California Council for the Humanities network summer 2 011 Featured in this issue 1 6-7 10 12 What’s Past is Prologue: Docu- Spotlight on Renee Tajima- Spotlight on Tim Council Awards mentary Connects Tom Bradley’s Peña: Grant Awardee Wins Carpenter: Grant Grants to 20 Story Legacy with Obama’s Election Guggenheim Awardee Wins Projects Prestigious As a New Democracy Emerges, Council Awards Grants to Leadership Award an Established One is Considered 18 Documentary Projects

Photos of Tom Bradley, former LA mayor, courtesy of Lyn Goldfarb and Alison Sotomayor. WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE: CCH-SUPPORTED DOCUMENTARY CONNECTS TOM BRADLEY’S LEGACY WITH BARACK OBAMA’S ELECTION FORMER LA MAYOR BUILT COALITIONS, BROKE RECORDS, AND BRIDGED RACIAL DIVIDE

On November 4, 2008, Barack tive campaign—dependent on ing elected as the first African- nia Council for the Humanities Obama was elected 44th presi- grassroots support, dedicated American mayor of a major and the National Endowment dent of the . It volunteers, collaboration, and US city with a white majority for the Humanities, Lyn Gold- was an undeniably historic, coalitions—and became our and went on to serve an un- farb and Alison Sotomayor are vividly symbolic moment. Vot- first African-American presi- precedented twenty years in currently at work on a docu- ers turned out to the polls in dent. office. Few know the story of mentary film called Bridging record numbers, in some cases the lifelong record breaker, the Divide: Tom Bradley and lining up before daybreak and- Before Obama, there was Tom trendsetting coalition builder, the Politics of Race. In 2009, waiting for hours. In the midst Bradley. and former Los Angeles mayor. the Council awarded $60,000 of an economic collapse, the Soon, many more will. to the project. This year, the first-term senator ran an ardu- Thirty-five years earlier, Tom ous yet energetic and innova- Bradley made history by be- With the support of the Califor- continued on page 4 AS A NEW DEMOCRACY EMERGES, AN ESTABLISHED ONE IS CONSIDERED KICKOFF TO NEW COUNCIL INITIATIVE SPARKS PUBLIC CONVERSATION

The panelists were speaking tor Scott Shafer of The Califor- At the Council’s forum on party” style discussion between animatedly, deep in conversa- nia Report/KQED scanned the Democracy and the Culture of renowned historian Joyce tion, enjoying themselves. The audience for raised hands. He Civic Conversation this spring, Appleby, political communica- crowd murmured, laughed. checked the monitor as new Shafer deftly moderated an tions expert/scholar Kathleen Heads moved in confirmation questions and comments, sub- opening session that set the Hall Jamieson, journalist and or disagreement, tilted to one mitted online, flew across the tone for the day—a fluid, in- side in consideration. Modera- digital transom. tense, but entertaining “dinner continued on page 2

www.calhum.org MakingQuiet By Ralph Lewin, President and CEO

My urge to check my phone—that ever- tional reactions of pundits or the “man on the street” rather than present, flashing, buzzing weight in my considered, informed opinion or insight. Perhaps I am complicit. pocket—has reached the level of addic- It’s easy to consume junk food for thought, even when we would tion. The reasons are admirable. I want prefer something rich, complex, and nourishing. to read the latest news about the world. All the time. When I’m having dinner All this combines with pressing personal concerns, the rush of get- with friends, in conversation with col- ting from place to place, and the buzz of digital notifications and leagues, when I wake up—the urge is interruptions to create a life lived hurriedly in a noisy world—one in there. It’s a worthy habit, but one worthy which moments for reflection are scarce, we are hungry to learn all of breaking. the details but reticent to step back and consider what they mean, and many are talking but few are listening. We are in a time of great stress and upheaval. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and other natural disasters It is in this world that I feel the need to make quiet in my life. I are changing our lives and landscapes; explosive violence, wars, was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I traveled to a part of protests, and economic crises beat out a rhythm that’s difficult California with no cell or internet coverage. For days, I hiked in hills to ignore. In Egypt, the people ousted a leader who had been in uninterrupted. I read great books—Lost City Radio by Daniel Alar- power for thirty years. Re-ignited by this revolution, civil unrest in cón and A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit—and thought Libya has resulted in an uprising against Qaddafi, who has ruled about the meaning of my work, of our work together. I saw a Cali- since 1969. It’s not all bad news. Most of it is important news. fornia Condor soaring overhead and thought about the fact that, There’s just so much of it. in 1987, there were just 22 in existence and today there are close to four hundred. I had time to read about what drove those birds The media seem increasingly interested in detailing us to death to the brink of extinction and wonder about the human impulse to with meaningless minutiae and featuring the immediate, emo- bring them back.

AS A NEW DEMOCRACY EMERGES, AN ESTABLISHED ONE IS CONSIDERED (continued from page 1) That is part of their education in becoming active participants,” said Appleby. “Democracy is like a faucet turning on—it’s a flow. There are people who have been in it talking for a long time and people who are in there for the first time, and they’re all bashing around to- gether.”

An Eye on Egypt: Lessons to Be Learned From an Emerging Democracy

Council President and CEO Ralph Lewin addresses attendees at the forum reception (left); Omnia El Shakry and Chris Abani speak at the forum’s closing session (right). The day-long forum took on added significance and poi- gnancy because, less than author Gregory Rodriguez, and stuff, important and relevant… racy,” she stated, referring not a month earlier, the 30-year Republican Party representative and fun.” The subject at hand? to our system of government regime of Egyptian leader Ron Nehring. A contemporary take on the but to kinds and levels of par- Mubarak had been brought to ideals, issues, and challeng- ticipation. “Raw democracy is an end by a grassroots revolu- A 21st Century Conversation es—past, present, and endur- when people spontaneously tion—protests seen and heard Grounded in History ing—related to the health of our get involved.” Raw democracy the world over which inspired democracy and the character “is just fresh and out there and or re-ignited action and unrest of political discourse and civic hasn’t been moderated and in neighboring countries. Audience members who at- engagement in the US. seasoned.” tended the event in downtown “The people have come so far. LA—in-person or virtually— That’s a lot to bite off but, as Those new to public and politi- They have realized their own were invited to participate in the those who participated in the cal discourse who speak spon- power to topple the regime that roundtable-style sessions, all of forum said, the topic could not taneously and emotionally can has ruled more or less with an which were live webcast. Later, have been more timely, neces- elicit an upwelling of distrust, iron fist since 1981,” said clos- the opening plenary was edited sary, and relevant. she pointed out. “It’s sort of ing session panelist Omnia El and broadcast via public radio. hard for us to take that in and Shakry, an Egyptian-American Appleby offered insight into yet it is a part of a vigorous professor of history with fam- In mode and media, it was a one recurring theme from the democracy.” ily members living in Egypt. decidedly 21st century con- day: the concern that we are an “There is no turning back. […] versation, but one concerned increasingly divided country “When people enter into the The people just won’t settle for with and rooted in the humani- whose people cannot seem to discourse initially, they aren’t less.” ties—history and political the- speak productively with one very skilled at it. They don’t ory, informed viewpoints, and another. “There’s raw democ- know how to present an argu- Appleby’s metaphor of raw vs. thoughtful reflection. As one racy and there’s mature democ- ment, so they vent or shout. mature democracy also reso- participant said, “big picture

2 www.calhum.org “Ideas are born in quiet hours, and ideas can change the world.”

