The Watts Labor Community Action Committees' Family Development Network is open to help. On 2/8/2002 we were willing to change our mood and do something new. In the Market Place complex Great Leap came together with WLCAC staff to build. Build bridges over palm trees laid out under foot. The palm trees are the focus of the beautiful mosaic floor in the circular theater. Toni Love, the creator of this large broken tile mosaic floor is truly an artist. "Artist" now is a term applying to those who are willing to play, laugh, look closely and learn from our experiences.

Are you an artist? The question is real. Many of us like Toni Love come from a lineage of people (in her case African people) who have no word for "art" or "artist" in the language. Still it is us and our ancestors who have civilized the world with the production of beauty and song that we are still dependent on to ease tension, inspire joy, and provide a glimpse of future possibilities. The artist. Who provides the music you listen to when you need to relax? Who do you watch play the sports and games at the level of Art? Whose expression in words and dance help to reaffirm human magnificence in your mind? Maybe Michael Jackson... maybe Nobuko Miyamoto. So how do the creative ones remain energized and ready? Discipline. Skill. Practice.

This Friday, the dedicated counselors and staff came to stretch, share and listen to ideas of how to grow. Grow peace. Grow food. Grow community. We warmed up our bodies with guidance from choreographer Young Ae-Park and performance artist Dan Kwong warmed up our voices to illustrate some of the exercises we will present to the youth and elders to help share the stories of Watts and America. America as seen by Mexican natives, immigrants and stolen Africans who all find ourselves in Watts in this new century. Are we free? Can we eat healthy?

After warm up we learned to trust through surrender. Give up your sight to trust your hearing. Would you allow yourself to be guided blindly around a room full of people simply by the focus of your hearing on the repeated sound of your partner? Writer/ workshop leader Alison De La Cruz taught us that lesson for sure!

The power of technology allows for immediate feedback. Here is one emailed response.

"I would like to convey to all that were involved in the warm-up on Friday,
it was a very positive experience for everyone here at WLCAC and
we are all very excited to begin working it into the youth component of the FDN program.
Thanks so much for all you are doing."

Lori McCollum
Family Development Network
Program Director


This was a preparation to get to know each other. The youth and elders are next. At the closing we agreed to plant some seeds. Seeds in the ground and seeds of wisdom in the mind. Groundbreaking for the community garden on site at the WLCAC is set for Saturday morning, March 2 @11a.m. Come bless the earth "From the Ground Up: To All Relations." (Mitakuye Oyasin)

Gene Cooke
Associate Producer



Updated: 7/11/02