Karen Earl, Director of Jenesse Center poses with Halle Berry, Ambassador for Jenesse Center (David Livingston / Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Jenesse Center is proud to announce the dates for the 2010 Silver Rose Weekend, chaired by Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry. Celebrating its 30 year anniversary of continued service in the community, Jenesse will kick off the weekend event with the annual Silver Rose Gala and Auction on Sunday, April 18, 2010 at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, followed by the 2nd Annual Halle Berry Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday, April 19, 2010 at the Wilshire Country Club.
From YouTube
Jenesse Center is a national non-profit organization that provides a holistic, comprehensive program to nurture victimized families back to a place of mental, financial, physical and emotional well-being.
The theme for the 2010 Silver Rose event is “In a Perfect World.” Avis Frazier-Thomas, Jenesse Board President said, “The 2010 Annual Silver Rose Weekend theme is ‘In a Perfect World’ because in a perfect world, domestic violence does not exist. We work diligently with the hope in our hearts that if we continue to aggressively raise awareness, provide the proper services and engage community support, we will drastically reduce domestic violence and possibly…eliminate it altogether. We thank our partners who are in the trenches with us on the quest to end domestic violence. With continued support, we will continue to plant the seeds of peace and harmony as a way of life for our clients and the community. We invite everyone to join us for the 2010 Silver Rose Weekend in April and together, protect our greatest treasure, the American family.”
Karen Earl, Executive Director of the Jenesse Center said, “We are so grateful to have the support of so many businesses, organizations and individuals. This is such important work and we are excited that each year more great people are joining us to bring peace and healing into the homes of families who struggle with domestic violence. I also want to thank the Jenesse Center Board who work tirelessly year-round to champion the cause of the families who so need our help.”
Jenesse Ambassador, Halle Berry, said, “The Silver Rose Weekend will raise much needed funds to help families victimized by domestic violence. Over the past 10 years I’ve watched the lives of countless families transformed and I am excited about the future for these families as we work to build on our success and bring an end to their suffering one family at a time.”
For more information on the Silver Rose Weekend, please call Jenesse Center at 323.299.9496, ext. 103 or visit the website at www.jenesse.org. All events are ticketed and open to the public. Event will also host a silent, live and national online auction. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
(Thursday, November 12, 2009) NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making a Difference” special week long series. Halle Berry shares her dedication to working with domestic violence survivors with NBC’s Natalie Morales.
Karen Earl, Director of Jenesse Center poses with Halle Berry, Ambassador for Jenesse Center (David Livingston / Getty Images)
Halle Berry is no stranger to domestic violence having grown up in a household where her own mother was a victim of domestic violence. During the interview, she shares that even some of her own dating relationships in the past became at risk of repeating the same pattern from her mother, but she was able to recognize the early warning signs and end those relationships. Over the past 10 years, Halle has been working very closely with the Jenesse Center in Los Angeles, serves as the Ambassador, and provides both financial and hands-on support. The Jenesse Center has grown to 6 different shelters in the Los Angeles area for over 8000 battered women a year and their children who need a safe place to stay and assistance dealing with the emotional trauma, legal aspects, and vocational assistance.
NOTE: If the links do not work, go to the Making a Difference website and you’ll find links to each celebrity about 2/3 down the page under a heading “Celebrities Making A Difference.”
I’m watching this series in order as I write, so I haven’t seen Tim McGraw’s feature yet, but I have been most impressed by Halle Berry’s involvement. I can only imagine that there was a similar sentiment when recording her interview because there is more video footage available online than the others. I say that not to diminish the work of other celebrities featured but to applaud Halle Berry. To hear that she is willing to roll up her sleeves and stuff envelopes and get to know the women and children at the shelter is truly inspiring. At the same time, she’s used her celebrity status to rally support financially for Jenesse Center even starting an annual golf event and fundraiser. Additionally, I liked that Jenessee Center offers unconditional assistance to women who may decide to leave before completing the program but then return at a different time. I was also impressed by the director of Jenesse Center Karen Earl particularly her drive to make the facility the best it can be.