We are learning that “fast” is not necessarily best for our food, the This is not frivolous. Ideas are born in quiet hours, and ideas can environment, international relations, our personal finances, our change the world. bodies, our minds. As I drove home, more slowly than usual, ready to return to my everyday life, I thought about how slowing down In these noisy times, let us not divorce ourselves from the world, seems paradoxically to create more time and less noise. but let us slow down and make quiet in order to live richer lives, to become more engaged and less distracted. Let us swim the depths Many of our greatest creations and achievements as human beings of incredible books. Let us hone our abilities to see and hear and come from making quiet. Think of the years, possibly decades of prepare for dialogue, not the soapbox. Let us be intentional about quiet hours that James Madison spent in his library that informed the lives we would like to lead and think about how the lives we and, in essence, formed the US Constitution. Think of ’s already lead can feed our senses of curiosity and wonder. quiet, solitary exploration of the Yosemite Valley that became so central to the creation and preservation of our cherished national Making quiet means building a house where you and an idea can parks. Think of Emily Dickinson’s deeply affecting poems; those live together. Savor ideas and treat them with great consideration, words, illuminating the greatest truths of human experience and as though they could become your life-long partners or the new- emotion like bolts of lightning, were composed by a woman who found friends who, quietly, challenge you most. They very well led a remarkably quiet and reflective life. may.

As author Anne Lamott recently wrote, “no one needs to watch the news every night, unless one is married to the anchor.” There is “nothing you can buy, achieve, own, or rent that can fill up that hunger inside for a sense of fulfillment and wonder.” Most of us are really searching for “enlivenment, peace, meaning, and the incalcu- lable wealth of time spent quietly in beauty.”

“How do we have this dialogue about democracy with the rest of the world when we don’t really understand the rest of the world?” nated in this context and was up and we have the power to guage that will sustain evolu- Let the conversations begin— echoed by questions raised in reshape these tired, tired narra- tion of the species.” and continue. the closing session about how tives that we have been living we engage, here in the US and with for a long time.” The best way to exercise it and The Searching for Democracy initia- around the world, with people keep it alive is to practice it, tive is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the across party and ideological “How do we have this dialogue examine it, talk and read about Humanities, BayTree Fund, Seedlings lines, geographic areas, and about democracy with the rest it, reflect upon it—and repeat. Foundation, and the California State generations. The closing ses- of the world when we don’t re- Such are the enduring practices Library. sion panelists discussed Egypt ally understand the rest of the of those who value the humani- as an emerging democracy world?” session moderator Bill ties and those who recognize CCH has been and will be partnering entering the “flow” in a world Whitaker of the CBS Evening that, as El Shakry noted, we are with a wide array of institutions and organizations to develop and imple- whose countries, societies, and News asked the panelists. living in a rare historical moment. ment different parts of the Searching cultures are increasingly con- for Democracy initiative, including: nected and in conversation with “When we talk about illiteracy, The Council is taking advantage California Center for the Book, Califor- one another. the average African […] is way of this moment and continuing nia Community Colleges, California more politically engaged and the conversation started during History-Social Science Project, Califor- “As we look closely at the way educated than any American, the forum with a just-launched nia State Library, California State Uni- versity, Exhibit Envoy, Facing History we talk to each other, under- even the most educated Ameri- Searching for Democracy initiative. and Ourselves, Japanese American stand our democracy, and can,” stated Nigerian-born au- National Museum, KQED Public Media, articulate our democratic ide- thor and professor of creative The world is changing, as is New America Foundation, Stanford als and what they mean, the writing Chris Abani, a closing our democracy and our un- University Humanities Center, the Uni- US—an established democra- session speaker. In Cairo, “the derstanding of ourselves. The versity of California Davis Humanities cy—can learn a lot from what’s guy selling tea [on the street] Council and its partners are Institute, the University of California Humanities Research Institute, USC been happening in Egypt,” said will get engaged in this decon- working on a range of pro- Annenberg Center for Communica- Council President and CEO struction of America that will grams as part of this two-year, tion Leadership and Policy, and Zócalo Ralph Lewin, “which is, essen- leave you breathless.” statewide initiative designed Public Square. tially, an emerging democracy to energize, inform, and spark whose people are passionate “We feel like, after two centu- conversations on the nature To watch the forum sessions, go to about their ideals and hungry ries of democracy in America, and meaning of democracy www.searchingfordemocracy.org. To support and learn more about the to be heard.” that it’s perfect, that we don’t today—and we invite participa- Searching for Democracy initiative and need to learn,” said Abani. “We tion, raw or mature. The initia- the public programs and grant oppor- “Watching events in Egypt need to keep relearning.” tive, which will lead into the tunities it entails, visit our website and unfold from here, from the US, 2012 national elections, will in- sign up for the Council’s e-newsletter has been a profound opening,” Conversation Continues clude exhibitions (including one at www.calhum.org. said El Shakry, with feeling. on civil liberties in California), “We are living in a rare histori- with Council’s Searching a statewide reading and dis- cal moment. We need to seize for Democracy Initiative cussion program anchored by that opening. It’s a moment public libraries, and town hall in which discourse is opening Abani called democracy “a lan- discussions around the state. www.calhum.org 3 Tom Bradley with John F. Kennedy (left) and on the occasion of his promotion to LAPD lieutenant (right).

WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE: CCH-SUPPORTED DOCUMENTARY CONNECTS TOM BRADLEY’S LEGACY WITH BARACK OBAMA’S ELECTION (continued from page 1) pair received a major research tural city that it is, and how American elected to LA’s City familiar with an African-Amer- and development grant from the African-American experi- Council. He served as a council- ican candidate in a mayoral the National Endowment for ence there has differed from man for ten years before being election at that time. He wasn’t the Humanities— the only NEH that of other places. For many elected mayor. just campaigning, she said, development or production African-American families like but “breaking down , grant awarded to a film in the Bradley’s in the early 20th cen- Bradley first ran for mayor in breaking down stereotypes.” state of California. Said Gold- tury, “California and the West 1969 during a time of great farb in a recent interview, “The were considered a ‘Promised turmoil. Martin Luther King, Bradley’s 1973 election attract- greatest reward in making this Land’ of opportunity, possibil- Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy had ed national and international film is knowing that we are ity, and hope for a better life recently been assassinated. attention. The legacy he left for making a huge contribution to far from the lynchings and Jim Anti-war protests were taking Obama, above all, was one of the knowledge and history of Crow laws of the South,” said place throughout the nation coalition building across many Los Angeles, California, and the Sotomayor. “Los Angeles was while the Black Panthers gained lines—racial, economic, politi- nation.” In addition to unearth- a place where a black person strength and momentum. In cal, religious, and geographic. ing, constructing, and preserv- could own property and rise Los Angeles, the fear and anger Coalition building was a strat- ing the story of Bradley and his up—although only in certain of the 1965 Watts Race Riots egy but also a way of life for Los Angeles, the filmmakers parts of segregated LA. In this were fresh in residents’ minds. Bradley, and one that aligned

“California and the West were considered a ‘Promised Land’ of opportunity, possibility, and hope for a better life far from the lynchings and Jim Crow laws of the South.”

