'Brotherhood' At Hoover High Helps African American Male Students Succeed And More Local News
Speaker 1: 00:00 Good morning. It's April 23rd I'm Deb Welsh and you are listening to San Diego news matters. 10% of African American students at Hoover high school have been suspended at least once. They also lag behind their peers in English and math. That's why a few schools, staff members decided to start a program specifically for African American males. KPBS reporter Prius free there has the story. It's lunchtime at Hoover high school in city heights and while most kids are hanging out with their friends, a group of teenagers has decided to participate in a new program called brothers of excellence. Armani Hamlin is in the 11th grade. Speaker 2: 00:38 It really resonated with me that I would be able to be with other people from my school who are more likely Speaker 1: 00:44 out of more than 2000 students on the Hoover campus. Only around a hundred are African American. Some teachers and staff said they wanted to create a space where African American men could learn about their history and be inspired by mentors from the community. Robert sprigs has worked in security at the school for 13 years. He along with other school staff helps start the program. Speaker 2: 01:06 There's maybe a handful of African American male role models on this campus. And so, uh, I wanted to enlighten the young men, uh, by you know, being positive and doing some things around here that can help them to see who they are and who they can become Speaker 1: 01:23 on this meeting of brothers of excellence. That role model is James Williams. The navy veteran says he spent years of his childhood homeless, dropped out of school and joined a gang, but was able to turn his life around thanks to a teacher who believed in him. Speaker 2: 01:37 I am hoping that I can, uh, let them know that there is a opportunity, there is a way out of whatever the situation may be if they take advantage of their time. Now Speaker 1: 01:49 the program is also hoping to tackle some of the challenges African American students face in school. Three out of four in the state of California are not reading at grade level according to the Department of Education. Ronald Preston Clark is a student teacher at the school and he helps lead the program. Everyone's Speaker 3: 02:06 one thing we always like to come back to is that literacy element and the literacy component where they understand that if they read literature that looks like them, that speaks to them. Um, one it will make them a lover of reading and then secondly it would allow them to explore identities that they might not be able to otherwise. Speaker 1: 02:25 Many of the students, like 11th graders, Sala Eissa say they feel more comfortable talking about their issues at school with other students who are like them. Speaker 4: 02:33 It feels like family, like everyone is like open and share their feelings and emotions and it just makes you want to progress and be like, I better human being for the community. Speaker 1: 02:43 Armani Hamlin says it has inspired him to give back to the community when he graduates. Speaker 2: 02:49 I hope to always have this resonate with me and one day when I become super successful, come back and help for pharmacist group and help it grow. So another student who's probably like me sees someone like me and thinks, while I can do that, I want to be the stepping stone that people look at. So then they can become successful and to give back to their community. Speaker 1: 03:11 The school staff, like Robert Sprig says he hopes it can empower students to see African American men in a positive way. Speaker 2: 03:18 This look on the news. Young men are being slain, um, either by the hand of other black men or by the police. So, uh, I'd rather get them in a situation where I can pour into them and empower them to be, to make better decisions and better choices with their lives. Speaker 1: 03:35 Every week around two dozen students have been showing up. Armani Hamlin Speaker 2: 03:40 Hoover high is a school of 2000 kids with limitless potential, but they don't know it. And once they come into groups like this safe zones with 40, 50 students who they all have something in common with, that's why this club's necessary. This club gets, right now we're looking at around 30 students to look further than just high school and know what they want to do in life. Speaker 1: 04:00 Building a brotherhood to chase their dreams. Priya, Sri, there k PBS news. The navy has set deadlines to respond to complaints from people living in private military housing. KPBS military reporter Steve Walsh ask what the navy in San Diego has learned so far. Speaker 5: 04:17 The navy has held public meetings with families living in private military housing, Navy spokesperson, Katelyn Austin. Mel says they have heard a range of complaints in San Diego Speaker 6: 04:27 so what we're hearing is that there are some issues with general maintenance and potential pest infestation in some numbers. Um, people are having issues with their neighbors and we have seen that there seems to be a perception that the navy is not as involved as we should be. Speaker 5: 04:43 The navy has about 9,100 private military housing units in San Diego. The vast majority are in the community outside of one of the areas navy bases. The surfaces are still trying to get a handle on the issues. Only 94 San Diego households requested an inspection by their commanders as special tenant survey is due. April 30th Steve Walsh KPBS news. Speaker 1: 05:05 It's festival season in big events or in the works across the state capitol, Public Radio's Ezra David Romero reports one lawmaker is thinking about all the non recyclables used at festivals and fairs. Speaker 7: 05:18 Currently it's illegal for vendors to serve food on reusable products at temporary events. A new bill could change that by either allowing festival goers to use their own containers or four vendors to ditch plastic and styrofoam for reusable products. San Francisco