Engagements

» Engagements, Media

Colorlines writer Channing Kennedy and illustrator & comic artist Minnie Phan constructed a reported comic on CAAMFest 2016, which includes Director Ben Wang’s film Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story.

See below for their reported comic for the film.

To see more of their reported comic for CAAMFest 2016, click here.

Thanks, Channing and Minnie!

 

» Engagements, News

Press Release

» Engagements, Events

Feeling honor and excited about sharing my thoughts with the leadership of Alameda Labor Council on the impact of mass incarceration and the importance of labor’s role in dismantling the prison industrial Complex through mass employment and investing in education.

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APIs Behind Bars – Incarceration and Immigration Detention

Immigrants are the fastest growing population of prisoners in today’s prison system. Sixty-five percent of API prisoners in California are immigrants and refugees. The growth of the prison industrial complex has paralleled a surge in deportations and immigration detention resulting in a disastrous impact on API communities. The Obama administration has prioritized deporting immigrants with criminal convictions. Since 1996, Congress has stripped away the rights of immigrants with criminal convictions by eliminating certain discretionary waivers, subjecting individuals to indefinite detention, expanded the definition of an “aggravated felony,” and removed judicial review and discretion from Judges.

Programs like Secured Communities aimed at attrition through enforcement result in more immigrants in jail while racially profiling anyone who appears to be undocumented.

How does the immigrant detention issue reshape how we think about the prison system and racial profiling of people of color?

How will the overcrowding crisis in California’s prison system affect the immigration detention system?

What is the impact on the API community as the Obama administration deports a record number of immigrants?

» Engagements

October 1-7 is National Ethnic Studies Week and the School of Social Transformation invites the ASU community to a lecture on October 3 and a teach-in/panel discussion on October 6 to mark the occasion.

Activist, community organizer, and former prisoner Eddy Zheng will speak about his experiences and perspectives concerning youth, education, immigration, and the prison industrial complex, as well as coming into political consciousness while reading ethnic studies texts behind bars.

Eddy Zheng is a Chinese immigrant who spent 21 years of his life in prison for crimes he committed at the age of 16. Since his return to the free world, Eddy has dedicated his life to serving the youth and communities of the greater Bay Area. Currently Eddy is a Project Manager with the Community Youth Center of San Francisco. He is a Mayor Appointee of the San Francisco Reentry Council, a member of the board of directors for the San Francisco’s Neighborhood Vision Project, a national advisory board member of the Asian American Law Journal, a member of the Community Police Advisory Board, and the co-chair of Asian Prisoners Support Committee, based in Oakland. Eddy led a book project that culminated in the publication of Other: An Asian and Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology and is the subject of a forthcoming documentary, “Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story.” He hopes to use his experiences to inspire and motivate young people to invest in their education, raise awareness about the detrimental impact that the prison industrial complex has on the Asian and Pacific Islander population, and promote racial harmony among people of color.

The talk will be introduced by Jeffrey Ow, lecturer in Asian Pacific American Studies in the School of Social Transformation.

Organized by Jeffrey Ow and Wendy Cheng

For more information, contact Professor Wendy Cheng.

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Juvenile Hall Literacy

I will be speaking to approximately 25 youth and young adults who are locked up in the Juvenile Justice Center.

current favorite book:
How It All Began
One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
by Conor Grennan

2011 Alex Awards Committee
2500 Fairmont Drive
San Leandro, CA 94578
510.667.4347 (office)

Write 2 Read – Juvenile Justice Center is an Alameda County Library program in partnership with the Alameda County Office of Education and the Alameda County Probation Department

» Engagements, Events

Featuring:

• Alexis Agathocleous, Staff Attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights
• Zahra Billoo, Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – San Francisco Bay Area
• Dr. Terry Kupers, M.D.
• Keramet Reiter, JD, PhD Candidate Berkeley Law; and,
• Eddy Zheng, Prisoner Rights Advocate.

Moderated by: Sara Norman, Attorney, Prison Law Office.

