Thoughts on USC Blogger con
I've been writing on my personal blog for a few years now. All with the intention of sharing my thoughts, experiences and because practice makes perfect. So I write, write and write some moe' Yet, it never fails to amaze me where my writing takes me. From joining the DREAM Act movement to reporting and blogging on other sites. I'm always in motion, always doing something you know. That's how I ended up sharing my story once again today. I was invited to present and participate in a brain storming session with the USC School of Journalism, focusing on health.
I'm too exhaustedthink of the proper title. In a nutshell, they're developing a track to train professional journalist to incorporate new media on health issues. I for one am going full steam ahead with this not just because I was helping, but because it's badly needed.There's ton of things that I have noticed in barrios in terms of health toward residents that it's straightout environmental racism. Communities living near freeways, lack of resources and healthy food, industrial factories etc. Things that I grew up thinking was the norm, when in fact it's shit that's causing serious and long term health problems in the barrios. This training will help in knowing how to get at these stories you know.
So I'm psyched. It was a great event and a lot of great peeps were there too doing their thang in their own right, but for some the issue of making money and having access to resources was the focus. Me, I just wanna write and continue to grow. The best part however, for me anyways, is getting props not only from peeps there, but from Felix Gutierrez. A profe of journalism at USC and Chicano veterano from his days of working with the magazine, La Raza. Back in the day, La Raza was a publication in which Chicanos/as spread knowledge about community issues much in the same way blogs do now. I'm proud to say that I carry on that tradition in my writing and having Gutierrez gimmy props for all the stuff I do, I know I'm slowly but surely making my way. But the credit doesn't belong to me, I just write.
It's the people I write about that inspire me to do what I do along with everyone in the barrio that always has kind words of support for me and have shown me new ways of thinking. I'm nothing without the support and help of everyone, so thanks everyone. I won't let you down.