Democratic Assembly member David Chiu, authored the bill. Part of what we want to do is really nudge all consumers, all industry players, event organizers to think about how they minimize their footprint after an event. The bill won't force the rule on vendors, but allow event organizers to opt in. So far it has no opposition and as part of a wider set of bills, looking to reduce plastic chew says to imagine using real utensils or glassware at a pop up eatery. As you take a break at your favorite festival in Sacramento. I'm Ezra David Romero. Speaker 1: 06:07 This Thursday, the San Diego Italian film festival. We'll showcase the neorealist classic Rome Open City in honor of Italian Liberation Day. KPBS film critic Beth Armando. Speaker 7: 06:19 As this review, the neorealist movement began after World War II with the Italian filmmakers look to telling stories of ordinary people trying to survive in a country shaken by war. Roberto Russell Leni originally conceived as 1945 film as a documentary about a priest accused of resistance activity, but the film eventually turned into a broader portrait of Italians living under German occupation. The resulting narrative film, Rome open city boasts a gripping immediacy that's intensified by Russell linis guerrilla filmmaking approach. San Diego Italian film festivals. Antonio in Natto. We'll provide a context for the film by discussing neo realism and the resistance. This landmark of Italian cinema screens Thursday at the Museum of photographic arts. That's like Amando KPBS news. Speaker 1: 07:06 The San Diego humane society got a new grant from a local nonprofit. KPBS has antica. Colbert explains what the money's for. Cathy's Legacy Foundation donated $20,000 to the San Diego humane society. According to city news service. The humane society says it plans to use the money to provide shelters for pets belonging to the victims of domestic abuse. Cathy's legacy was formed in memory of Kathy Sharp Barth who was murdered by her boyfriend and 2011 Kathy's mother, Jenny sharp art is executive director of the foundation. She said some victims are scared to flee their abusive situations out of fear for their pets. She says for all the women and pets and danger, there will be a place for them to flee domestic violence and safely take their pets with them. More and more, Californians are working past the age of 65 today. 20% of California's seniors are in the labor force, many because they can't afford to retire, but the seniors who most needed job often have the hardest time finding one as part of our grain California series. KPCC is David Wagner has this profile. Speaker 7: 08:13 71 year old Emma Allen has the kind of warm smile you need to be a good receptionist. I'm the first one. Did they see when they come in the door and for the other day on the hill where that know where to direct them to. Here at the senior center in south Los Angeles, she greets people at the front desk. She answers the phone. Good morning and people coordinated services. This is Emma. How may I direct your call? The caller wants to know what's on for lunch on the menu today. They have on you Turkey. Terragon do bitch, but it's pretty clear. Lunch isn't why he called. He just wanted to say hi to Emma. I've been in fine. How about yourself then? You're doing good then. Yes you are. Emma is filling this role as part of a job program for low income seniors through the city of La. She's been here more than four years and says the people are now like family. Speaker 8: 09:02 You come here sometime you're not feeling well, but then the first person to do the dual would have a big smile on their face and give one an elbow and that whole gluten gets goes away. Speaker 7: 09:12 This program is supposed to help seniors find jobs, but it's not supposed to become a permanent job. Emma has to leave the program in May is very rewarding and I'm going to miss it. She needs a new job. She says, because social security isn't enough to live on like many seniors. She has no savings. They were eaten up by medical bills toward the end of her husband's life. Speaker 8: 09:31 This year though, I don't have a choice. I need the income Speaker 7: 09:35 working. It's nothing new for Emma. She's been a probation officer, uh, special education teacher's aid. She's worked at a meat packing plant now she's open to pretty much anything Speaker 8: 09:44 and I guess I'm a people person. So anything to do with people Speaker 7: 09:47 to stay in this training program, Emma has had to constantly be looking for a job. She's documented her search in this thick Manila folder. Every place she's applying to has its own entry. I went to JC Penney's. I went to big lots. I went to grandkids, help out with the online applications, but so far, no luck. I went to Jack in the box target. No one has ever outright told her she's too old. But Emma, thanks. That's part of why she's not getting higher. Yes. Speaker 8: 10:11 I could feel the, you could tear half the time now even look at the application. I have them feel one now. They just look at me, you know, the seed that I'm older and uh, I guess they figured I can't keep up or whatever. Speaker 7: 10:24 Looking at all these places that you've applied, looking at all this paperwork, how does it make you feel? Speaker 8: 10:29 Tire Tab because out of all this somewhere, this should have been something I'm running out of the places, uh, nowhere else to go. Speaker 7: 10:39 If she doesn't find a job, she'll have to move in with one of her kids. But she doesn't want to be a burden and she wants to keep working. Speaker 8: 10:46 It's a part of making me feel that I'm worth something. I'm contributing stuff too and not just sitting on my hands waiting for somebody to give me something. Maybe some down and May I see that Speaker 1: 10:59 in Los Angeles. I am David Wagner. This story comes from our California dream collaboration. You can find more about this project@graincalifornia.org thanks for listening to Kpv as a San Diego news matters podcast. For more local stories, go to k pbs.org.