Co-Sponsored by:

• Civil Liberties Defense Center
• Solitary Watch
• Freedom Archives
• Arab Resource and Organizing Center
• National Lawyers Guild – San Francisco Chapter
• National Lawyers Guild – Boalt Hall Chapter
• California Prison Focus
• Animal Legal Defense Fund-Stanford University
• Chapter and California Coalition for Women Prisoners
• Anti-Racism Committee of the National Lawyers Guild-San Francisco Chapter
• Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and Hastings Prisoner Outreach
• Stanford Criminal Law Society
• ACLU of Northern California
• Prison Legal News
• All of Us or None
• Green is the New Red

» Engagements, Reflections

As part of my way of appreciating the legacy of Dr. King’s dream, I participated in the Know Your Rights event that was organized by the Bay Area Youth Commission and sponsored by Lick-Wilmerding High School’s Center for Civil Engagement.

I had the privilege of kick starting the event with a poem and got approximately 250 people chanting “Peace, Love and Community”. However, I was inspired by the young poet Chinaka Hodge, who let her words flow like a series of soothing melodies. Then I was able to conduct a workshop on the importance of knowing your rights. When it was time for the participants to choose which workshop to go to, mine was the less popular. I’m sure me being an ex-con definitely had something to do with it. Fortunately, the twelve of so people in my workshop appreciated my sharing.

It’s good to see so many young people who are doing their part to live up to Dr. King’s dream of equality for all. Many of them will definitely be leaders who will lead this country.

» Engagements, Reflections

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco, CA

I was invited by the San Francisco Interfaith Council’s (SFIC) Executive Director Michael Pappas as a guest speaker with Reentry Policy Director Jessica Flintoff at its monthly breakfast.

About 80 people from different faith based groups were present at the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Heritage Hall. I shared my poem “Autobiography @ 33” with them as an introduction. I spoke briefly about the importance of all communities coming together to help those who are incarcerated. I drew the parallel on how the prisoners are being treated like lepers in the leper colony of Prison Industrial Complex. Many of the community members reached out to me when I was in prison just as Jesus reach out to the lepers in the leper colony. Without the compassion demonstrated by people from the community, I would not have become who I am.

Members of SFIC are doing many great things helping people who are in need in our community. I want to encourage the interfaith council to play an active role in changing the policy that can steer California away from being number 1 in incarceration and number 50 in education.

» Engagements

San Quentin, CA
Spoke on the the need to raise awareness for restorative justice, and motivate both the incarcerated and broader community to get involved, during National Restorative Justice Week.

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University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Presented at Dr. Siri Brown’s Ethnic Studies class on “Other: an Asian Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology” and prison life, to approximately 150 students.

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San Francisco, CA
Presented at Professor Grace Yoo’s Asian American Studies class, “Asian American communities: Changes and Development”, on the Prison Industrial Complex and reentry to approximately 60 students.

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San Francisco, CA
Presented at Professor Russell Jeung’s “Asian Americans and Public Policy” class, on deportation issues, to approximately 60 students.

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Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco, CA

Spoke about acknowledging the violence plaguing our community and the necessity to build a movement to stop it.

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“Invest In Your Community”

California State Building
Milton Marks Conference Center
San Francisco, CA.

Moderated and presented the workshop, “Keeping It Real: Image vs. Reality”, to over 250 youth.
About the event:

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Bay Area, CA
Presented on transformation, leadership and the Prison Industrial Complex, for a group of 12 youth leaders

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Gordon J. Lau Elementary School, San Francisco, CA
Spoke about communication and violence prevention, to approximately 70 parents.

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Oakland, CA
Presented at Professor Roger Chung’s “Asian-American Communities” class, on the Prison Industrial Complex and the work of Asian Prisoners’ Support Committee (APSC), to approximately 60 students.

» Engagements

University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA

Presented on “Other: an Asian Pacific Islander Prisoners Anthology” and the Prison Industrial Complex, to approximately 20 people.

» Engagements

Los Angeles, CA
Presented on “Other: an Asian Pacific Islander Prisoners Anthology” and the Prison Industrial Complex, to approximately 15 people.

» Engagements

San Francisco, CA
Spoke about racial tension and ending the cycle of violence, to approximately 150 people.

About the event:

» Engagements

San Francisco, CA
Presented at Professor Donna Willmott’s class on the Prison Industrial Complex and reentry, to approximately 25 students.

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St. Paul, MN
Presented at Professor Pablo Dosh’s Comparative Social Movements class, to approximately 15 students.

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St. Paul, MN
Presented at Professor Karin Aguilar-San Juan’s Asian American Community and Identity class, to approximately 12 students.

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke on the importance of education, respect and accountability, to approximately 15 youth.

