Watts

Oct 18 2012

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat … shall stop the game

In the Hub City there is more to baseball than the American League and National League playoffs. But America’s favorite pastime almost vanished from most inner cities in the early 1970s when youth baseball left the urban areas for the suburbs.

With the departure of neighborhood park leagues like “Pee Wee,” “Babe Ruth” and “Connie Mack” went a unique opportunity for children of color to learn about teamwork, discipline and character. They were part of a bond where success or failure depended on confidence in one another.

Oct 11 2012

Jordan Downs in Watts

Los Angeles City Councilmembers Joe Buscaino (front right) and Eric Garcetti (front left) donated computers to families living at Jordan Downs in Watts last week. The families who received computers participated in technology training classes through Kids Progress Inc., a nonprofit organization established by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) to provide crucial social, educational, and healthcare services to children living in HACLA projects. The computer donation was made possible through a City Council motion authored by Buscaino and seconded by Garcetti.

Aug 9 2012

Theme this year is “Sixties Attitude for the 21st Century"

Entertainment, storytelling, drill teams, community forums, a petting zoo, as well as arts and crafts are among the activities planned for the 46th annual Watts Summer Festival Aug. 11 and 12 from noon to 8 p.m. in Watts, 103rd Street between Compton Boulevard and Success Avenue. The theme for this year’s event is a “Sixties Attitude for the 21st Century.”
 

Jennifer Thompson  |   OW College Intern
Aug 9 2012

Indian dance, recipe exchange bring unity to Willowbrook community

As part of the closing session of the eight-week L.A. County Jazzed and Motivated (J.A.M) program, local artists recently invited the community to share their recipes and learn Bollywood dance at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-service Ambulatory Care Center.

Jul 12 2012

Housing Authority plans to expand program

The Los Angeles Opportunities Industrialization Center’s “Computers for Families” program recently installed its 200th computer in the home of Georgana Usher, a resident of the Jordan Downs Housing Development in Watts.

The installation of high performance computers for 200 families supported by extensive computer training and technical support marks a key achievement toward broadband adoption and the goal of providing these critical computer tools to residents of all 14 public housing facilities in Los Angeles County.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.