It was interesting that they touched upon the fact that domestic violence was not about class, briefly highlighting Rihanna and Chris Brown as an example. I think Natalie Morales did a fantastic job with this interview. After seeing this, I am adding Jenesse Center to my personal list of organizations to support financially. I don’t take that notion lightly, but I was really touched by Halle Berry’s work and the Jenesse Center as a whole. I have listed some specific pages on the Jenesse Center website, but I encourage you to surf around to read about various events, volunteer, and sponsorship opportunities.
The Jenesse Center was the official charity of this year’s 2009 Los Angeles Marathon. Check out the promotional video below…
The Silver Rose Weekend is three days of exciting events that raise support and awareness for the programs and services provided by Jenesse Center. There will be a VIP Reception on Saturday, April 17, 2010 (location TBA), an Awards Gala and Auction on Sunday, April 18, 2010, 12noon at the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Halle Berry Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday, April 19, 2010 at the Wilshire Country Club.
This is a little dated but still helpful to watch.
Information about Halle Berry’s Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting Jenesse Center, Inc.
(Wednesday, November 11, 2009) NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making a Difference” special week long series. Glenn Close shares her work to bring awareness and eradicate the stigma surrounding mental illness with NBC’s Anne Thompson.
Jessie Close is the younger sister and inspiration to Glenn Close. Jessie has bipolar disorder that went improperly diagnosed (although that detail is not clear in this segment) until age 47 even with their father who is in the medical field. Glenn was motivated by her sister’s life to use her celebrity status to speak out about mental illness through various appearances and public service announcements such as in the Bring Change 2 Mind. Additionally, Glenn has teamed with Fountain House in New York City to provide funding that goes to housing, education, treatment, employment and a variety of other support services to people living with mental illness that need some additional assistance to thrive in society.
The embed code provided on msnbc.com does not work with my WordPress page so I’m placing the link to the interview for you to watch below. Continue to read my reaction, and I encourage you to comment with yours.
NOTE: If the links do not work, go to the Making a Difference website and you’ll find links to each celebrity about 2/3 down the page under a heading “Celebrities Making A Difference.”
I applaud Glenn Close for taking on the subject of mental illness because it is often overlooked, as she’s seen with her own sister, and still holds many false preconceptions. The statistic that played in the public service announcement clip that 1 in 6 people live in mental illness was surprising to me. It’s much more common than many of us would think. Programs like Fountain House provide a loving community for people recovering from mental illness through the work they do together to support the house. It was good to see Glenn doing some hands on volunteer work at Fountain House to show her commitment. It was, however, unclear from the interview alone how active she is with organization and in what capacity. Just surfing the website for Fountain House, I could not find Glenn Close’s name attached to anything which raised some questions about the extent of her involvement in comparison to what I witnessed with Jon Bon Jovi and Alicia Keys so far.
As one of her season intros borrowed Chaka Khan‘s “I’m Every Woman,” Oprah has indeed found a unique way to reach the hearts of women all over the world, and men, too. She broke the stereotype too often required of women on television or in film that they need to be a size 0, fair-skinned and with features unlike Oprah. Now, once she has 25 golden seasons under her belt, Oprah is retiring her weekday talk show to make room for new pursuits. She didn’t offer much detail, but her next venture will be under her own cable network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
I, personally, am not stunned. Oprah’s had a good run with the show, and as her declining ratings over the past few seasons indicate, television viewers are not choosing her show to the degree that they had been in prior years. Plus, if you simply look at the fact that she’s ending at a 25 year mark, it seems like that’s a goal she’s probably had in mind for years.
Here’s a CNN report talking about Oprah’s departure.
Here’s the press release from Oprah.com…
November 20, 2009, CHICAGO — On today’s live episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey announced that she plans to end her show in September 2011 after 25 years on the air. The Oprah Show will end its run as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011.
Launched nationally in 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show is viewed by an estimated 42 million viewers each week in the United States.* Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show have received 48 Daytime Emmy Awards®, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.** It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution and to 145 countries by CBS Studios International.
Said Winfrey: “I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye. Twenty-five years feels right in my bones, and it feels right in my spirit. It’s the perfect number—the exact right time. So I hope that you will take this 18-month ride with me right through to the final show.”
Winfrey continued, “So, the countdown to the end of The Oprah Winfrey Show starts now, and until that day in 2011 when it ends, I intend to soak up every meaningful, joy-filled moment with you.”
