WalkIn 2018

The Educational Legacy of the 1968 East L.A. Walkouts:

Walk-in to Cal State LA

 

In March of 1968 thousands of Chicano students at high schools on the Eastside of Los Angeles walked out of classes to protest inequity and prejudice in the education system. At the time, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) largely ignored Mexican American history, and Chicano students were forbidden from speaking Spanish and often steered toward vocational careers instead of college, among other problems. The East L.A. Walkouts, or Blowouts, called attention to systemic inequities and ultimately led to improvements in city schools.

On March 1-2, 2018, Cal State LA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the East L.A. Walkouts with a conference featuring panels, guest speakers, a historical photo exhibit and a walk-in to campus by hundreds of LAUSD high school students.

March 1 RSVP - Academic Conference

March 2 RSVP - Transgenerational Leadership Event

 

 

Conference Schedule

 

Thursday, March 1, 2018

 

8:30 to 9:00 a.m.  |  Continental Breakfast
 
PLENARY SESSIONS
 
9 to 9:30  |  Welcome
  • Welcome remarks by Dr. Lynn Mahoney, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
  • Overview by Octavio Villalpando, Vice Provost for Diversity & Engaged Learning
 
9:30 to 10:30 a.m.  |  Educational Conditions in 1968 that Led to Student Walkouts
                
Moderator: Dr. Michael Soldatenko, Prof of Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies
Invited Panel: ・Dr. Raul Ruiz, Professor Emeritus, Cal State Northridge ・Ms. Patricia Borion Lopez, CRNP Native American Indian Commissioner, Los Angeles・Dr. Monte Perez, President, Los Angeles Mission College
    
10:30 to  10:45 a.m.  |  Break
 
10:45 to 11:45 a.m.  |  Women as Participants, Activists, and Leaders in the 1968 Blowouts   
         
Moderator: Dr. Dolores Delgado Bernal, Professor of Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies
Invited Panel: 1968 Student Activists:
Ms. Victoria (Vickie) Castro, Retired Educator, and 1968 Cal State LA Student
Ms. Paula Crisostimo, Retired Educator, and 1968 Lincoln High School Student
Ms. Margarita (Mita) Cuaron, Nurse, Artist, and 1968 Garfield High School Student
Ms. Rachel Ochoa Cervera, Retired Educator, and 1968 LA City College Student
Ms. Cassandra Zacarias, Retired Educator, and 1968 Garfield High School Student
 
11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  |  Break  
                                      
12 to 1:30 p.m.  |  Lunch and Invited Keynote: The 1968 Walkouts & The Chicano Civil Rights Movement
 
Keynote: Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
Chancellor's Public Scholar, Edward A. Dickson Distinguished Emeriti Professor of Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley— Student Leader, 1968 Walk-outs and Cal State LA Alumni
 
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
 
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
  • GE Ballroom 1: Legacy of Student Activism Panel – ASI / Mr. Marcos Montes
  • GE Ballroom 2: Coalitional Partnerships 1968 to today  – Dr. Fred Smith
  • GE Ballroom 3: The Blowouts and the Murder of Ruben Salazar - Dr. Raul Ruiz
2:45 - 3:45 p.m.
  • GE Ballroom 1: DACA and the Future of Undocumented Students
  • GE Ballroom 2: Culture, the Humanities, and the Blowouts – Alex Espinoza
  • GE Ballroom 3: The Legacy of Sal Castro – Dr. Rita Ledesma
3:45 to  4:00 p.m.  |  Break
                 
CONCLUDING PLENARY
 
4 to 5:00 p.m.  |  The Next 50 Years  
                       
5 to 6:30 p.m.  |  Reception and Photograph Exhibit, University Library: “East Side Blowouts: Through The Eyes of Chicano Media” Photography by Dr. Raul Ruiz
  • Welcoming remarks by President William A. Covino
  • Introduction by Dr. Felix Gutierrez, Professor Emeritus, Univ of Southern California, Cal State LA Afro-Latin Jazz Band
 


Friday, March 2, 2018

LUCKMAN THEATRE
 
10:00 to 10:30 a.m.  |  Event Introduction
  • Introduction by Octavio Villalpando
  • Welcome by President Covino, Mayor, LAUSD Board Chair and Superintendent, Other Elected Officials
10:30 to 11:00 a.m.  |  Entertainment
  • Spoken Word Performance Troupe from Ramon Cortines for the Visual and Performing Arts
  • Folklórico Performance by Bravo Medical Magnet Students
11 to 11:45 a.m.  |  "Walkout!": Reflections on Students Inheriting and Carrying on the Struggle for Educational Equality
 
Speaker: Dr. Tara Yosso, Graduate School of Education, UC Riverside
 
12 to 12:30 p.m.  |  Lunch in King Hall

BREAK OUT SESSIONS IN KING HALL
 
12:30 to 1:15 p.m.  |  Multiple Topics
  • Transgenerational leadership for educational success
  • Immigration and education
  • Continuities in educational conditions: 1968 to the present 
  • Enacting student leadership strategies for educational, social, and political change
  • The relationship between social media and current student social movements
  • Organizing spaces and strategies that honor the fluidity of student identities 
  • Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline
  • Alliances, collaborations, and partnerships for educational improvement

 

Cal State LA | Eastside Blowouts