Lindsey Haley: Chicano Poet and Activist

Lindsey Haley was raised in Venice. Her family was part of the Chicano wave that set roots in the Westside during the 1960's and 1970's. Haley's formal education ended when she ran away from home at the age of 14. She went to Fresno where she became a farm worker and activist while raising two children. When Haley returned home ten years later, the area had changed and crack cocaine had crept into the streets. Deeply affected by the danger that had evolved, Haley became instrumental in starting the dialogue between the two rival gangs. Now living in Inglewood, Haley is joined by many working-class residents who have relocated from Venice.

The Ghetto
"Venice felt more like a village. There was a sense of tolerance. In a neighborhood like this, everything was out in the open.”

The Epidemic
“They're somebody's child, they're somebody's children; regardless of what we've tried to do we're going to lose some children to gangs.”

The Truce
"Each community had huge support from community activists - and it looked like a family reunion.”

A Poem
"I remembered being pulled up from my roots, transplanted in Califas, concrete beneath my feet, becoming a chuca suena style. Years have passed and I have let my eyebrows grow back, have long since retired the false eyelashes, and it's been too long since I have spoken Kalo.”