Say what you need to say

Last night we were given a great opportunity to sit in on Judy Baca's UCLA SPARC post grad course.

The class began with an informal discussion with the publisher and the editor of independent news website Truth Digs  discussing their methods, problems and interests with the students.
This was followed by presentations from two students.
A humbling experience. The two women who presented are working on deeply personal projects that are at the same time vital for their communities and the wider public.
Angelica Isai Becerra began by sharing this video, Black Bruins. and went on ask the class for their opinions concerning the direction of her work relating to Chicana iconography and ways in how to present her paintings and a poem she has written about her childhood border crossing from Mexico to the US. Powerful stuff.
LeighAnna Hidalgo presented her project to create a digital fotonovella with Latino street vendors which could also look at the proliferation of payday loan companies operating in Latino communities.
You can find her previous work here http://en.calameo.com/read/0005533147e3991198c48

I don't have the words to do justice to the work produced by these folk and I'm looking forward to seeing how both projects develop.