are providing context for LA’s context, a young Bradley could When Bradley ran for mayor, with his understanding of and current sociopolitical landscape dream for success.” LA’s black population was only passion for democracy and and Obama’s campaign and 17%, yet he mobilized incred- democratic process. election. Tom Bradley accomplished ible grassroots support and myriad historic firsts before came from behind to become His second campaign for mayor Bradley: Record Breaker, and during his astonishing five the top-ranking candidate. Then in 1973 was successful due Coalition Builder terms as mayor of Los Ange- his opponent, incumbent Sam to a true coalition between les from 1973-1993. He broke Yorty, “ran a very racist, very African-Americans, Jews, La- records and the color barrier red-baiting campaign,” said tinos, Asian-Americans, white The son of sharecroppers and as a student athlete at UCLA. Goldfarb. “It scared people.” liberals, and student groups. the grandson of slaves, Tom He served as a police officer He struggled with and broke Bradley moved to Los Angeles for 21 years and rose to rank of For the next four years, the through many of the issues that from Texas as a child. In the pro- lieutenant, the highest rank an mayoral hopeful traveled all had historically faced those cess of learning about Bradley’s African-American could achieve over the city, attending events populations and the city of Los story, Goldfarb and Sotomayor at that time. At night, he attend- and meeting everyone he could Angeles, asserted Goldfarb. have come to understand some ed law school and eventually because, according to Goldfarb, “And who did he pick for his of the complexities of Los became a lawyer. In 1963, Brad- he realized that many voters campaign manager? A white, Angeles—how it developed ley became the first African- would need to be personally Jewish, leftist. That’s what into the unique and multicul-

4 www.calhum.org Tom Bradley joking with Muhammad Ali (left) and campaigning for governor of California (right).

coalition building is all about,” pant, police abuse and unem- plete chaos, a city in which he grounds to the mix. Both are she said. “He always built ployment pervasive, and neces- loved and proudly served for African-American and neither bridges, even as a police officer. sary amenities like banks and 51 years, just tore him up deep. grew up in LA. This diversity He worked with a Latino cop; supermarkets nearly non-exis- All that hard work comes down of voices and perspectives is that was unusual at the time.” tent in minority neighborhoods. to this. I think he was saying to shaping the film and making it Bradley’s African-American/ himself, ‘My time as Mayor has a stronger, better piece of work, As Mayor, Bradley redefined Jewish coalition began to fray come to an end.’ He was just according to Goldfarb. “[We] and fundamentally transformed at the edges during a contro- too proud to cry.” Bradley even- have a great collaborative Los Angeles. He brought wom- versial visit and speech by the tually resigned, but not without process. We believe in diversity en and minorities into City Hall Nation of Islam leader Louis one last victory—being able to and collaboration.” and commission positions. He Farrakhan. implement civilian control and fought long and hard to reform accountability for the LAPD. Tom Bradley would surely ap- LA’s police department and Meanwhile, some African- prove. place it under civilian control. American and Latino groups In the years since his death, his He facilitated conversations began to openly accuse Brad- story has been largely relegat- The filmmakers have also between labor and the busi- ley of neglecting their poor ed to the footnotes of history. been building a larger coalition ness sector. He brought the neighborhoods to concentrate Goldfarb and Sotomayor are around their documentary film,

He wasn’t just campaigning, but “breaking down prejudice, breaking down stereotypes.”

1984 Olympics to Los Angeles, on building up downtown Los working to change that. collaborating with and asking pulling the city into the global Angeles and the affluent West- for input from scholars, archi- spotlight and hosting what side. A slow, political downfall Filmmakers’ Process vists, historians, and the public. many consider to be the first continued for the city’s most Reflects Their Subject This careful research and col- profitable Games. Late last popular mayor. Near the end laboration is a concerted effort year, LA’s Crenshaw post of- of Bradley’s fifth term in 1992, in favor of historical accuracy Goldfarb and Sotomayor both fice was renamed in Bradley’s the city exploded in three days and complexity. CCH supports grew up in LA—one in a Jewish honor. President Obama signed of civil unrest, triggered by the filmmakers to do precisely household in the San Fernando the bill. acquittal of the police officers this—work closely with hu- Valley, the other in a Latino who beat Rodney King. manities scholars to do deeper household in East Los Ange- Of course, the complete story research, gain new perspec- les—and have a great relation- of Bradley isn’t only historic Sotomayor recalled one par- tives, and examine the broader ship as co-producers who bring breakthroughs and glowing ac- ticularly moving interview with contexts of the stories they different perspectives and complishments. Mayor Bradley Bradley’s bodyguard who was want to tell. experiences to the story they’re presided over a city that grew with him during the unrest. He telling. Their editor, Lillian increasingly polarized between said: “Flying above the city in a Benson, and cinematographer, the rich and poor, where drugs helicopter, witnessing the city Michelle Crenshaw, also bring and gang violence were ram- erupt in flames and in com- different experiences and back- continued on page 14 www.calhum.org 5 Maria Figueroa (left), Gloria Molina, and Dolores Madrigal (right)—subjects of the Council-supported documentary film ¿Más Bebés? Spotlight on:Renee Tajima-Peña Two-Time CCH Grant Awardee Wins Guggenheim Fellowship for Her Documentary Films

In the the health care providers, who Fellowship for her work in film and academics for years. 1960s and would argue that the women and video. She is one of just “This process that CCH sup- 70s, claims they operated upon consented 180 scholars, artists, and scien- ports, of filmmakers and other of coercive to the procedures.” tists chosen from among 3,000 project directors working with steriliza- applicants across the US and humanities scholars, has laid a tion of ¿Más Bebés?, a collaboration Canada. lot of groundwork. When film- women with oral historian Dr. Virginia makers and humanities schol- were being Espino of the UCLA Center for Tajima-Peña explains that many ars work together, the input is made all Oral History Research, aims to of the films she has made are both creative and intellectual over the uncover the story and contextu- grounded in the humanities and the output is far-reaching. Renee Tajima-Peña country. alize it by examining the history and social sciences. Among Especially today, when film- The most well-known allega- of the eugenics movement in them are the Academy Award®- makers think in terms of creat- tions of widespread sterilization California and issues related to nominated 1987 documentary ing content that’s reversioned involved Puerto Rican women. immigration. “There was fear of Who Killed Vincent Chin? and on multiple platforms and for In the 1980s, reports of poor a population explosion at that My America…or Honk if you multiple uses.” African-American and white time,” said Tajima-Peña. “US Love Buddha, which won the women having been coerced and Western governments were Eastman Kodak Award at the The co-producers’ plans for into medically unnecessary financing programs to reduce Sundance Film Festival. ¿Más Bebés? include more than sterilization in the South sur- the population of the poor.” the film. People will be able to faced in mainstream media. Her students at UCSC learn to access research and contextual

“The only way you can get support for projects like ours is from places like the California Council for the Humanities,” said Tajima-Peña. “They want complexity. They want the depth, the layers, the context. In the rest of medialand, finding support for that is really hard.”

