by L.A. Taco

The literacy and writing organization 826LA is releasing the 15th Young Authors’ Book Project anthology Through the Same Halls: Journeys of Elders Born and Raised in South Central and Beyond, alongside the publication’s student authors and the vibrant, intergenerational communities of Manual Arts Senior High School Toilers and South LA on Friday, April 27 at WITH LOVE Market & Cafe.

“By writing about the experiences of their elders these students have captured, anecdotally, a history of Mexico, Central America, and, indeed, South Central L.A. that is undervalued and, mostly overlooked. After seeing their writing published these students will never feel disempowered vis a vis the English language, again,” says the foreword by author and former Manual Arts High School educator Donald Bakeer.

Through the Same Halls is written by 55 student authors from Mr. Aviña’s 11th grade U.S. history classes currently at Manual Arts Senior High School. In this anthology, students reflect upon the lives of their elders, capturing the true cultural, economic, and historical landscapes of the communities they call home in South Central L.A. and beyond. Living in communities that are often misrepresented and marginalized, these 55 students — made up of both recent immigrants and youth born and raised in LA — have bravely chosen to document the lives of community members and write their own histories and futures. Read Rest of Article Here