LOS ANGELES –“A Job and a Home: Elders Speak about South Los Angeles in the 1940s– 1960s,” a community dialogue, will take place Saturday, April 17, 1 p.m., at the Southern California Library, located at 6120 S. Vermont Avenue, between Slauson and Gage in Los Angeles. The event is part of the Library’s community history project, “From Generation to Generation: Making a Life in South Los Angeles, 1940–2005,” and is free and open to the public.

A diverse panel of neighborhood elders will discuss the multi-faceted and multi-racial history of South L.A., including making a living, navigating neighborhood life, raising a family, forging friendships, and relating to community organizations. The panel will be preceded by presentations by youth from local schools and followed by an audience discussion. “Everyone is invited to come hear stories of South L.A. and to share their own South L.A. experiences,” said Alexis Moreno, Library Program Director and “Generations” project leader. “Sharing stories is a powerful way to increase understanding among different groups and different ages.“

This philosophy is at the heart of the “Generations” project, and it has sparked a strong response. The project kicked off last August with a film series and a book reading in which ethnically diverse audiences, from youth to elders, held spirited discussions about their experiences and perspectives. The project is scheduled to continue into 2005 with additional film series, community dialogues, photo and art exhibits, and oral history interviews.

“Generations” is one of eight projects statewide funded by the California Council for the Humanities under its “California Stories: Communities Speak” program; it is also supported in part by a grant from the California Community Foundation. Information about “Generations” activities and events is available on the web or through an email update list. To sign up for the update list, call Moreno at (323) 759-6063 or send email to archives@socallib.org with “Generations” in the subject line.