Community Guide to Los Angeles County, Services for East Los Angeles Provided by Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, 2009
Scope and Contents
The materials in the InnerCity Struggle Collection (ICS) were created in1987-2017. The
bulk of this collection contains newspaper articles that include narrative surrounding
InnerCity Struggle, higher education, youth movements, and the greater Los Angeles.
Publications in form of journals, newsletters, programs also serve as a bulk of the
collection. Journals and newsletters are not necessarily published by InnerCity Struggle
instead there are resources that InnerCity Struggle used in their personal library.
Other materials include youth programming materials, student writings, photographs,
newspaper clippings and graduation sashes. The collection also includes ephemera
related to its youth activist component with items such as posters, buttons, t-shirt and a
commemorative ICS anniversary lock. Materials represented in this collection are the
first accession of the collection.
The collection was donated by the InnerCity Struggle organization in two accessions in
2015 and 2016.
Series I. InnerCity Struggle (ICS), Organization-wide
Inclusive Dates: 1994-2017, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This large subseries begins in 2001 and ends in 2016. It is comprised of four subseries:
a. Subject/Topical Files, 2001-2016; b. Publications, 1999-2017; c. Notebooks 2000-
2006; d. Audio Visual and Photographic materials 1994-2008. The series is composed
of agendas, notebooks, e-mails, photographs, newsletters, programs, etc. The
documents also consist of icebreakers by participants from InnerCity Struggle. For
example, there is a folder that contains a “Brick of Justice/Brick of Justicia” sheet. These
sheets were used so that participants could write down any aspirations and goals.
There is a folder in honor of deceased Gabriela Amanda Pérez, in it is her work badge
from InnerCity Struggle as well as some honorable mentions. Two of the notebooks in
this file belonged to Luis Sánchez. However, all notebooks in this subseries contain
weekly notes on meetings and to-do lists. Subseries d. contains negatives and
photographs that often coincided with each other.
Series II. United Students
Inclusive Dates: 1985-2017, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This is one of the largest series for an InnerCity Struggle collection. This series is
comprised of seven subseries: a. Organizational Materials, 1985-2016; b. United
Students at Garfield High School, 2002-2010; c. United Students at Roosevelt High
School, 1999 -2014; d. United Students at Wilson High School, 2005-2009; e. United
Families “Familias Unidas”, 2008-2017; f. United Students, Jr., 2004-2010; and g.
United Students, Educational Justice Week, 2002-2006.Topics in this series include;
organizational materials, United Students at Wilson and Lincoln High, “Familias Unidas”
etc. Folders of interest include; surveys conducted in Los Angeles High Schools for
“student needs,” campaigns driven as a result of “student needs,” parental involvement
through retreats and professional development.
Series III. Youth Organizing Committee (YOC)
Inclusive Dates: 1994-2002, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This series is comprised of four subseries: a. Subject/Topical Files, 1994-2002; b.
Organizational Materials, 2017; c. Proposition 21 and “Schools not Jails” Campaign,
1996-2015; and d. YOC Media Activism Camp, 1997-2016. This sereis details the
beginnings of InnerCity Struggle’s Youth Organizing Committee through Southern
California Organizing Committees. This series also details their involvement in
campaigns such as “Schools Not Jails” and Proposition 21. YOC’S Media Activism
Camp folders contain camp schedules, notes, workshops, trainings, and more.
Series IV. Youth Programming
Inclusive Dates: 1997-2003, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
The series includes of two subseries: a. The Learning Academy, 2001-2003 and b. The
Photo Project, 1997-2002. Both the Learning Academy and the Photo Project were part
of Youth Programming efforts stemming from InnerCity Struggle. The subseries on the
Learning Academy contains certificates of students, rosters, and student curriculum.
The subseries on The Photo Project includes student made booklets such as “Reality
Check” and “Still We Rise.”
Series V. Justice Campaigns
Inclusive Dates: 2001-2016, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This series is comprised of three subseries: a. Educational Food Justice, A-G, 206-
2015; b. Educational Justice, New Schools, 2001-2016; and Food Justice/Wellness,
2001-2016. There are two Educational Justice subseries one deals with the A-G
campaign and the other with New Schools. The A-G subseries consist of meeting notes
from 2006 and 2007, chant lists for protest/marches, and promotional material. The
Educational Justice subseries contains action plans for new schools in East Los
Angeles, pilot samples, and documents on a meeting held in 2002 with the Los Angeles
Unified School District on building new schools. The last subseries focuses on Food
Justice and Wellness. Graphics in this subseries include a “Beet the System” sticker.
Documents range from surveys and investigations on Food Justice in Los Angeles High
Schools such as Lincoln.
Series VI. Publications and Newspapers
Inclusive Dates: 1994-2016, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This series is comprised of three subseries: a. Publications, 2000-2013; b. Newspapers;
and c. Newspaper Clipping Scrapbooks and Portfolios, 1998-2014. Publications in this
series are not produced by InnerCity struggle, rather these are publications by other
institutions or organizations that were used by InnerCity Struggle. Some of these
In this series “Newspapers” refers to complete/full-length newspapers and newspaper
clippings. All newspapers have been compiled by InnerCity Struggle over the years.
Newspapers that have been clipped are in scrapbooks and portfolios. In total there are
five scrapbooks and portfolios. All material discusses InnerCity Struggle, higher
education in Los Angeles, and student led movements. Some of the newspaper
publishers include La Opinion, LA Weekly, Northeast Sun, and newspapers from local
Los Angeles High Schools such as The Garfield Log by Garfield High School students.
Series VII. Oversized Materials
Inclusive Dates: 1998-2016, u.d.
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This series is comprised of three subseries: a. Posters, 2002-2016; b. Oversized Misc.
Booklet, 2004; and c. Sgins, 1998-2014. Oversized material comprise of posters and
signs. All of the oversized material has been stored in map cases. Posters range from
enlarged duplicates of students campaigning for A-G Now!, commemoration silk screen
posters for InnerCity Struggle, and posters that support Proposition 30. Signs in this
series include enlarged reprints of articles such as; LA Weekly’s article on “Why Los
Angeles Schoolkids Get Lousy Meals,” a pledge to be signed by LAUSD’s
superintendent, and check to InnerCity Struggle from Women Helping Youth.
Series VIII. Ephemera
Inclusive Dates: 2000-2015
Arrangement: Alphabetical and thereunder Chronological
This series is comprised of five subseries: a. T-shirts, 200-2014; b. Banners, 200-2015;
c. Buttons, 2009; d. Sashes, 2009-2011; and e. Misc. Ephemera, 2014. Ephemera
includes; t-shirts, banners, buttons, graduation sashes, and misc. ephemera. T-shirts
include those that promote the A-G campaign such as “Keep the Promise, A-G is my
Civil Right!” and “Let me Choose my Future, A-G Now!” Other shirts include; “Demand
Ethnic Studies,” “I Love Wellness,” and “Zapatista.” Buttons predominantly promote
InnerCity Struggle’s United Students with quotes such as “Education is a Human Right”
and “We Demand New Schools Now.” Other buttons serve in opposition of Proposition
21 and for Denim Day in Los Angeles. Misc. ephemera includes a tote bag, lock, and
the United Students “Power to the Students Bucket” which served as a musical
instrument during marches and protest, it comes with a set of drumsticks.
Dates
- Creation: 2009
Language of Materials
English .
Extent
From the Collection: 11.71 Linear Feet
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository
Library South, Room 2079, 5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles CA 90032
(323)343-3960
SpecialCollections@calstatela.edu