A BBQ WITH THE BLOODS AND THE CRIPS

Last weekend I sent my mother a text message that mentioned that I had just come from a bbq with the Bloods and the Crips. She didn't really have anything to say about that except that it was the oddest text message she had ever received. It's true though, last Saturday I spent the afternoon in east L.A. with former members of L.A.'s most notorious gangs. The point of the whole thing was to shoot footage for a potential reality show in the works about this guy Lorenzo who back in the 80's was partially responsible for bringing crack into the ghettos of L.A. He spent time in prison and upon returning to his neighborhood, experienced first-hand the devastation that he had helped to create. So, now he has dedicated his life to helping to mentor children out of gang life and arranged this historical "round table" meeting of former members of the Bloods and the Crips in order to discuss how they can address this issue one kid at a time. It was really an incredible experience and we were welcomed with open arms into a neighborhood and a community that I knew absolutely nothing about. I look forward to the next encounter. I was happy to have my camera with me...