The community is invited to a special dialogue on the issues that matter to the Long Beach Community. Both students and faculty at California State University, Long Beach are actively engaged in citywide issues through coursework, research and community service. Members of the Long Beach community will have a unique opportunity to participate in a lively conversation about shared interests and concerns during “Lens on Long Beach: A Community—CSULB Dialogue.” The discussion will span a broad range of issues, from the diversity that defines Long Beach, to the stereotypes that slip into mainstream media coverage, to the social and economic challenges facing local residents.
The event will take place on campus Feb. 25 from 6 pm to 7:30 p.m. It is jointly hosted by CSULB’s Multicultural Center; the CSULB Department of Journalism & Mass Communication; the National Association of Hispanic Journalists; and VoiceWaves, a non-profit youth media training organization. “Lens on Long Beach” will feature a screening of broadcast news coverage by CSULB journalism students and VoiceWaves reporters, as well as a moderated discussion responding to the challenges and solutions highlighted in the videos. Panelists include Teresa Gomez, Human Dignity Program coordinator for the City of Long Beach; Norma Chinchilla, co-founder of the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition; Darick Simpson, director of the Long Beach Community Action Partnership; Christopher Covington, VoiceWaves reporter; and Carla Yarbrough, a Journalism & Mass Communication Department faculty member.
Both CSULB Journalism students and VoiceWaves reporters produce stories that raise awareness of issues and concerns in North, Central and West Long Beach, as well as downtown. In doing so, they give voice to some of the poorest and most marginalized residents of the city. The diverse communities they cover are rich in culture and history. They are characterized by Filipino bakeries and Vietnamese noodle houses, African American barbershops and Mexican taquerias, Cambodian temples and Muslim mosques.
During “Lens on Long Beach,” attendees will have the opportunity to watch news coverage of emotionally powerful topics, including how children living near the port in West Long Beach handle chronic asthma, and the impact of sex trafficking in North Long Beach. Other stories tackle controversial local policy issues—such as the widespread deployment of surveillance cameras downtown; how federal immigration reform is affecting undocumented residents in Long Beach; and illegal fishing on Belmont Pier. Education-related issues, including implementation of the Common Core curriculum and academic enrichment programs, are also likely topics.
“Lens on Long Beach” will be held in the Anatol Center (AS-119). Please click on the attached link for directions and parking information:
http://daf.csulb.edu/maps/parking/
For more information, contact Gwen Shaffer, CSULB Department of Journalism & Mass Communication Gwen.shaffer@csulb or 562.985.5433 or James Sauceda, CSULB Multicultural Center [email protected] or 562.985.8151