After production wraps on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey plans to appear and participate in new programming for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a 24-hour cable network that reflects her vision, values and interests. The launch date for OWN, a joint venture with Discovery Communications, is now set for January 2011.
Harpo Productions, Inc. produces the number one–rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show; creates and develops original TV programming for primetime, syndication and cable television; and operates Oprah.com (www.oprah.com), a premier lifestyle website. ZoCo Productions, LLC, an affiliate of Harpo Productions, Inc., and Sony Pictures Television co-produce The Dr. Oz Show. Harpo Print, LLC and Hearst Magazines publish the monthly O, The Oprah Magazine publication. Harpo Films produces feature films and, through an exclusive deal with HBO, scripted television programming. Harpo Radio, Inc. produces Oprah Radio (XM channel 156, Sirius channel 195 as part of its “Best of XM” package) on Sirius XM Radio. A joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a multiplatform company, will debut in January 2011 in more than 70 million homes on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel.
(Tuesday, November 10, 2009) NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making a Difference” special week long series. Alicia Keys provides “a voice for the voiceless” to HIV/AIDS patients in Africa and India and shares her story with NBC’s Lester Holt.
In her interview with Lester Holt, R&B singer Alicia Keys visits Agape Orphanage in Durban, South Africa and a health clinic that the organization Keep A Child Alive sponsors. It was after witnessing the impact of HIV and AIDS, firsthand, during a trip to Africa in 2003 that motivated Alicia Keys to action. Together, Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys founded Keep A Child Alive providing free lifesaving medical assistance, resources, and support to families all over Africa and India that cannot afford anti-retroviral medication and related care.
The embed code provided on msnbc.com does not work with my WordPress page so I’m placing the link to the interview for you to watch below. Continue to read my reaction, and I encourage you to comment with yours.
NOTE: If the links do not work, go to the Making a Difference website and you’ll find links to each celebrity about 2/3 down the page under a heading “Celebrities Making A Difference.”
We know the statistics of HIV and AIDS are startling in Africa, but to hear, for example as stated in the video interview, that over 10% of the population has AIDS in South Africa. Further, over half of those suffering from HIV/AIDS do not have the means to obtain life sustaining medication just brings the point home all over again. In the US, while HIV/AIDS is still a crisis and at epidemic levels in different parts of the country, we are largely fortunate to have medication widely available so that people can actually live full lives with HIV now. When you step outside of the Western world, that is not always the case. My heart bled for the orphans in Durban who looked up to Alicia Keys as their own sister with sincere heartfelt gratitude for the contributions from Keep A Child Alive. If you look at the Keep A Child Alive website, you’ll read that it just takes a US dollar a day to make an impact. Think about that as we enter the holiday season. Sometimes, I’ve made charitable contributions in lieu of gifts. I’m definitely adding Keep A Child Alive to my list.
p.s. Didn’t Alicia just sing to our souls at the end with her a capella rendition of “Prelude to a Kiss?” What a beautiful song!
(Monday, November 9, 2009) NBC Nightly News “Celebrities Making a Difference” special week long series. Jon Bon Jovi talks about the power of “we” with Brian Williams on the eve of his group’s album release for “The Circle.”
As I mentioned in my post “NBC Nightly News hosts special week long series ‘Celebrities Making A Difference’” the week beginning November 9, 2009 expanded the regular “Making A Difference” segment to include celebrities and their philanthropic efforts. Rock star from one of the few groups of any music genre with a lifeline spanning several decades Jon Bon Jovi of Bon Jovi was the first to be featured with his organization that provides affordable housing called the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. It started out as a charitable extension from the days when Jon Bon Jovi was part owner of the the Philadelphia Soul arena football team, league now defunct, that was called Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation.
Unfortunately, the embed code provided on NBC Nightly News is not compatible with WordPress, so I’ll just offer you the link instead to watch while reading this post:
I personally haven’t listened to Jersey native Bon Jovi since the 80s, but after watching this feature about his work with the Soul Foundation, I’m a fan all over again. The first thing I had to shake was this perception that rockers who have been in the game all end up looking and speaking like Ozzy Osbourne from a lifetime of sex, drugs, and rock n roll. He’s far from that image, a family of his own, a sharp sense of business savvy, and an incredible passion to give back to others. It is so true that charity begins at home, and I liked seeing that Jon Bon Jovi has invested in the communities in his home state of New Jersey and bordering Pennsylvania.