Council grant awardee Renee Tajima-Peña, Espino, and their work from a social sciences information for the documenta- Tajima-Peña is currently filming advisors have been doing origi- and history basis to inform ry online. Their research mate- ¿Más Bebés?, a documentary nal research and planning work their documentaries. “The goal rial will go to UCLA’s Chicano which explores allegations of on the documentary for several is strong storytelling but they Studies Research Center steril- coercive sterilizations of Mexi- years. In 2008, Tajima-Peña was also do deep research, learn ization archive. can American women here in awarded a California Documen- the larger context, and look California—at Los Angeles tary Project (CDP) grant by the between the lines,” said Tajima- “The only way you can get County-USC Medical Center— Council for research and de- Peña. “Scholars—humanists— support for projects like ours is in the 1960s and 1970s. The velopment. This year, she was have a lot to offer to filmmakers from places like the California charges resulted in a class- awarded a $50,000 CDP produc- in terms of looking at things Council for the Humanities,” action suit by a group of the tion grant and is now shooting in a complex, nuanced way. said Tajima-Peña. “They want sterilized women. the film. “It all began with a They help us see beyond what’s complexity. They want the CCH grant,” said the filmmaker. anecdotal, and understand the depth, the layers, the context. “There’s been very little pro- “That grant started everything; larger meaning of people’s lives In the rest of medialand, finding duced, media-wise, on this it got the ball rolling. We now or moments in history.” support for that is really hard.” topic,” said Tajima-Peña, who have full funding from places runs the Graduate Program in like the Independent Television “Filmmaking is so collabora- To support and learn more about the Social Documentation at UC Service, Latino Public Broad- tive. Why not bring all the re- Council’s California Documentary Proj- Santa Cruz. “No one has talked casting.” sources to the table?” asked ect program and grants, visit www. to all the people involved— Tajima-Peña, noting that the calhum.org. including the mothers who In April, Tajima-Peña won a state humanities councils and experienced sterilization and prestigious 2011 Guggenheim the NEH have connected artists

6 www.calhum.org Photos from Council-supported documentary films Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin (left) and From Ghost Town to Havana (right). California Council for the Humanities Awards grants to 18 Documentary Projects

SAN FRANCISCO—The California Council for the Humanities has announced its most recent California Documentary Project grant awards—a set of eighteen film, radio, and new media projects chosen from among a record 167 applications. Awards totaling $400,000 will support work in production or research and development on projects with topics ranging from major literary figures Susan Sontag and Ursula K. Le Guin to political figure Howard Jarvis and the story of California’s tax revolt; from the California Hmong community’s struggles with the legacy of the Vietnam War to Berkeley’s Zaytuna College, which is seeking accreditation as the first Muslim liberal arts college in North America.

Ralph Lewin, President and CEO of the Council, said, “These documentaries are shedding light on important figures, institutions, and com- munities that can help us better understand our shared past, present, and future. Each has the potential to spark meaningful discussions around California. We’re proud to be supporting work like this—especially at a time when funding for the public humanities is being threat- ened.”

Since opening its doors in 1975, the Council has developed and conducted numerous award-winning programs of its own and awarded nearly $22 million in grant funding. The Council has supported dozens of Sundance, Emmy®, and Academy Award®-winning and -nomi- nated documentaries through its California Documentary Project (CDP) and other programs.

More information about Council-supported films and CDP can be found on the Programs section of the Council website, www.calhum.org. The following projects received awards:

CDP Production Grants

Agents of Change: James Broughton (1913-1999) From Ghost Town to Havana The site will contain essays, Black Students and the was a central figure in the San $30,000 (film) oral history interviews, and film Transformation of the Francisco Renaissance and Project Director: Eugene Corr excerpts for students, scholars, American University pre-Beat era counterculture Sponsoring Organization: and the public and will work $40,000 (film) and remained a creative, play- Moenkopi Group, Inc. in tandem with the Archive’s Project Director: Abby Ginzberg ful, and provocative critic of Baseball offers an alternative to screening series and touring Sponsoring Organization: mainstream American society the gangs and violence of West exhibition of the same name. Kovno Communications throughout his life. Oakland’s Ghost Town neigh- In the late 1960s, African- borhood. The film documents ¿Más Bebés? American students fought for Departures: a unique and revealing cross- $50,000 (film) and achieved more inclusive, Leimert Park/Little Tokyo cultural experience as a young Project Director: relevant, and democratic edu- $20,000 (new media) West Oakland baseball team Renee Tajima-Peña cation at American universities. Project Director: Juan Devis travels to Cuba to play. Issues Sponsoring Organization: Vi- The film examines the impact Sponsoring Organization: of race, class, and masculinity sual Communications and historical legacy of stu- KCET Community Television of are explored. Mexican-origin women were dent action that led to the first Southern California coercively sterilized at Los university Ethnic and African- Two new installments in KCET’s L.A. Rebellion Website Angeles County Medical Center- American Studies programs— online documentary series: $20,000 (new media) USC during the late 1960s and and raises questions about how Leimert Park explores the heart Project Director: 70s, often based on little more far we have come since then. of LA’s black arts scene while Jan-Christopher Horak than the question “More ba- Little Tokyo/Arts District chroni- Sponsoring Organization: bies?” The film tells this story Big Joy Project cles the city’s historic Japanese UCLA Film & Television Archive and examines the history of the $20,000 (film) American cultural district and The L.A. Rebellion Website will eugenics movement in Cali- Project Director: Stephen Silha neighboring arts enclave. be a permanent interactive fornia as well as current-day Sponsoring Organization: online resource on the “L.A. issues of immigration and im- Northwest Film Forum School of Black Filmmakers.” migrant populations. California poet and filmmaker continued on page 8 www.calhum.org 7 Clockwise, from top left: photos from Council-supported documentary films Regarding Susan Sontag, Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle, and Life After Life.

California Council for the Humanities Awards grants to 18 Documentary Projects (continued from page 7)

CDP Production Grants (continued from page 7)

Operation Popcorn intellectual and her less well- Life After Life Zydeco in California $30,000 (film) known personal history, includ- $20,000 (film) $30,000 (radio) Project Director: David Grabias ing a formative period in the Project Director: Tamara Perkins Project Director: Richard Ziglar Sponsoring Organization: Bay Area. Sponsoring Organization: Sponsoring Organization: Los Angeles Film Forum San Francisco Film Society International Documentary This film follows Lo Cha Thao, Ruben Salazar: An intimate portrait of two life- Association a Hmong-American business- Man in the Middle term inmates with violent pasts This radio documentary on the man in Fresno who got caught $40,000 (film) who return home after decades zydeco community of north- up in an alleged plot to launch Project Director: of incarceration to face count- ern California explores issues a coup in Laos, as he faces Phillip Rodriguez less challenges, this film exam- surrounding the assertion and Federal terrorism charges and Sponsoring Organization: ines social and cultural dynam- maintenance of ethnic identity life in prison. In the process, it CCNMA: Latino Journalists of ics behind California’s soaring through the re-creation of the provides a unique and intimate California incarceration rate. musical culture of one’s original portrait of a California refugee How did Ruben Salazar, home. Artists Queen Ida, Ray community. a prominent 20th-century Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin Stevens, and André Thierry are Mexican-American journalist, $20,000 (film) interviewed. Regarding Susan Sontag transform from a mainstream, Project Director: Arwen Curry $40,000 (film) middle-of-the-road reporter to a Sponsoring Organization: Project Director: Nancy D. Kates supporter and primary chroni- San Francisco Film Society Sponsoring Organization: cler of the radical Chicano This film explores the life, Center for Independent Docu- movement? The film tells the roots, and ideas of the cel- mentary story of his life and embarks ebrated Bay Area-born writer The first feature-length docu- upon an in-depth investigation Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-). mentary on Susan Sontag of his mysterious death—still Known primarily as the grande (1933-2004) is a critical exami- an unresolved chapter in Ameri- dame of science fiction and fan- nation of her life and work that can history. tasy, she is also an established addresses her controversial mainstream literary figure and public roles as a writer and pioneer in feminist thought and activism.

8 www.calhum.org THANCouncil board members Cynthia Wornham, Chris Abani, MargaretK Shelleda,YOU Marsha Hirano-Nakanishi, Curt Shepard (chair), Cornelius Moore, and Kenya Davis-Hayes at CCH’s forum on Democracy and the Culture of Civic Conversation.