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San Francisco, CA
Conducted a de-escalation training for 11 OMI Beacon staff.

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Oakland, CA
Spoke with Professor Roger Chung’s Asian American class of approximately 30 students

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Oakland, CA
Spoke with Dr. Darby Price’s Asian American class, “Asian American History from 1945 to the Present”, of approximately 20 students

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke with the senior class, approximately 25 students

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Milpitas, CA
Spoke with approximately 150 students and 50 adults

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University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Presented at Dr. Siri Brown’s Ethnic Studies class of approximately 75 students

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke with Professor Donna Willmott’s class of approximately 20 students

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke about deportation and the experience of API prisoners, at Professor Russell Jeung’s classes “Chinese American Personality”, “Social Class and Low Income Chinese Americans” and “Asian American Public Policy”, to a total of approximately 150 students

» Engagements

Oakland, CA
Emceed a benefit for the PRLF, with approximately 45 community members present

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San Francisco, CA
Presented for ACT, APILO’s youth program, on the importance of the individual, family and community, to 10 people

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Santa Clara, CA
Led an IMPACT training on team building, three tier philosophy, and single mindedness of purpose, for approximately 110 NFL players and coaches

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke about community safety

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San Francisco, CA
Presented to approximately 60 students

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke for Community Youth Center San Francisco, at the Parenting Summit, to approximately 60 community members

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Oakland, CA
Presented to approximately 40 students

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University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
Spoke at UC Santa Cruz’s 15th Annual Motivation Conference, to approximately 80 folks

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University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Spoke about prison and parole policy with Professor Jonathan Simon, to approximately 15 students

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San Francisco, CA
Presented at Donna Willmott’s Health class, “Promoting Wellness for the Formerly Incarcerated” for 12 students

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San Francisco, CA
Invited by the Filipino Community Center volunteers, to speak with approximately 24 students

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University of Berkeley,
Berkeley, CA
Spoke at theSoutheast Asian Student Coalition‘s Annual benefit concert, on transforming the criminal justice system, to approximately 100 people

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke at Professor Russell Jeung’s “Chinese American Personality” and “Asian American Communities: Development and Change” classes, of approximately 150 students

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San Francisco, CA
Presented in English and Cantonese, at Brotherhood and Sisterhood Assembly workshops, to approximately two classes of 50 students

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Spoke at the “Preventing Youth Delinquency” Youth Lecture and Conference, with Guest Speaker Honorable Judge Lillian Sing, to approximately 250 people

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke about the impact of incarceration on the health of individuals, families and the community, at Professor Donna Willmott’s “Health Impacts of Incarceration” Health Education class.

» Engagements

University of California, Davis
Davis, CA
Spoke about the connections between personal life, the Prison Industrial Complex and the overall system of oppression, to Professor Sunaina Maira’s “Politics and Social Movements: Asian American Activism and Social Movement” class, of approximately 40 students.

» Engagements

Oakland, CA
Led a workshop for approximately 35 Asian and Pacific Islander youth.

» Engagements

University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Spoke about the Prison Industrial Complex and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at Professor Alan Ross’s Political Science class, to approximately 385 people.

» Engagements

San Francisco, CA
Spoke about the importance of community service, the API prison population, and struggles in the Prison Industrial Complex, to approximately 200 freshman students

» Engagements

University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Spoke about U.S. immigration policy, to Professor Bill On Hing’s class of approximately 85 people.

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San Francisco, CA
Spoke about the Community Response Network, to approximately 30 broadcasting students.

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University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Spoke about the health impacts of incarceration, to approximately 40 future doctors, dentists, community health workers.

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San Leandro, CA
Spoke at one of Alameda County’s juvenile facilities, on the importance of education, respect and accountability, to approximately 100 youth.
Sponsored by National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

» Engagements

The year of 2008 breezed by like a sparrow riding with the wind of a tornado. Sometimes I don’t even remember all the things that have had happened in my life.

I’ve been in the “Free World” for 22 months. However, I feel like I’ve been here all along. Who would’ve thought that I am still in the United States? My immigration status remains the same – deported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is still waiting to secure my travel document from the Chinese government so it can process my deportation. I’m still under ICE’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program. I have to check in with ICE three times a month. My appeal in the ninth circuit court of appeal has been pending for over two years. I have no idea when the court will issue a decision.