Bon Jovi’s latest album entitled “The Circle” was released on November 10, 2009.
WARNING!!! THE STORY BELOW IS GRAPHIC IN NATURE AND COVERS THE SUBJECT OF CHILD ABUSE.
All too often we are captivated by horrific yet true stories that are seemingly unfathomable. Whether it’s our poor response to natural disasters as in Hurricane Katrina, acts of terrorism as in 9/11, or school shootings as in Columbine High School. Then there are stories like Shaniya Davis whose mother treated her own daughter as a commodity and sold her as a part of human trafficking where she was raped then killed. These stories affect the families directly associated with them as well as many of us who get a glimpse via newspapers or television.
I salute those like Captain Young and others from the nation’s police departments, fire departments, hospitals, and military agencies who regularly put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect the lives of others…especially our children.
Not every story makes the headlines, such as the one you are about to read. I feel as obligated to post this as I do sick to the very pit of my stomach. We must fight with every bone in our body to put an end to child abuse! Be vigilant and trust your instincts. If something doesn’t look right with a child, it probably isn’t.
Here’s more from my conversation with LAPD Capt. Young…
Affrodite: I’m sure you’ve been able to see a lot of things over the years. I know you have worked with child abuse and rape. I look at that and think I don’t have the heart to work in those areas the way you did.
Capt. Young: It was tough.
Affrodite: Would you like to share a story that touched you personally during that time and what about it made it so memorable?
Capt. Young: I’ll tell you, one of the most difficult assignments I’ve had was working in the Juvenile Division in the Abused Child Unit because in a specialized division we handle cases where the the children were victims because the parents or guardians did something to them…We have 21 stations so there’s a Juvenile Division within each station, but they handle if the neighbor abused the child…There was a case that I’ll always remember. A little girl, probably about 18 months old. Her father had been molesting her. It’s hard because I still see her face, just a cute little girl, and it was sexual molestation. It wasn’t physical. We went out to the house and we met her, and she was just the sweetest little girl. The mother, of course, was in denial. The case was reported by another family member not living in the home so that’s how we got there. We took the little girl, and this is where I just (she pauses)… We took her to the hospital as we normally would do for medical treatment…and these nurses were examining her and the doctor, and when they took off her clothes, all I heard was [a loud gasp]..I’m coming in there because I want to see, too…and oh my God! The nurses started crying. The doctor who was a man was tearing up, and I’m like what? So they showed me. They showed me her private area and they said that was the worse case of gonorrhea they had ever seen.
Affrodite: Oh my gosh!
Capt. Young: And I had never seen gonorrhea before, and I was thinking, ‘Oh my God! That’s why she was crying all the time.’ She was in so much pain, open sores, everything. I turned and I looked at my partner and I said, ‘We’re going back to that house. We’re going now, and everyone is going to jail.’ So we went back. Mom was in denial when we told her what the results were from the hospital. She said, ‘Oh, she got it from the toilet stool.’ I said, ‘Ma’am, I’ve never had any children but I do have nieces and nephews and at 18 months how do they hold up [on the toilet seat by themselves]? This is a little girl!…’ So we had the mom and everybody get tested, and the mom had gonorrhea. There was another daughter in the house who had it. We found dad and he was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Affrodite: It reminds me of that story that was in the news about the girl, Jaycee Lee Dugard, that had been abducted. I wrote about it in my women’s column but I focused on the women behind that story (click HERE for story). The female police officers, Lisa Campbell and Ally Jacobs from Berkely who sensed something was wrong and went the extra mile of doing some follow up.
Capt. Young: Yes, people don’t do that often enough.
Affrodite: And then also looking at that Phillip Garrido’s wife Nancy Garrido because the media attention went straight to him like as if, I mean, I know, usually the man’s the main perpetrator, but I still feel like women play a role if you are there and witnessing it and not reporting.
Capt. Young: Yes.
Affrodite: So as you’re telling that story about the girl, I was wondering if you have anything to say to women who are in these situations. I understand that there’s a level of abuse that is happening to them too, but do you feel they’re equally responsible?