The Council’s Board of Directors and staff would like to acknowl- The California Documentary Project supports film, radio, and new edge the following major gifts: media documentary projects that help deepen our understanding of California and its cultures, peoples, and histories. The BayTree Fund $500,000 over 2 years to support the work of the Council and the The California Story Fund supports story-based projects that cap- California Story Fund ture genuine and compelling personal and community stories and ensures that these stories can be shared widely through public The Seedlings Foundation events, print and online media, and other vehicles. Sharing these $25,000 to support Searching for Democracy and California Reads stories can give us a window into our neighbors’ lives and make us feel a part of something larger than ourselves, helping us under- The Whitman Institute stand where we live, with whom we live, and why we live the way $50,000 over 2 years to support Searching for Democracy we do.

At the California Council for the Humanities we believe in the Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care® power of the humanities to connect us to one another and bring is working to improve the quality of care for our veterans. This out the best of who we are as individuals—and as a society. We ask unique, award-winning program gives doctors, nurses, reception- you to join us today in supporting this important work by sending a ists, trustees, and administrators in California Veterans Adminis- donation of $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can afford in the en- tration hospitals a chance to gain a deeper understanding of their closed envelope. patients and of themselves.

By joining as a partner in our efforts, you will help to further our These are only a few examples of the important work the Council is work in programs like these: doing to inspire individuals across California to make a difference in their communities every day. Searching for Democracy is a new program designed to bring Californians together online and in town halls across the state to Humanity is about giving more than what we are given. Help us participate in thoughtful civic conversation about what we need make California a better place. Please join our efforts. Whatever to sustain a healthy democracy in our increasingly interdependent you can give, your contribution will help to create programs that and culturally complex world. This two-year initiative was launched connect Californians across the state to each other, to our shared earlier this spring with a daylong conversation between esteemed humanity, and to the best of who we are. scholars, public intellectuals, policy specialists, journalists, and authors on the evolution of civic conversation and the changing Thank you in advance for your generosity. nature of democracy (see featured story on page 1).

CDP Research & Development Grants

Borderlands documentary examining the Hunting Stories understanding of the initiative $5,000 (film) legacy of anthropologist John $7,000 (film) process and the roots of con- Project Director: Carl Byker Harrington who, in the early Project Director: Singeli Agnew temporary tax revolts. Sponsoring Organization: 20th century, recorded and Sponsoring Organization: Oregon Public Broadcasting preserved endangered Califor- San Francisco Film Society Zaytuna Project Take a road trip along the nia Indian languages. The film This documentary film follows (As Yet Untitled) US-Mexico border. Hosted by explores contemporary issues hunters in California and else- $7,000 (film) writer and journalist Rubén surrounding language survival where in the US as it seeks to Project Director: Martínez, this film will explore among California’s Indian tribes answer the question “Why do Maryam Kashani the borderlands’ culture and today. Americans hunt?” By taking an Sponsoring Organization: history, reflecting on subjects observational and non-judg- Visual Communications ranging from the region’s pre- Chinese Whispers: mental tone, the film encour- Berkeley’s Zaytuna College is European society and culture Mapping the Traces ages viewers to reflect on ques- seeking accreditation as the to contemporary conflicts over $7,000 (new media) tions of class, culture, politics, first Muslim liberal arts college immigration. Project Director: Rene Yung ethics, and our relationship to in North America. Amidst fears Sponsoring Organization: the wild as it examines one of of homegrown terrorism and Chasing Voices: Sierra College the oldest activities known to a changing America, Zaytuna The Story of John Peabody Historical information is linked humans. students and teachers negoti- Harrington and the Indigenous with contemporary folk memo- ate Islam’s past and its possible Language Revitalization ries of the Chinese in Sierra Ne- MAD! Howard Jarvis and the futures as they define what it Movement vada settlements who worked Birth of the Tax Revolt is to be and become American $7,000 (film) the mines and helped build the $7,000 (film) Muslims. Project Director: Daniel Golding Transcontinental Railroad. This Project Director: Jason Cohn Sponsoring Organization: interactive, online mapping Sponsoring Organization: Advocates for Indigenous project will reframe the con- Catticus Corporation California Language Survival tributions of the early Chinese This film chronicles the story Native American filmmaker immigrants to the building of of Howard Jarvis and the Cali- Daniel Golding produces this the West and connect local his- fornia campaign for Prop 13 tories to the national narrative. while encouraging a deeper www.calhum.org 9 Music, storytelling, intergenerational events, performance, instruction in fine arts and the humanities, and more promote better health through lifelong learning for seniors. EngAGE’s programs are based on a college model. Spotlight on:Tim Carpenter/engAGE Two-time CCH Grant Awardee Wins James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award

in,” said Carpenter. “I thought, Not only are EngAGE’s pro- ‘this is a large population. If we grams having a profoundly brought them great program- positive impact on the health, ming for free where they lived, happiness, and general wellbe- we could make great changes ing of residents, but their busi- and save a lot of money.’ At that ness model is self-sustaining. time, there was no model for They started with one commu- what [my associates and I] were nity in 1999; now the organiza- envisioning, so we started with tion is adding between three college as the model. For me, and five new sites a year to the college was a time when the 20 senior apartment communi- world was wide open. I could ties in Los Angeles and Orange choose what I wanted to learn. County where they already de- Who wouldn’t want to experi- liver services to approximately ence that again?” 3,000 mostly low-income se- niors.

Tim Carpenter

“I have found my voice and no one can take it away. It belongs to me.”

There’s a good reason that positive impact on participants. EngAGE hires professional Nearly 3.4 million people over Tim Carpenter was recently And guess what else? It’s sav- teachers and artists to come to the age of 65 currently reside awarded his second grant from ing California millions of dol- senior communities and offer in California, and that number the California Council for the lars. lectures, workshops, classes, is expected to double by 2025. Humanities and, shortly there- and hands-on instruction in At a time when hundreds of after, a prestigious James Irvine Model Based on College foreign languages, history and thousands of Californians are Foundation Leadership Award. Equates to Lifelong Learning, culture, creative writing, music, entering their retirement years, The work he’s doing as found- theater, dance, performance, health care costs are increasing, er and executive director of Long-Term Savings, life drawing, painting, sculp- affordable housing options are Burbank-based EngAGE, Inc. is Longevity ture, filmmaking, culinary arts, limited, and the economy has nothing short of revolutionary. When he walked into a senior ESL, computer skills, and more. yet to recover, EngAGE is sav- Their main program areas in- ing the state of California and Carpenter and his team are housing facility for the first clude lifelong learning, arts and its families money by keeping changing the way we view and time 15 years ago, Carpenter creativity, wellness, and com- seniors healthy and indepen- experience aging. His vision for was saddened to meet incred- munity building. “I’m talking dent. A recent study found that senior communities—such as ible people with an incredible about the arts and humanities,” their programs “achieved a 25 EngAGE’s flagship Burbank Se- wealth of experiences who Carpenter said, “not gluing percent reduction in the num- nior Artists Colony—is ground- were bored, sick, and essential- popsicle sticks together.” While ber of seniors requiring higher ed in the arts and humanities, ly wasting away on “bingo and residents of most senior hous- levels of care, such as full-time intellectual engagement, life- donuts fare.” ing facilities complain that their nursing” for a total savings of long learning, and community health is deteriorating, EngAGE $18 million. connections. EngAGE is based “There was not much going participants typically report that on a college model. It’s self-sus- on at the facility, and certainly their health is improving. Saving taxpayers money isn’t taining. It’s having a profoundly nothing I would be interested