Therefore, my status in the US is still uncertain. Fortunately, with the support and dedication of my friend Ben Wang, we were able to secure the commitment from Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Mike Honda to express their support to sponsor a private bill on my behalf to stop my deportation in the 2009 congress. With Obama as the president, hopefully my chance of getting the private bill passed increases. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I continued to work full time in the Community Youth Center (CYC) of San Francisco. Since my 20 months of employment in CYC, I was promoted three times. Currently, I’m the Senior Project Coordinator responsible for two components that work on decreasing the violence in the schools and the community – the Community Response Network – Asian Pacific Islander (CRN-API) and Intervention.

The stigma of being a formerly incarcerated person has worked for me and against me. There are those who will continue to doubt me. That’s fine. As the saying goes, “You can lead a cow to water, but you cannot force it to drink.” One thing remains unchanged for me is my dedication to service the youth and community to the best of my ability. I find it extremely rewarding to be able to utilize my experiences to provide services to the often under-funded and under-served API population. Therefore, it is humbling to be accepted and validated by most of my peers and community for what I do. Because when you give me a chance, you give thousands of other an opportunity to change their lives.

I have attached a chronology of some of the things that I’ve done this year. They are the direct results of your support and faith in me.

In my reflection of this year, I realize that sometimes I’m disconnected with society. There’re so many things that I did not learn or understand as a result of my incarceration. Therefore, sometimes I unknowingly hurt the people I care about, myself included. At times, I find myself thinking that being in prison is better than being in the so called “Free World.” I feel like I am living in a lie and that my life is one big lie.

I know that I have much to reflect on and take direct actions to make changes. That’s why I ask all of you to keep me humble and continue to guide me in this finite journey of life.

Thank you for being there for me and being my mentors. Your presence in my life reminds me of how rich and lucky I am.

As we embrace the year of 2009, let’s continue to be kind and loving to ourselves so we can pass the same loving kindness to others.

May you and your families be happy and healthy.

My heart bows to you,
Your humble servant,

Eddy Zheng

» Engagements

January 15, 2008
presentation on gangs at Francisco Middle School, spoke to approximately 45 youth in Cantonese

January 17, 2008
guest speaker at Jame Deman Middle School for the Silence to Violence week, spoke to approximately 120 youth

January 25, 2008
spoke at the press conference with Chinese media to sponsor Senator Leland Yee’s SB1199, which allow youth who were sentenced to life without parole a chance to apply for parole after serving 25 years

February 3, 2008
tabling at the Oakland museum with East Wind book store for the Lunar festival book presenter to promote the book “Other, an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoners’ anthology.”

February 7, 2008
spoke at the public hearing on violence prevention at 101 Gough

February 20, 2008
gave a presentation to Professor Dao’s class at San Francisco State University Burk Hall, approximately 40 students were presented

February 23, 2008
Keynote speaker and panelist for Bay Area Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, received Outstanding Leadership Award of 2008, spoke to approximately a hundred people

February 26, 2008
gave presentation at Longfellow Middle school of Berkeley, California to approximately a hundred students

February 26, 2008
hosted a 26 members Chinese delegation from People’s Republic of China and presented a talk on public safety

February 29, 2008
gave a presentation at Youth Chance High to six students

March 5, 2008
gave presentation in Professor Dariotis’ class at San Francisco State University to approximately 40 students

March 5, 2008
attended Community Youth Center’s gala and performed original slam poem “Ahh Imagine”

March 12, 2008
gave presentation at Professor Russell Jeung’s class at SFSU to approximately 40 students

March 15, 2008
panelist and presentation at the Challenging the Myth symposium at SFSU, approximately 200 people were presented

March 19, 2008
gave presentation at Professor Eric Mar’s class at SFSU to approximately 40 students

April 4, 2008
gave presentation at Chinatown YMCA to approximately 15 youth

April 8, 2008
Keynote speaker at the 7th Annual Ethnic Studies Conference at UC Berkeley, there were approximately 500 people presented

April 17, 2008
gave presentation at Mission College at Santa Clara on “Other: an Asian & Pacific Islander Prisoners’ Anthology” to approximately 80 people

April 28, 2008
gave presentation at Roosevelt Middle school in Oakland to approximately 100 people

April 29, 2008
gave presentation at Skyline High school’s Asian Youth Society to approximately 15 students