Capt. Young: They are equally responsible…He’d have to kill me for me to hold that secret of abuse that was happening to not only my child but to someone else’s [as in Garrido case]. This is a child that they took off the street from a family and brought home and tortured basically in the backyard for all of those years.
Affrodite: And nobody knew.
Capt. Young: But the neighbor, remember, they were saying that they had heard funny noises but he never called.
Affrodite: Yes, and it’s a shame that there’s more than one story like that out there.
Yes, there’s still more with Capt. Young to share with you so stay tuned as she offers safety tips for women and answers your questions submitted on Facebook and Twitter.
After 10 Years, Festival Leaves the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
LOS ANGELES – The Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), America’s largest and most prestigious Black film and arts festival, has moved its Los Angeles headquarters from the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza to 6820 Latijera Boulevard Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90045. Their new phone number is (310) 337-4737 and the fax number is (310) 337-4736. For more information, please visit www.paff.org.
Currently wrapping up film submissions for its 18th Annual signature event taking place February 10-15, 2010 in Los Angeles, the PAFF was established in 1992, as a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression.
It is PAFF’s goal to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. We believe film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.
As mentioned in the kick-off post, Captain Ann E. Young (Capt. Young), has held a variety of positions as she’s grown through the ranks within the LAPD. Not being familiar with the various divisions within the LAPD or any police force, I wanted to get a better understanding of Capt. Young’s specific responsibilities at the moment and probe a little more into some of her community involvement.
Affrodite: What are you commanding?
Capt. Young: Right now, I’m the commanding officer of the Detective Support and Vice Division which I have citywide for all vice operations as well [including] prostitutes, pimps, pandering, massage parlors, ladies of the evening, all that stuff. In addition to that, I have the Threat Management Unit which they investigate celebrities that are being stalked or workplace violence cases, missing persons…I have the Mental Evaluation Unit where our officers actually go out in the field and make arrests or take into custody those that are determined to be mentally ill. I have all of the court liaisons, and that’s it. I have 180 employees that report to me in this command.
When Capt. Young said “that’s it,” I was literally left speechless. There are so many critical operations that fall within her command. Additionally, Capt. Young’s involvement does not simply stop at day-to-day operations. There were a host of other activities in which Capt. Young actively supports. Even as we continued to talk about the Los Angeles FOX 11 news segment, “Wednesday’s Child” that aired the night before and featured a young man named Christopher who was interested in being a police officer, it only represented one of many community programs in which Capt. Young is involved.
More on FOX 11 LA “Wednesday’s Child: Christopher”
Capt. Young: Christine Devine [from FOX 11] is trying to showcase and spotlight these children that are older children and show that they’re not on drugs. They’re not in gangs. They’re just normal boys and girls just like anyone else, you know, that are looking for mentorship to get them out of that life because when they turn 18, you’re [released from the foster care system].
Affrodite: No more support?
Capt. Young: No more support. Then they might turn to to drugs or some other type of life if they haven’t already planned…We want to stay in contact with [Christopher] because we have programs for children his age…like the Explorer program…It’s like a police cadette type program where at that age they go through an Academy for a couple of weeks and then they’re attached to that police station. They participate in different events…and work at the police station on little jobs…go on field trips…It’s a good coordinated program. We try to keep them straight so then when they’re able to at 18, 19, and 20, they can join a police department or join a fire department or go to school.
Mary Magdalene Project
Affrodite: Tell me about the drop-in center for women that you are involved.
Capt. Young: I’m on the Board of Directors. It’s out in the Valley. It’s called the Mary Magdalene Project(www.mmp.org) and it’s a drop in center for prostitute women that we’re trying to, again, get them off the street and get them into some type of program.
She went on to explain how they’re trying to model the Mary Magdalene Project after the SAGE Project (Standing Against Global Exploitation – www.sagesf.org) in San Francisco. Capt. Young continues:
Prostitution is something that’s ingrained over time. These women are truly victims. They started at a very young age, and this sometimes is all they know. So, hopefully, our drop in center will turn into a live-in center. Right now, they show up for resources. They show up for counseling and then they go back out…We’re starting with baby steps…You’ve got to change the whole mindset of that young lady. You’ve got to turn her around to where she feels the confidence that she needs to be able to go back out into the street and not go back into the life. Get an apartment, use the resources to get a job, clean up.
