Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: All right. So we're recording. Welcome everyone. I'm going to go ahead and and their screen.
Leslie R. Lewis: And
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: all right.
Leslie R. Lewis: hey, we start this start the school awards ceremony. We're gonna squeeze it into 1 h. I wish we could talk for hours. I know we could gain lots of wisdom from folks for that long. But we're gonna start. I'm just gonna
Leslie R. Lewis: Just talk briefly about the origins of this award and and the life course scholars, which is the program that created it. So just do that briefly. And then I'm going to roll into talking a little bit about the Awardees, which will not be enough, because they are all incredible. But I'll also quit a little link in the in the chat, so that you can go to read more about them if you like. but the but the real J.
Sabrina Smiley: You see, part of this will be the panel.
Leslie R. Lewis: Maybe you can ask everybody to meet. if you if you haven't muted yet, that would help.
Leslie R. Lewis: All right. So I'm I have some questions that we'll start with in the panel, but I also invite people to either put your questions in in the chat, or you can just raise your little zoom hand and and ask it yourself at the end. so we'll start just a little bit about the program that created this award. It's called the Life Course pro Life Course Scholars program. And we just finished our eighth year. And this was a program that was funded by the Stein Institute. there's
Leslie R. Lewis: center on healthy aging, and it is a practical style course that takes students out into the community to learn about the diversity of the aging experience and how it's shaped by.
Leslie R. Lewis: you know, structural and cultural and identity factors and historical factors and all kinds of good stuff. But but it's delightful because the students get to meet and interact with older adults from across San Diego. And you know, our the idea is that we want to learn about ways that we can foster healthy development and flourishing for everyone across the life course.
Leslie R. Lewis: respond to the needs, but also build on the many capacities of older adults across our region particularly, given the the kind of poly crises that we're facing
Leslie R. Lewis: and to build intergenerational and kind of cross boundary connections, and shared identity and solidarity so that we can work collectively to make the world a a better place. And it's here's you can get a view of what the the this year's life course scholars looked like. and these some of the many things we do. We go out on this
Leslie R. Lewis: senior affordable housing tour. That's, for example, how the students met Jerry, one of the Awardees. they all do an oral History project and then make a presentation with a a beautiful kind of I guess. Kind of a memento for them.
Leslie R. Lewis: they have learning exchanges with older adults at the West Center. They go to Casa de Manana. They We went on. A trolley based kind of age, friendliness, assessment tour of Barrio Logan. They put on a very cool event at the West Center. And then they were the the people who received the nominations for this award, and and and they they deliberated in different groups, using a rubric. And so that's how you were all selected.
Leslie R. Lewis: And So this is the second year that we're offering this award. And it was it really came about because year after year I heard the students just again and again saying, Oh, my God! There's so many phenomenal older adults across San Diego, and they were so lifted by their conversations. And you know, we're such a we're such an age segregated society
Leslie R. Lewis: period, you know, cutting across different kinds of social categories and boundaries. But age, it's really a loss, right? We don't have many opportunities to talk to one another beyond, maybe grandparent grandchild. And so they've gotten that those opportunities. And we wanted to be able to extend that into also, maybe let more San Diego's know about the
Leslie R. Lewis: amazing folks that are out there.
Leslie R. Lewis: Some of it share some of the magic and And in particular, we're interested in lifting up change makers who kinda share their their time, their energy, their intellect, their hearts in fostering justice. And you know, building equity and and security and reclaiming. you know, traditions?
Leslie R. Lewis: you know, as sort of good medicine and creating conditions that are conducive to health reconnection and well-being for all. So that's why we chose all of you. you know, you've been doing those kinds of things. many of you, for decades.
Leslie R. Lewis: So now wanna move quickly into celebrating this year's wise elder change makers, and I also wanted to thank the Ucsd Stein Institute Center for so healthy aging for for sponsoring this, these awards for the second year in a row. Thank you. Thank you. And also this year, New Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation for their generous support of this year's awards.
Leslie R. Lewis: And then, of course, I want to thank my life course scholars who helped so much, but in particular I wanted to thank Sheena Lou Lily Keith over Hong Kong and Christine Tan, because they put in some extra effort in trying to get this These awards ready and writing Bios and doing some cool stuff. So
Leslie R. Lewis: all right, without further ado, like to celebrate Patrice Baker, Patrice Baker is an author and international trainer, facilitator and active advocate for her community.
Leslie R. Lewis: as the Director of community Development for the Ucsd Center on Global justice. She works closely with with neighborhoods in Southeast San Diego to implement environmental justice and adaptations
Leslie R. Lewis: Her work is deeply rooted in community and is designed to empower people, businesses and organizations to promote environmental, economic and social wellbeing. Patrice approaches her work with humility, respect, and intent to listen. Oh, wonderful qualities! I wish more people would do that. She values the voices of others, and uses her personal experience in particular, as a mother to empower those around her.
