Charity in Chains
Story by Samantha Williams
Photos by Joe Kukuczka
Rockstar Mike Inez continues to give back to the community
Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez poses with one of his bass guitars in one of their practice studios in Arleta, Calif. April 4, 2012. Photo: Joe Kukuczka
Rock stars are adored across the globe for their fame, riches and ability to entertain. Alice in...
Going Beyond the Call of Duty
Story by Michaia Hernandez
Photos by Joe Kukuczka
LAPD officers focus on the youth of a community through programs
Officer Edison Vistar pushes Alicia Ontiveros for one more pushup outside the West Valley Community Police Station in Reseda,Calif. April 18, 2012. Elementary and middle school students attend the biweekly workouts.Photos by Joe Kukuczka
It is an unusual sight, even for a police station....
Dying to Live
Robert Hernandez was standing in front of the White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles. His friend wanted to wait for the bus, but he wanted to get a taxi instead. Hernandez was smoking a cigarette with his friend when they saw a car pass by and a man lowered the window to yell out his gang’s name.
SO, Who you gonna Call? PIERCE COLLEGE!
As she lay in the middle of a church, trying to relax and figure out what was going on in the main alter, Kirsten Thorne, 46, began to feel her necklace move. The chain with a heavy metal skull gripped tight around her throat and left marks as it crawled up her neck. She felt as if “it” was...
Tied & Bound in Los Angeles
Red, blue and yellow lights illuminate a 10-square-foot linoleum dance floor in the center of the main room, as the audience watches a petite young woman wrapping rope around a tall, hard-bodied man. With each layer of rope she wraps around his torso she explains to the audience how important it is to avoid “huge owies.”
Ancestors Come Alive: The Art of RAH
His fingers were covered in smudged hues of blue paint with a tangible intensity emanating from his molasses colored eyes. Ramiro Alejandro Hernandez, a.k.a. RAH, puts the finishing touches on an Aztec inspired painting inside the 11:11 temporary art gallery in Canoga Park, Calif. The streets buzz with live music and food trucks as the last of the summertime...
Seasoned Songbird
A petite woman with peach-colored skin and pearly white hair closes her eyes as she practices singing Christmas carols. Her passion for performing shines bright in her eyes while the ENCORE Singers rehearse in Room 3400 of the Pierce College music building.
Eileen Guliasi, 81, is back in school for the first time since she graduated Theodore Roosevelt High School...
Buy A Bowtie, Take A Top Off
Panic washes over 21-year-old Alex Koontz when the idea of going to the bathroom approaches. Koontz barely ever passes as a guy so going into the men’s restroom is extremely stressful. It’s even worse to use the woman’s restroom with all the stares and constant whispers. Keeping his eyes to the ground and doing what has to be done is Koontz’s only way out.
From Lost Boy to Homeboy
As a riverboat passes by on a quiet river in Tennessee, an ex-gang member from Pacoima, Calif. sits on a dock nearby. Just watching. Breathing. Living.
This serene setting is a world and life away from where a 12-year-old Neil Gutierrez was issued a seven-year sentence for beating up his mother’s boyfriend. He walked into her house to pick up clothes...
Beaten, Broken, or Brilliant? (Occupy LA)
Dear Occupants of Los Angeles,
It’s me, one of the 99%ers. I’ve seen you around town. I’ve had some conversations with people who claim to represent the movement. However, I still am full of questions and concern.