10 www.calhum.org the only goal. According to Car- ment and spoken work series. pieces and performed, then not so hot. We’re living longer penter, he and his team are out broadcast via radio this winter. now. We used to view retire- to change “the way people age Said Carpenter. “When we read ment as ‘I’m going to work until and the way they think about about the grants the California “We serve an incredibly in- I get there and then do nothing aging by transforming retire- Council for the Humanities was tercultural, heavily immigrant with the rest of my life.’ Now ment communities into centers offering this year”—California population in Southern Califor- we’re spending a lot more time of wellness, lifelong learning, Story Fund grants for story- nia,” said Carpenter. “Democra- in this third phase. and creativity.” based projects that explored cy probably means something the meaning of democracy— very different for them than for We’re not good at this. Ameri- Said one resident of her experi- “bells went off. We thought, someone born here, for whom cans are very youth-oriented. ence with EngAGE, “The Artists this is dead center of what we democracy and all that comes I hope we can learn to look at Colony has just changed me want to do. We try to drive most with it is assumed. When you our later years with a sense of completely. […] I came here of the Talk Story performances come here and are granted citi- opportunity.” wanting to be a writer, which I around a theme such as per- zenship and move into democ- had wanted to be all my life but sonal tragedy or a teacher racy, it means more.” Feeling excited and energized I didn’t think I had the ability, who had an impact, and then about lifelong learning? That

“We serve an incredibly intercultural, heavily immigrant population in Southern California,” said Carpenter. “Democracy probably means some- thing very different for them than for someone born here, for whom democ- racy and all that comes with it is assumed.” and that has totally changed. have discussions about those EngAGE’s humanities advi- sounds good to us. It sounds I have found my voice and no themes and about what the sor, Katie Mills, who works in like what the humanities are all one can take it away. It belongs stories mean. The idea of de- film studies and the humani- about. to me.” mocracy was fascinating to us, ties at Occidental College, has and we wanted to spread our become another of the organi- The California Story Fund (CSF) is wings toward an intercultural zation’s long-term supporters a competitive grant program that Council Grant Supports New supports community-centered, story- piece. It was perfect timing, and and colleagues. “She has been Path for Successful Writing based public humanities projects that it pushed us in a new direction spectacular to work with,” said and Performance Program contribute to our evolving understand- that felt right.” Carpenter. “On our last Council ing of California, past and present. Ap- grant application and project plicants are currently encouraged (but One of the most successful EngAGE received a $10,000 Cal- and this one. She helped us get not required) to submit proposals for programs EngAGE has conduct- ifornia Story Fund grant from at the heart of what it means to projects that examine the meaning of democracy. To support and learn more ed and one that Carpenter is the Council this year to sup- be an immigrant new to de- especially proud of is Talk Story, about the Council’s CSF program and port their project “Talk Story: mocracy.” grants, visit www.calhum.org. a personal storytelling, writ- Democracy - How Immigrant ing, and performance program Senior Citizens View American “We’re a funny country,” said directed by actor, writer, profes- Democracy.” The project seeks Carpenter. “We guarantee life, sor, and writing/performance to enable seniors to share their liberty, and the pursuit of hap- instructor Alicia Sedwick. stories of immigration and piness in our country’s docu- Residents attend writing classes citizenship, fulfilled and unful- ments. Life is the one thing and, eventually, write and filled dreams of freedom, and we can’t guarantee. Viewing perform true stories from their the meaning of the power to getting older as a disease is lives. The culmination of the vote. Participants’ stories will strange. Getting older is the program is a radio show seg- be developed into spoken word best option. The other option is www.calhum.org 11 Photo from a 2010 performance by Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras (TJSF) of their short mimed comedy, “Discoteca,” at the North Hollywood Day Labor Center. The Council-supported project “Somos Parte De La Democracia?: Culture, Democracy, and LA’s Day Labor Community” will involve members of TJSF in unearthing stories about the meaning of democracy. California Council for the Humanities Awards grants to 20 Story Projects

SAN FRANCISCO—The California Council for the Humanities has awarded grants to twenty projects through its California Story Fund, which supports community-centered, story-based public humanities projects that contribute to our evolving understanding of California. In alignment with the Council’s Searching for Democracy initiative, this round of projects examine the meaning of democracy in different and thought-provoking ways—through exhibits, performances, workshops, documentaries, mixed media pieces, and more.

“The Council is committed to advancing our collective understanding of ourselves, our neighbors, and our state. That’s key to a healthy, functional democracy,” said Ralph Lewin, President and CEO of the Council. “Through our California Story Fund, we are able to support libraries, cultural and community centers, historical and educational institutions, scholars, and educators. Especially now, at a time when the public humanities are under attack, we’re proud to make this important investment in the people and institutions that strengthen our communities and enrich our lives.”

Selected from among 93 proposals, these California Story Fund (CSF) projects will collectively receive $199,665 in grant funding. To sup- port and learn more about the CSF and other Council-supported projects and to learn about grant opportunities, visit the Council website at www.calhum.org.

The following projects received awards:

Changing Neighborhoods, America, San Francisco The Khmer Youth Archive Proj- students by UC Irvine faculty Changing Communities: Project Director: Francis Wong ect and students. Students will be Boyle Heights and the Phillips Learn about Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, $10,000 invited to read their poetry at Music Company Founding Father of modern Sponsoring Organization: the annual National Leadership $10,000 China, and his relationship with Little Tokyo Service Center, Awards Dinner in Washington, Sponsoring Organization: American democratic values Los Angeles DC. Grand Performances, via an interactive living history Project Director: Los Angeles performance series and record- Gena Hamamoto Resurrected Histories: Voices Project Director: ings. This youth video project from the Chicano Arts Collec- Leigh Ann Hahn will document the experience tives of Highland Park At the Phillips Music Company Growing Leaders: of Long Beach Khmer immi- $10,000 of Boyle Heights, Japanese-, Youth, Gardening and Gover- grants and refugees. Public Sponsoring Organization: Av- Jewish-, and Mexican-Ameri- nance in Richmond, California screening events and an aware- enue 50 Studio, Los Angeles can residents have encountered $10,000 ness campaign will involve the Project Director: Kathy Gallegos each others’ cultural traditions Sponsoring Organization: community. The tension between individual and invented new ones. Learn Urban Tilth, Richmond expression and social respon- the history of this vibrant com- Project Director: New Birth of Freedom: Civil sibility in a democracy will be munity through a live multime- Doria Robinson War to Civil Rights in California examined through the stories dia performance and interactive How have disenfranchised Rich- $10,000 of Chicano community artists in site. mond youth grown to become Sponsoring Organization: the 1960s and 80s. Young peo- leaders of a local youth garden- Center for Oral and Public ple, working with scholars and Decade of Dissent: ing movement? The documen- History/CSU Fullerton, a filmmaker, will interview the Democracy in Action 1965-1975 tary will be publicly screened Fullerton artists; their videos will screen $10,000 and distributed, along with edu- Project Director: at an exhibit focused on art of Sponsoring Organization: cational materials, to schools Benjamin Cawthra the period and shared online. Center for the Study of Political and youth advocacy groups. This multimedia exhibit ex- Graphics, Los Angeles plores the distinctive role Cali- The Search for Equality: LGBT Project Director: Mary Sutton Hayward’s Gay Prom fornia has played in shaping Stories of Democracy in Action Visitors to this exhibit will $10,000 the nation’s ongoing struggle $10,000 explore the relationship be- Sponsoring Organization: for equality. The project will of- Sponsoring Organization: tween art and activism and see Friends of the Hayward Public fer stories from African-, Mexi- Media Arts Center San Diego, how political posters produced Library, Hayward can- and Japanese-Americans San Diego by diverse social movements Project Director: Laurie Willis in Southern California, explor- Project Director: Patric Stilman in California developed and This teen film project explores ing themes of democracy and This film will share stories promoted the ideals of democ- the history and significance equal justice. from San Diego’s LGBT com- racy. The project includes public of the city’s annual gay prom munity that explore principles events and a youth printmaking within the context of a demo- Poetry for Democracy of democracy, inequality, and workshop. cratic society. Screening events $10,000 activism. Screening events (in encourage dialogue about chal- Sponsoring Organization: partnership with the public Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and the Three lenges faced by LGBT youth. poetryXchange, Huntington library) will facilitate a greater People’s Principles The film will be made available Beach understanding of social and po- $10,000 to student clubs, teachers, and Project Director: Sue Cronmiller litical challenges faced by LGBT Sponsoring Organization: the public. Poetry writing workshops, people. Chinese Historical Society of organized around the theme of democracy, will be provided to El Sol Academy middle school

