What is the Living Library?

Islamic Center

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:35:17 -0800

AZRA ISLAMOVIC
ANONYMOUS
OUR COLLECTIVE REFLECTION
On February 9, 2010 7th grader english students and 9th grade World Religion students from The Grauer School traveled to The Islamic Center on XX road to listen to two speakers tell their personal story about Islam, how they arrived to be part of the congregation at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Azra Islamovic is originally from Bosnia. Her story is about the difficulties of war, ethnic cleansing and losing one’s home. She lived as a refugee in German and finally, through sponsorship, found her way to San Diego where she’s been raising her family of X for the last X years.
Our second speaker wishes to remain anonymous but has ok’d it for us to post her video to the website. She grew up in La Jolla, California then headed east after high school to work in a shelter, eventually creating a music program. Listen to how she ended up returning to become a member of the Islamic community in San Diego. This video is forthcoming.
The Imam invited to observe the noon prayer. The guys prayed with the men downstairs and the gals headed upstairs to be with the girls and women.

Lamine Thiam

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:53:07 -0800

WORKSHOP (20 MINUTES)
Lamine, originally from Senegal, is a master dancer, drummer, actor, choreographer, performer, and African dance and drum teacher. He visited The Grauer School on February 4th, 2010.
Accompanied by two other drummers, Lamine inspired the kids to “loosen up”, “focus” and “practice discipline”. He said that “when you dance, you forget your pain”. It took a few beats of the drum but by the end everyone was participating and smiling.
Lamine dances at the very end of the video, you won’t want to miss it!

Danny “Slap Jazz” Barber

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:49:36 -0800

VIDEO (20 MINUTES)
Danny “SlapJazz” Barber has over thirty years experience performing as a master body percussionist, known traditionally as “hambone”, an African-American tradition which stems from life under slavery in the United States.
He is also a proficient Jaw Harp player.
He has performed with bands like Carolina Chocolate Drops, Marshall Hawkins Sea Hawk Orchestra, Urban Nature Music with Todd Boston, Ronnie Laws, Charmaine Neville, and Bayou Brothers Band.

Jim Moreno & Irene Castruita

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:07:43 -0800

WORKSHOP FILM (58 MINUTES)
SHORT FILM
Jim Moreno is a member of San Diego's Langston Hughes Poetry Circle and a past board member of the African American Writers & Artists. He teaches poetry workshops for gang youth in lockups, children in after-school programs, and adults who are beginning or practiced poets.
Moreno has been published in City Works, The Langston Hughes Poetry Anthology, The Magee Park Poets Anthology, the poetry conspiracy, Tidepools, and others. He performs with The Three Deuces, a jazz trumpet, dance, and spoken word ensemble with Mitch Manker and Michael Tompkins. He was the director of the Encanto Boys and Girls Club Children's Poetry Choir from September of 2004 to June of 2009.
Moreno is currently initiating a poetry workshop after-school program at the UPAKA Center (Urban Performing Arts & Creative Arts Center) in La Mesa, California entitled "Bullets Outta Guns". Jim believes that when adults provide after-school art or sports programs and 10 children show up, 20 bullets are removed from guns: 10 bullets from police revolvers and 10 more from gang guns.
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Irene Castruita believes that through community organizing, art, danza and music “another world is possible – a world where many worlds fit.” With her lyrics, whether it be in Son Sin Fronteras, a San Diego based group fusing traditional son jarocho music from Veracruz with modern styles, or in spoken word, she hopes to influence others to love, heal and go beyond borders with creative expression.
She is also a member of Los Able Minded Poets, a spoken soul, funk, hip-hop band who in 2004 won the San Diego Music Awards for “best hip-hop album.” Currently, she is also teaching poetry workshops in Juvenile Hall, she believes that writing is transformational and a positive outlet for youth.
She has also worked with different organizations such as M.E.Ch.A. Central de San Diego, Colectivo Zapatista de San Diego, Proyecto de Solidaridad Calpulli, Circulo de Mujeres de Color, the Red Calaca Arts Collective and Xispa con Tita, a progressive cross-border radio program which focuses on bridging art, music and culture in the San Diego-Tijuana region.