Leslie R. Lewis: a quote from her nominator fauna foreman.
Leslie R. Lewis: everything Patrice does is motivated by love and respect for her community, combining a fierce commitment to equity with gentle wisdom and dancing eyes. I love that. Patrice has been advocating and fighting for her community for decades. She is an authentic warrior for social justice, and has taught me more than perhaps anyone I have ever met about to about how to make change, and that is saying a lot from fauna. So that's beautiful.
Leslie R. Lewis: Patrice is truly interdisciplinary, working in both the political and professional realms. She continues to provide gentle wisdom to people in her community and beyond, to find the advocacy within themselves.
Leslie R. Lewis: We are delighted to honor her here. Please join me in celebrating Patrice in whatever zoomy way you can. I think there's little ways that you can send out harass or you can unmute yourself, or or we can do it this way.
Patrice Baker: Thank you, Kafka, for those awesome words. Thank you so much. Thank you. Everyone just have to pause here to soak it in right. I get half compliments. But, man, soak that in I love you, love you, love you love me, too. Yes, lovely.
Leslie R. Lewis: all right. moving on to Jerry till now. All right. So Jerry is a legend across the San Diego Lgbtq community and beyond. she was a trailblazer for LGBT. Rights, visibility and inclusion in the workplace, military public space, education, even the health care system everywhere.
she was busting ceilings left and right, and had a career in civil engineering as a cartographic designer. I didn't even know what that was trained in aerial photography and mapping.
Leslie R. Lewis: and she's an Air Force veteran, though she had to fight for an honorable discharge and for fair recognition of her service. This is a battle that many people who identify as Lgbtq have had to fight.
Leslie R. Lewis: let's see, Jerry was a political and cultural force for good, for decades, serving as executive director of the LGBT Center the Community Center. I should say. She pulled the first permit for San Diego's at the time they called it gay pride parade. Now it's the Lgbtq pride parade. basically. Jerry put the L into LGBT, which I love.
Leslie R. Lewis: Jerry was also a highly effective contributor to Democratic politics at at both the local and State Level helped to organize the LGBT caucus within the California Democratic party structure and was extraordinarily successful president of the San Diego Democratic Club, forging a path for LGBT visibility and representation.
Leslie R. Lewis: I think I might have mentioned. But this year's life course scholars had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Jerry on their senior affordable housing tour, and they all fell in love, not surprisingly She was a strategic and committed advocate and activist for LGBT. Rights and inclusion for decades, and we are proud and delighted to honor her. Here. Please join me in some
Leslie R. Lewis: very
Leslie R. Lewis: congratulations. Yes, that's the problem that nobody can see the little the little icons that come up when you're celebrating. But they're there, Jerry.
Paul Watson: All right congratulations
Leslie R. Lewis: all right, moving on
Leslie R. Lewis: to the forest, or Dd.
Leslie R. Lewis: Hancock. So Dee Dee is a remarkable individual whose tenacity and courage are a true inspiration, wrote, I think Christine wrote that one raised in the Valencia Park community of San Diego with a bachelor's degree. She's an alumni. She's an alumni from Uc. San Diego.
Leslie R. Lewis: Dede's life was on a positive trajectory but she lost her job in 2,006, and struggled to stay afloat for 3 years. She finally lost her housing in 2,009, and endured 7 long years. without housing. So she was experiencing homelessness. For 7 years
Leslie R. Lewis: she emerged from that adversity, and and with an unwavering spirit and an unshakable determination. she serves others and works to create a better world in which no one is without housing
Leslie R. Lewis: And today Dee. Dee is a distinguished member of several groups, organizations, research, collaborations, etc. That advocate for people who are experiencing homelessness. That work to improve services for people. and that fight for social change. She is actively engaged in the voices of our city choir and voices of dignity, both of which tried to shift public attitudes, so that individuals experiencing homelessness are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
Leslie R. Lewis: she is chair of the policy coordinating committee and heel, homeless, homeless experience advocate advocacy, leadership network. She is a San Diego representative on the Lived Experience Advisory Board of the Ucsf. So San Francisco Benny off homelessness housing initiative man. That's a long title, but it's big Wiggy.
Leslie R. Lewis: and she's also a a co- investigator in the Ucsd heal homeless summer research collaboration project. So she did that work. advocating for needed services. Lat, and she's probably slated to do some more work with us in homelessness. Hub
Leslie R. Lewis: Didi also shared her time and wisdom with students. In another of my classes this year. This is the urban challenges, homelessness and San Diego class, and they were absolutely wowed by her. And so we all floated away after a rich lunch. Conversation with her
Leslie R. Lewis: Dd. Brings warmth, insight, and an energizing spirit to all of her efforts and relationships. Please join me in celebrating.