La Cienega School
Affrodite: I know you’ve gotten involved in a new project with one of the inner city schools. Can you tell me about that?
Capt. Young: Cienega Elementary School in LA. We’re trying to…work on a program to bring that entire school up to the Police Academy and put on a demonstration, similar to what we did with Christopher but…we’ll be bringing maybe 800 kids out there. Then, we’re going to join with that school to see if there’s some programs that we can develop to where it’s an ongoing basis where they can use the Police Academy or use the Museum of Tolerance because we’ve done some work with them, too.
In the next post, you’ll hear Capt. Young recall a memorable yet chilling story from her work experience.
“NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” regularly airs a “Making A Difference” segment whose focus is to showcase the “extraordinary efforts of ordinary people.” Beginning on Monday, November 9, 2009, NBC Nightly News hosted a special edition of this segment “Celebrities Making A Difference” highlighting philanthropic efforts from celebrities each night this week. Today (Friday), will close out this series, but I wanted to bring this information to you through my blog to encourage viewership and discussion.
Here’s a schedule from this week’s “Celebrities Making A Difference”…
MONDAY
(Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)
Jon Bon Jovi speaks to NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams about his Soul Foundation (www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org) established to help create affordable housing in the Philadelphia and New Jersey region where he grew up.
TUESDAY
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
Alicia Keys speaks to NBC’s Lester Holt about her Keep A Child Alive foundation (keepachildalive.org) aimed at providing lifesaving medication for those in Africa and India who have succumbed to HIV/AIDS.
WEDNESDAY
(Bryan Bedder / Getty Images)
Glenn Close tells NBC’s Anne Thompson about her ongoing work supporting New York’s Fountain House (www.fountainhouse.org) a place that assists the mentally ill.
THURSDAY
(David Livingston / Getty Images)
Halle Berry is interviewed by NBC’s Natalie Morales about her continued support of the Jenessee Center (www.jenesse.org) in Los Angeles that serves women who have been victims of domestic violence.
FRIDAY
(Larry Busacca / Getty Images)
Tim McGraw closes out this special series in an interview with NBC’s Amy Robach about the organization he co-founded with also famous wife Faith Hill called Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation (www.neighborskeeper.org) that provides ongoing aid to survivors from devastating 2005 Hurricane Katrina.
Each of these segments will follow in separate blog posts.
When I was asked if I would like to speak to Capt. Ann E. Young (Capt. Young) and given her bio, I responded with a resounding yes. Her career has included service in the Juvenile Division (Abused Child Unit), Robbery Homocide Division (Rape Special Section), and Internal Affairs. Outside of her main responsibilities, Capt. Young is very active in the community. Just the day before she she was part of the Los Angeles FOX 11 News “Wednesday’s Child” segment, a series that features older children in foster care, after spending a day with Christopher who is an aspiring police officer. Check out the segment below.
Capt. Young was one of the first African-American female captains to be named to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), in its 131 year history, at the time she was appointed in April 2000. Who knew? Exactly! That’s why I’m excited to bring her story to my blog and Examiner women’s column in a series of posts.
I happened to be in Los Angeles on a visit, back in September, and arranged to meet Capt. Young in person at her office in the LAPD headquarters. Naturally, entering such a building came with some nerves. I don’t believe I’ve ever walked into a police department in my life (a good thing, of course). Fortunately, LAPD headquarters is just offices which made getting in to see her much simpler than if there were any holding facilities.
After being escorted to her department (Office of the Detective Bureau and Vice Squad), I waited patiently for Capt. Ann to complete a phone conversation. When she walked out, we greeted each other with a smile. You may argue whether or not this detail is significant, but I was pleased to see a woman in her position wearing her hair in a nice, neat short afro. I had a “Go ahead, girl!” moment in my mind as I shook her hand.
