Fighting for Educational Justice
Ronni Solman moved to Los Angeles in 1970, for work and to chase the sun. At the time, she was involved with the New York chapter of the Committee to Defend the Black Panthers, working to raise money for legal defense for the Black Panther Party. The group needed a representative to work with the…
Read MoreWhere The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
One of Joe Linton’s earliest formative memories involved a river and a bike. “I used to bike along the Santa Ana River to get to the beach. It took an hour, and it was one of the most freeing things as a young preteen since I didn’t have to beg my mom to take me.…
Read MoreMourning a Neighborhood
Since she was born, Lili Sanchez has lived on the same street in Elysian Valley, a few houses down from the Elysian Valley Recreation Center. Almost like a second home to her, this park space has been foundational to her upbringing. She remembers spending many hours of the day there throughout her childhood, playing and…
Read MoreFinding the Right Path
Daniel Paredes recalls a childhood typical to Frogtown in the ‘90s — a tight knit community where everybody knew each other and neighborhood kids would hang out in the streets. “I was forbidden to go to the river when I was a kid. That didn’t stop me from going to the river. I used to…
Read MoreA River’s Watershed
Mark Hanna is a civil engineer with a specialization in water resources management and river restoration and revitalization. His passion for rivers has led him to work extensively on a variety of projects up and down the LA River. “I prefer projects that are right here in Los Angeles. I live here, my family lives…
Read MoreA Tree Grows in Elysian Valley Pt. 2
After Ruben Molina and his family moved into Elysian Valley in 1958, Ruben, aged 5, soon found himself in what he calls “paradise.” At the time, the ongoing construction of the 5 Freeway left behind sandlots in Elysian Valley — the remnants of the homes that were destroyed to make way for this huge infrastructure…
Read MoreA Tree Grows in Elysian Valley Pt. 1
Ruben Molina and his family moved to Elysian Valley in 1958. Having arrived in Los Angeles from El Paso, Texas five years prior, his family had moved around between a hotel, duplexes and small homes in Cypress Park and Lincoln Heights before settling into the home on Glover Place. Ruben, now a dedicated community music…
Read MoreThe River Teacher
For more than ten years, Eric Kenyon White has lived on the LA River. After losing his home, Eric spent some time between shelters before living on the banks of the Glendale Narrows. This was not a choice Eric thought he would ever have to make, but life in the shelters was becoming increasingly difficult.…
Read MoreSt. Ann
“We were Catholics. We were going to church, whether you liked it or not,” David De La Torre reflects on his childhood. But, over the years, his engagement with his home parish — St. Ann’s Catholic Church — transformed from a feeling of obligation to a desire to develop his faith. He attributes this change…
Read MoreRiver Playground
“My dad worked the graveyard shift, so my mom took care of us, but my mom was busy oftentimes at the sewing machine meeting her deadlines. We got to go play when we didn’t have to support her.” Helen Leung cherished the moments when she and her sister were given free reign to explore the…
Read More