May 5, 2008
written and performed the poem “Pass it On” at the 30th annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration in the Hearst Theatre to approximately 200 people

May 6, 2008
book reading and presentation at John Adams campus of City College of San Francisco to approximately 25 people

May 8, 2008
gave speeches at Skyline High school’s Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Assembly to approximately 1,400 students

May 13, 2008
East Meets West author talk and book signing at downtown campus of City College of San Francisco to approximately 65 people

May 20, 2008
gave presentation at Havenscourt Middle School from 8am to 3pm to approximately 150 students

May 22, 2008
Master of Ceremony for Asian and Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy and Leadership’s 10th anniversary celebration

May 27, 2008
presentation at Oakland’s Lincoln Square playground to approximately 25 youth

May 30, 2008
bully presentation at Galileo High school from 9am to 4pm to approximately 150 students

June 3, 2008
presentation at Palo Alto High from 7:50am to 3:15pm to approximately 300 students

June 3, 2008
presentation at Camp Sweeney, Alameda county to approximately 150 youth

July 9, 2008
TV interview with CYC’s Executive Director Sarah Wan at TV-36

July 15, 2008
presentation at Alameda Probation Center to approximately 60 youth and adults

July 22, 2008
presentation at De Anza college with Yuri Kochiyama, Marlo, and Loan Dao to Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute to approximately 70 students and faculty

July 24, 2008
presentation at James Denman Middle School to approximately 60 students and adults

July 30, 2008
presentation at Petaluma Kamp to approximately 50 CYC’s summer program middle and high school students

August 22, 2008
moderator for the first CYC/AYAN and Assemblyman Mark Leno’s Asian Pacific Islander youth summit at the State building

September 27, 2008
conducted a workshop at the Critical Resistance 10 conference on Voices of Asian Prisoners to approximately 35 people

October 21, 2008
gave a presentation at CYC to six supreme court judges from Beijing, China accompanied by San Francisco juvenile Judge Sing and staff from DuiHa

October 28, 2008
presentation at East Bay Hayward college to approximately 45 freshmen students on the Prison Industrial Complex

October 29, 2008
presentation at Galileo High’s Chinese class to approximately 30 students on Asian gang and the importance of education

October 29, 2008
presentation at Balboa High’s Scare Stiff program to approximately 15 students on the importance of education and self respect

November 15, 2008
presentation at the Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) conference in San Francisco to approximately 30 people on my transformation and experience as a facilitator in prison

November 17, 2008
presentation at Galileo High school on Asian gang issues to approximately 15 staff

November 18, 2008
presentation at UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies freshmen class on the Prison Industrial Complex to approximately 30 students

November 20, 2008
presentation at the California Wellness Foundation sponsored Violence Prevention Conference on the Community Response Network to reduce violence in the city of San Francisco to approximately 50 people

December 11, 2008
presentation at Laney college, Oakland with the Asian Prisoners’ Support Committee to approximately 35 students on the Prison Industrial Complex and issues involved the API population in prison

December 12, 2008
presentation at Galileo High’s college and career senior class on the importance of education and career choices to approximately 30 students

» Engagements

 

Over 200 youth, families, youth agencies and community partners convened at the San Francisco Public Library to listen to expert panelists discuss violence intervention and prevention in schools, gang activity among youth, and the impact of the San Francisco gang injunctions on young people.

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Spoke on anti-violence and gangs, to approximately 50 kids.
10:45am – 3pm.

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Addressed morning assembly and three workshops
8:30 to 1:30 pm.
Spoke to approximately 200 students

» Engagements

Panelist at the Film screening of Sentenced Home at San Francisco’s Koret Public Library, with Sin Yen Ling, Angie Junck, Keo, and Carol.

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Spoke at Civic Auditorium, with approximately 45 people.

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Guest speaker at Longfellow Middle School, to about 150 kids, on: Respect, Education, Responsibility, making right choices.

9am to 3pm.

6 periods.

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Guest speaker at UC Berkeley Boalt Hall law school for discussion on Restorative Justice.  With: Eric Yamamoto, Professor Mary Louise Frampton, Jane Kim, Lee, Maria, Seth, Mika, Willoughby, Elan, John, Phillip, Sandra Kim, Susan Sarrano, Nakisha

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with Helen Zia, Victor Huang, and Ivy Lee, to 23 students.