As she led me to her office, I looked around. I don’t know what I expected to see, lots of hustle and bustle like you see on tv, but it was kind of quiet. She shut the door and came over to a small conference table and sat next to me. In that moment, I began to move past Capt. Young as strictly a woman in a high ranking position and began to see her as an entire woman. She was shy and very soft spoken. While Capt. Young is very active in the community, I do not think that she’s had many opportunities for someone to come and feature just her story. I admired her sense of humility and wished I could have spoken to her all afternoon, but the time I did have with her was well spent as you’ll read in this post and upcoming posts in this series.
Just as I did, you have a lot to learn, so let me just give you an introduction to Capt. Young.
Affrodite: Tell me about yourself.
Capt Young: I’ve been on the department for about 28 years now. Prior to coming on, I was a teacher. I taught five years in Las Vegas and one year in Compton Unified School District which is kind of like a suburb of Los Angeles. Then I came on the department. I always wanted to be a police officer. We grew up in New York, actually, in Brooklyn, and I guess I was interested in becoming a cop back then.
Affrodite: So you do not come from a family history of those who served in the police force?
Capt. Young: Not a history, per se, but while living in New York I had a cousin that was a detective in the NYPD. He has since passed away, but I used to hear his stories when he would come to visit…He used to talk to my dad a lot because he was working undercover narcotics at the time back of[NYPD Detective Frank] Serpico, probably before your time. There was a horrendous scandal in New York…[and my uncle] was working narcotics. He was afraid for his life, and I used to listen between the doors because they didn’t want me to hear, but I thought ‘It sounds exciting.’ Then we moved as a family out to Los Angeles, out to Compton, when I was just about to go into high school. I finished high school in Compton and then went on to college at UC San Diego for two years, and then I went to UCLA and graduated there. Then I got my teaching credential, and then I moved to Las Vegas and then came back home after a few years.
Affrodite: How did you end up joining the police force if you went into teaching first?
Capt. Young: When I was living in Compton and teaching…at Compton college…I was happy with teaching, but I thought this might be a good time to go into law enforcement. When I had [originally] looked into it, before I went into teaching, the height requirement was 5’-9” or taller.
Affrodite: Really?
Capt. Young: Yes, back then.
Affrodite: I never knew there was ever that kind of requirement. That’s interesting.
Capt. Young: So that eliminated a lot of people, not just women. There’s some short men, too! It eliminated a large section of people because everyone’s not 5’-9” or taller, but you have to know the history of LAPD. Twenty, well maybe thirty or fourty years ago, a lot of people left the military and then joined the police department, back in the 1950s and 60s, and those were tall men, so they had that requirement, but times have changed so they…looked at it again and decided 5’-9” was not realistic.
Affrodite: What was your first job as a police officer?
Capt. Young: Well, my first job was trying to get out of that academy. (laughs)
Affrodite: Were you one of only a few women in the academy? I remember reading a statistic, not sure how current it was, but something like 19% of the LAPD is made up of women.
Capt. Young: Well, now it’s 19% women, but it was much lower 20 years ago.
That’s the first snapshot from our interview. Much more to come. Stay tuned!
I learned about this movie, Secret Sisterhood, by Walt Anderson via YouTube. I’ve seen the trailer (below) and am definitely going to watch the entire film online. I just wanted to spread the word. This covers some taboo aspects of black Greek organizations. I do not belong to one so I don’t claim to be any sort of authority, but I went to an HBCU, contemplated joining at various points in life, and know a lot of people who are part of Greek organizations. I recognize that there are many wonderful things that black sororities and fraternities do, but this is the primary aspect that kept me from joining. As a good student and strong black woman, I didn’t want to put my academics at risk nor let other women disrespect my body in the name of sisterhood. In a way, those two points alone seem to contradict what sororities should be about. I personally feel there are a lot of other ways to prove your dedication.
Check it out, and comment with your thoughts.
The Secret Sisterhood is about college female students that want to pledge a sorority. Their dilemma is do they pledge underground (OLD SCHOOL) or become “paper” members (NEW SCHOOL). Will they do anything to belong? (source: Secret Sisterhood Youtube channel)
When Alexis Thompson gets accepted to college on a four year scholarship, she is determined to pledge AAK and become a sorority girl like her mother. But as she starts to learn what it means to be a pledge and understands the secrets and the frightening process, it quickly becomes clear that some people are willing to do anything to belong… (source: Secret Sisterhood official website)
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