Alyson Bryant
Alyson Bryant was raised in Long Beach and is a graduate of Long Beach Poly High. Alyson has learned and seen a lot since high school, witnessing first-hand gang violence and the effects it had on her friends and fellow classmates– from going to jail to being killed. As a result, she has a strong passion for at-risk youth and her community. She is a youth mentor for at the California Conference for Equality and Justice and focuses her work on Long Beach youth in schools and detention centers. Since high school, she has obtained a A.S. degree in criminal justice and is now working on her B.A. With the opportunity she has be given by VoiceWaves, she is able to tell story about Long Beach and the issues it faces and speak for the communities whose voices are often marginalized. Posts by Alyson Bryant:
It Goes Both Ways: How Youth Violence Hurts Everyone
When youth violence ends in one teen's death and another teen sent to prison for life, the whole community hurts.The Payoffs and Pitfalls of Flagging ‘At-Risk’ Kids in Early Grades
Long before students have even entered ninth grade, teachers are looking to detailed data to figure out which kids are most likely to drop out of high school...
Black History Month: A Conversation With Local Unsung Civil Rights Heroes
As a young African American woman, February is an especially important month to me. Because of the consequences of slavery, I do not know much of my own family history...
Residents Celebrate MLK’s Legacy in Long Beach
More than 45 years after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. died, many argue that there is still much civil rights work to be done...
My Trip to the White House: A Reporter’s Notebook
When I first found out I was going to D.C, I was shocked and happy. I keep thinking, “Really?..
Making Local Control Funding Work for Young Men of Color
In November, the California Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color held a hearing to discuss design of new school system accountability standards, and how they must include measuring outcomes for boys and young men of color...
NewsLongBeach: What Does Justice Look Like?
Recently, the California Conference For Equality And Justice convened a series of discussions to address those issues and emotions. ..
Our Community: Khmer Girls in Action
“Our Community” is a VoiceWaves project and community event being showcased on Aug. 26. Youth reporters were tasked to explore their community through a camera’s lens, each picking one community-based organization to shine a spotlight on...
Girls Empower Youth & Themselves
[Ed Note: This past Saturday, GURLSociety held their second annual Empower the Youth Fair, which included performances, food, free manicures and more...
Girls Rising in Long Beach and Beyond
[Ed. Note: On July 13, the Long Beach Public Library hosted a screening of “Girls Rising,” a film that raised questions about the fight for education for girls across the globe...
Youth at Reid Bring Awareness to Sexual Assault
Every ninety seconds, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Justice and in last year Long Beach, there were 115 documented rapes...