12 www.calhum.org The late David Risling, Jr., Hoopa, (left) was an important contemporary leader in the California Indian community and is featured in the Council-supported project “Take Me to Your Leader: California Indian Traditional Chieftainship and Democratic Process.” He co-founded UC Davis’ Native American studies program and D-Q University and served on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. Photo by Dugan Aguilar.

Muralists John Valadez and Carlos Almaraz (right) were two of the founding members of Public Art Council in Highland Park. Photo from the Council-supported project “Resurrected Histories: Voices from the Chicano Arts Collectives of Highland Park.”

So Near/So Far: Navigating the sored initiative that created the Talk Story: Democracy - How high-risk Latino high school Passage to Democratic Futures California Coastal Act. Stories Immigrant Senior Citizens View students will learn about their $10,000 about the spill and resulting American Democracy community’s rich history of Sponsoring Organization: state and federal legislation will $10,000 civic engagement and politi- Photo4Change/Tides Center, be gathered; the film will be Sponsoring Organization: cal activism. Staged readings San Francisco distributed online and broad- EngAGE: The Art of Active of the plays they write will be Project Director: cast. Aging, Burbank performed at Plaza de la Raza, Sarah Bachman Project Director: Tim Carpenter LA and shared via podcast. These workshops in reporting, Tai Chi Chats, Oakland China- Workshops will enable a group photography, and radio produc- town Oral History Project of seniors to share their stories Woman Inside: Narratives from tion for Pescadero high school $10,000 of immigration and citizenship, America’s Incarcerated Women students and recent graduates Sponsoring Organization: fulfilled and unfulfilled dreams $10,000 will focus on examining the API Cultural Center, dba of freedom, and the meaning of Sponsoring Organization: rights, responsibilities, and Oakland Asian Cultural Center, the power to vote. Stories will Voice of Witness, San Francisco benefits of participating in a Oakland be developed into spoken word Project Director: Mimi Lok democracy. The stories they Project Director: Roy Chan pieces, performed in commu- This oral history/book project produce will be posted online Oakland Chinatown residents nity settings, and broadcast via explores the role of democracy and broadcast. in Madison Park discuss their radio. in the lives of women in the US use of public space for cultural, prison system. The book will be Somos Parte de la Democra- social, and recreational activi- Tenderloin: published by McSweeney’s and cia?: Culture, Democracy, and ties. The project’s exercises will Stories of Transformation distributed to students in part- LA’s Day Labor Community foster citizen participation in the $10,000 nership with Facing History and $10,000 planning process, inform city Sponsoring Organization: Ourselves. Readings will take Sponsoring Organization: planners’ work, and illuminate Gay, , Bisexual and place at women’s prisons. Cornerstone Theater Company, the value users attach to the Historical Society, Los Angeles park. San Francisco World Premiere Production of Project Director: Lorena Moran Project Director: Joey Plaster Tom Jacobson’s The Chinese Members of innovative day Take Me to Your Leader: Through oral history and ar- Massacre (Annotated), Talkback laborer theater troupe Teatro California Indian Traditional chival research activities, GLBT Series and Small Exhibition Jornalero Sin Fronteras will be Chieftainship and Democratic youth will learn about the $10,000 trained in documentary meth- Practice moment when GLBT people Sponsoring Organization: ods and techniques; they will $10,000 entered the political sphere, Circle X Theatre Co., reach out to their community Sponsoring Organization: led by a coalition of commu- Los Angeles to elicit stories that will reveal Heyday Books, Berkeley nity and faith-based leaders in Project Director: Timothy Wright what democracy means to Project Director: 1960s San Francisco. Included: An original theater piece ex- people who are rarely heard in Margaret Dubin an exhibit and public history plores a dark chapter in our the public discourse. This publication will examine programming. history—the 1871 massacre of political leadership of California Chinese Americans in LA’s first Stories of the Spill tribes and the role of the mod- Through The Ages High School race riot. Discussions, a web- $9,665 ern Indian chief. Tribal leader Residency, Performances, and site, and an exhibit will provide Sponsoring Organization: interviews and essays on tribal Podcast additional learning opportuni- Earth Alert, Inc., Port Hueneme history and traditions will be $10,000 ties around the relationship of Project Director: Janet Bridgers published as a supplement to Sponsoring Organization: law and justice to democracy, The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill the magazine News for Native About Productions, Pasadena then and now. catalyzed grassroots activism California and distributed to Project Director: Rose Portillo around Prop 20, a citizen-spon- schools. Working with theater artists, www.calhum.org 13 Tom Bradley campaigning (left) and with the Olympic Flag (right).

WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE: CCH-SUPPORTED DOCUMENTARY CONNECTS TOM BRADLEY’S LEGACY WITH BARACK OBAMA’S ELECTION (continued from page 5)

The pair is also doing a tre- planning, and conducting Goldfarb. “It helps you reflect ry to Barack Obama and anoth- mendous amount of original research, thereby including a about your history and helps er kind of line between Bradley research because, surprisingly, wider community in the mak- you understand a period of and the people who are work- no scholarly biography of Tom ing of the film. This has already time and how change occurs. ing to make his story known. A Bradley exists. They are putting begun to pay off. Archivists and [Making a film like this] takes a coalition is needed in order to together and sharing a much- historians are starting to come long time. You don’t want to say tell the full story—a fascinating needed set of resources on to them with information and ‘the conversation comes later.’ and complex story—about this Bradley and his experiences. In material rather than the other So we decided we were going coalition builder. addition to the documentary, way around. This year, an archi- to start that dialogue early, and which will be broadcast nation- vist contacted them about an the dialogue will help the film Mayor Tom Bradley lost the Cal- ally by PBS once completed, enormous cache of previously in the long run.” ifornia governor’s race in 1982 the pair are working on numer- mis-filed materials on Brad- even though he ranked first in ous related projects, including: ley—much of it saved in out- Tom Bradley would approve. the polls going into the elec- an educational video for stu- dated or obsolete formats—that tions. Had he won, he would dents; “Share Your Tom Brad- no one had seen for years. What’s Past is Prologue: have been the nation’s first ley Story” booths to be set up A Different Kind of popularly elected black gover- throughout Los Angeles, which During one meeting with a nor. This phenomenon, in which will gather residents’ Bradley group of African-American Bradley Effect voter opinion polls about a stories, memories, and pho- scholars, Goldfarb said, she non-white candidate and actual tos; and a filmed oral history was struck by “the tremendous Wrote journalist Michael Sig- election outcomes differ, likely man, “the story of Bradley’s