Wahu Kaara

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:25:49 -0800

FULL TALK (22 MINUTES)
SHORT FILM - WAHU ANSWERS QUESTIONS (5:25MIN)

Wahu Kaara, a globally recognized Kenyan educator and campaigner for social justice, spoke to the seventh graders at The Grauer School about her childhood, motherhood, and humanitarian work.

She was visiting San Diego to receive a humanitarian award on November 5, 2009 from Project Concern International and the Gem Foundation for recognition of her accomplishments as a community mobilizer. She is the Executive Director of the Kenya Debt Relief Network, an organization she helped found in 1999.

Wahu was a member of the 1,000 women Nobel Peace Prize nominees for the year 2005. In partnership with Brazilian President Lula Ingacio d’Silva, she launched the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) in Porto Alegre, Brazil in January 2005, the single largest Global mobilization of citizens against poverty.

Since 2005, Kaara has been a member of and advocate for Jubilee San Diego, raising awareness of the global debt crisis.

Members from the Grauer School International Center will be rejoining Kaara in December this year at the Parliament of World Religions in Melbourne, Australia.

Wahu Kaara hopes to run for President of Kenya in year 2012.

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Maxwell S. Colón

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:36:29 -0700

SHORT FILM (22 MINUTES)
BIOGRAPHIES

Retired Colonel Maxwell S. Colón, the only child of a single mother, grew up in the ghetto of the South Bronx and survived the hardships of a tough neighborhood and a disadvantaged upbringing. He persevered and realized his dreams through hard work, determination, and the support of others.

Among his many achievements and titles, Colonel Colón has two degrees (criminology and penology) as well as five war college degrees. He was a New York City Corrections Captain working at demanding places like The Tombs and maximum security prison Rikers Island.

His message is clear: work hard and believe in yourself. He said that it’s important to set a goal and once reaching that goal, set it again, one step higher, because anything is possible. He told the kids, “...work hard while they are young.”

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Joel Newman

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 08:31:45 -0700

Short film (20 minutes)
Biographies

Rabbi Commander Joel D. Newman, Chaplain of the U.S. Navy, had just recently returned from Afghanistan when he addressed the students at The Grauer School on October 8th.

Joel gave the students a brief history of the chaplaincy in the U.S. Armed Forces (since 1775) and explained what his duties entail when he is overseas supporting the troops.

He described the difficult conditions that the brave men and women are enduring in Afghanistan: aggressive enemy fire, extreme temperature conditions, difficult living situations, etc. and he explains why the area of the desert he visited is called “The Heart of Darkness”.

The Grauer School wants to thank Joel, and all the men and women in the Armed Forces, for serving our country in these difficult and dangerous times.

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Yona Welch

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:02:18 -0700

Short Film (16 minutes)
Entire Film (60 minutes)
student biographies
Yona Welch is a Cherokee spiritual leader and storyteller.
On the day he visited The Grauer School he used song, drumming, and dance to convey the stories of his people.
He shared stories of his time growing up in the hills of North Carolina and how he didn’t go off to the public school to learn english until the age of ten.
He told stories of singing for rain and calling the deer and reuniting the family.
He remembers his mother and grandfather with great love and how they taught him to cherish the earth, follow his gifts, and honor his life’s purpose.
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Franck Riffaud

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 08:19:53 -0700

SHORT FILM (10 MINUTES)

Executive Pastry Chef Franck Riffaud stole away from his job at Aviara Four Seasons Resort to treat Lisa Ezzard’s French class with sweets and les mots Francaise. Franck has travelled and worked in many cities around the world and says San Diego is like paradise!.

He brought Macaroons (made the traditionally French way with almond instead of coconut), cookies, tiny cupcakes (purportedly gaining popularity in France) and melted French chocolate for the students to dip strawberries.

He encouraged the students to practice their French and told them that they must try and take that “leap” and not worry about making mistakes.

Enjoy the petite French lesson and mouthwatering snacks!

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