmington," said Councilman Buscaino.

"This group that met here today will empower others to take ownership of their community. The success will be with the citizens of Wilmington. Once the citizens of Wilmington decide that they will do good things in their community, it will all happen, we're going to be the empowerment of it," said Robert Lopez, Principal of Banning High School in Wilmington.

"What we want to do is empower people to get things done using the existing resources, whether its the Council office or the Police Department. The community has gotten a label because of a couple crimes of violence. They are very tragic, but it's not typical of what is going on in the community and with the people that live there. So what we want to do is to get the good people in the community to focus on making the things that are good even better," said LAPD's Captain William Hayes.

Gloria Lockhart, retired president and CEO of the Toberman Neighborhood Center in San Pedro, joins the Councilman's 15th District staff as a Senior Adviser whose first duties will include helping to organize the Wilmington United group.

"Unfortunately lives have been lost in Wilmington, but we're going to take that as a way to create an opportunity for the community to take back their neighborhoods," said Lockhart.

(Article and photo was provided by Branimir Kvartuc, Communications Director of Councilman Joe Buscaino's office)