“Film is not about ‘making a film.’ Film is about creating a product that promotes dialogue and conversation.”

archive of their research to be responsibility that Alison and due to concealed racism, was made available to filmmakers I had. Here we are, a white record-breaking five mayoral deemed “the Bradley effect.” and researchers once Bridging woman and a Latina telling a terms and central role in L.A.’s the Divide is complete. “We feel story about an African-Ameri- transformation to world-class Sigman noted that, twenty- a tremendous obligation and can—but we’re telling a story status—unknown to most An- six years after Bradley’s loss, responsibility that we couldn’t about coalitions, so it makes gelenos under the age of 35—is “pundits predicted, incorrectly, just ‘make a film,’” said Gold- sense. We felt like there was no far more than an overdue bit of that ‘the Bradley effect’ would farb. “We felt that we were contradiction. But we had an historical housekeeping. Just doom Barack Obama’s presiden- taking on an important period, enormous responsibility to get as Bob Dylan wouldn’t be pos- tial bid.” an important time in history; the story right. We look at our sible without Woody Guthrie, or we feel a responsibility to make team as collaborators, and we Ronald Reagan without Barry Perhaps, once more people this information available in as have a strong relationship with Goldwater, the idea of a direct know the story of Tom Brad- many formats as possible.” our very diverse advisory board line from Tom Bradley to Barack ley—all of it, or as much as can of scholars.” Obama can give us perspective be known—“the Bradley effect” The pair created the film’s web- on the contemporary political will mean something entirely site and began promoting the “Film is not about ‘making a scene.” different. project early on—much earlier film.’ Film is about creating than they have done with other a product that promotes dia- One could draw a certain kind Goldfarb and Sotomayor are projects—while raising money, logue and conversation,” said of line across years and space looking forward to flipping the connecting Bradley and his sto-

14 www.calhum.org WELCOME

COUNCIL WELCOMES NEW BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS

New board member Sandra V. Ser- rano is Chancellor of Kern Community College District, the largest geographic community college service area in California, which includes the Southern San Joaquin Valley and eastern Sierra Mountains. She is former president of phrase on its head. “Bradley’s Bakersfield College. Previous educa- story and legacy has been for- tion experience includes several roles gotten and distorted. Bridging at CSU Bakersfield, including Direc- the Divide will set the record tor of Student Affirmative Action. She straight and ensure Bradley’s is national president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and political significance to Los Universities and a member of the Advisory Council to the Califor- Angeles and the nation is no nia Community College Collaborative—a policy center established longer overlooked,” said Soto- jointly by the University of California Office of the President and mayor. the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges. In her community, she sits on the boards of the Bakersfield Symphony The Council is proud to support and the Kern Literacy Council. Previously, she served as trustee of them in their work. They’re mak- the Kern High School District and president of the California Com- ing a film, yes. But, as they put munity Colleges CEO Board and Community College League of it, they’re doing more; they are California. working to start and sustain an important conversation. Serrano danced with the Mexican folkloric group Los Lupenos and performed in Chicano theater as a student at UC Berkeley, foster- Yes, Tom Bradley would ap- ing awareness of social and political issues under the direction of prove. playwright and author Luis Valdez. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley and a juris doctorate from Hast- ings College of the Law. She was an Education Policy Fellow with The Institute for Educational Leadership and a CSU Administrative Fellow at CSU Fullerton. She joined the Council’s board of directors in May of this year.

New staff member Tonya Jones comes to the Council with over eight years of programming and development experi- Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and ence in the non-profit sector. She was the Politics of Race is supported by the Campaign Manager with the Greater Council’s California Documentary Proj- ect. To support and learn more about Los Angeles Chapter of Team in Train- the California Documentary Project ing (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society). and grant application deadlines, visit Previously, she worked as a program- our website at www.calhum.org. To ming and development consultant to support and learn more about the film, The Children’s Nature Institute and Just go to www.mayortombradley.com. Detention International. Jones has also worked at CBS Sports, The Discovery Channel, and Fox 10 O’Clock News in NYC, and as a public relations consultant. Jones studied Film/TV Production and Business at Howard University and has an MFA in Theatre from Columbia University. She has a great passion for storytelling and has performed in off-Broadway and regional theater, commercials, and independent film and has worked as an educator in drama programs at Classic Stage Company, Manhattan Theatre Lab, and Columbia University’s Summer Institute. Jones is also the Young Alumni Chair for Columbia SoCal, volunteers with the Youth Storytellers Foundation, and is an avid road cyclist. She joined the Council as Program Associate in January of this year. www.calhum.org 15 California Council for the Humanities network summer 2 011

www.calhum.org 312 Sutter Street, Suite 601 CA Story Fund Grants now available NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION San Francisco, CA 94108 US POSTAGE CA Reads’ Public Library Grants now available PAID Return Service Required SAN FRANCISCO, CA Visit www.calhum.org for more information PERMIT NO. 11379

Who We Are Staff

California Council for the Humanities San Francisco Office LUCY LE NGUYEN Grants Manager connects Californians to ideas and 312 Sutter Street, Suite 601 San Francisco, CA 94108 JODY SAHOTA one another in order to understand our 415/391.1474 External Affairs Coordinator shared heritage and diverse cultures, RALPH LEWIN JESSICA SANCHEZ inspire civic participation, and shape President and CEO Executive Assistant

our future. For more information, visit JON CARROLL CARLOS TORRES www.calhum.org. Director of External Affairs Operations Coordinator KAREN RODRIGUEZ ANN YOSHINAGA California Council for the Humanities is Chief Financial Officer Development Officer a partner of the National Endowment VANESSA WHANG Los Angeles Office Director of Programs for the Humanities. Our newsletter is 1000 North Alameda Street, Suite 240 REGAN DOUGLASS Los Angeles, CA 90012 mailed to anyone who requests it. Communications Officer 213/346.3234

BEKKI LEE-WENDT TONYA JONES Program Assistant Program Associate

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CCH Board Members

Board Chair Kenya Davis-Hayes BENJAMIN T. JEALOUS Margaret Shelleda CURT SHEPARD Assistant Professor President and CEO Executive Director Director of American History NAACP California Federation of Teachers Children, Youth and Family Services California Baptist University Baltimore, MD Oakland Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center Riverside BROOKE KANTER RODNEY WILLIAMS Board Vice Chair Robert Feyer Public Art Advocate Senior Vice President Luis Herrera Partner, Public Finance Beverly Hills Hennessy for Moët Hennessy USA City Librarian Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP New York City, NY San Francisco Public Library San Francisco Bernard Kinsey Philanthropist and Entrepreneur CYNTHIA J. WORNHAM Chris Abani MARK L. FRIEDMAN Los Angeles Vice President Novelist and Professor Founder and President Marketing and Communications of Creative Writing Fulcrum Property Cornelius Moore Natural History Museum UC Riverside Sacramento Co-Director of Los Angeles County California Newsreel PEDRO CASTILLO Marsha Hirano-Nakanishi San Francisco Associate Professor of History Assistant Vice Chancellor UC Santa Cruz Academic Research and Resources SANDRA SERRANO Office of the Chancellor Chancellor California State University Kern Community College District Long Beach Bakersfield