Leslie R. Lewis: so that indeed. all right. I don't know if Stan made it here. I hope so, but if not, we will celebrate him in absentia and send him the recording
Leslie R. Lewis: so, Stan Rodriguez. he is a member of the Kumi I Santa you savell band of the Epai nation. He's an indigenous educator, language teacher and tribal singer.
Leslie R. Lewis: he is an advocate for his communities, culture and traditions with an emphasis in language and culture. Revitalization stands in a number of advising and teaching roles in the San Diego and native Kumai communities.
Leslie R. Lewis: He has held the elected position of legislator for the for the Santiago tribe of the Epine nation.
Leslie R. Lewis: he's a Us. Navy veteran actually have 2 vets on this panel has worked as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor, and now teaches and leads Kumii language immersion programs full time at Kumi, I. Community College, while also teaching at Cal. State, San Marcos.
Leslie R. Lewis: in 2,021, Stan was appointed to the California Native American Heritage Commission by Governor Newsom, and that's a a 9 member body that identifies catalogs and protects native American cultural resources. he also taught. This is yet another of my classes, the climate, justice re action and resilient scholars. He taught a bunch of my students at last year's love year, Wetlands Day. How to build tuli boats, which was the coolest thing.
Leslie R. Lewis: And a quote from Nan Renner, his nominator Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, is a leader in the indigenous language and cultural revitalization movement. He tirelessly gives his time and to educate native and non-native people about the language, culture, and history of the Kumi I. The original people of San Diego County and Northern Baja, California.
Leslie R. Lewis: Dr. Stan is a human treasure, and a very wise elder changemaker, and indeed he is a treasure and a change maker. Please join me in celebrating Dr. Stanley Rodriguez.
Leslie R. Lewis: Yes.
Leslie R. Lewis: I wish we could see each other. Oh, yeah, good. Thanks for the sounds all right. That's why I saw some snaps. Thanks.
Leslie R. Lewis: all right. And last, but not least,
Leslie R. Lewis: this is our fifth and final award goes to this guy. Add to fabulous humans who I have admired for years Paul and Bill have been a team for decades, and together they have brought so much positive change to San Diego, building connections between and across universities, nonprofit organizations and local communities
Leslie R. Lewis: facilitating coalition building and creating conditions in which community members, voices, desires, needs and capacities are truly the guiding force behind community projects their nominator, Keith Bazoli, wrote Paul and Bill, our long, long standing working pair a dynamic dual. They describe themselves as 2 brothers from another mother. They are 2 peas in a pod, and more, one more in the grassroots, the other next
Leslie R. Lewis: navigating the treetops for decades, making each other a whole in their diverse tireless campaigns for the public goods.
Leslie R. Lewis: so Paul is a President, CEO. And then Bill is associate executive director of the Global Action Research Center and that's a social change organization that provides training, technical support and facilitation oops.
Leslie R. Lewis: trying to tell myself when to hurry up. And oh, so that we can have our panel. But we're right on time. No problem. so they each individually and separately bring multiple talents, wide bodies of knowledge and decades of experience to the world work which spans food, justice, community organizing youth, leadership, development, community solutions to crime, addressing the structural causes of poverty and climate action among many topics of concern.
Leslie R. Lewis: but with their combined talents they are magic. They have taught and inspired many of our students through their work, including at the Ocean view growing ground which is in in the bills that in his background there.
Leslie R. Lewis: and many of those students have gone on to work at the Global Arc and in other organizations, and really to kind of extend the lessons and passion that they call, and they'll bring to everything they do. So please join me in celebrating this dynamic duo
Leslie R. Lewis: to have some music in here.
Leslie R. Lewis: All right. Well, congratulations, everyone, and this is what your awards will look like, which are pretty gang. They're beautiful. They're so I just I love them so I I can't wait to deliver them to each of you. And I will figure out with you separately. How to get those to you? yeah, if I had lots of funding I would had this be a big live in person event. But, We will make do with this
Leslie R. Lewis: all right.
Leslie R. Lewis: So now we'll move into our panel. And again, this is really the juiciest part we're going to get to here some wisdom from all of you. And, as I said at the beginning, what I'm going to do is I'm going to ask each question through the panel, and we'll do them one question at a time, and then
Leslie R. Lewis: I guess panelists, if you can keep it to one to 2 min in your responses, or try to Then we will have more time at the end for the audience to ask questions. but we'll just roll with whatever you know it, it's gonna be rich, no matter what. So let me, I'm gonna stop sharing screen so that we can. Oh, I wish I could PIN all of you. I don't know. I think I can only do that. If I had a different kind of a zoom
Leslie R. Lewis: event which I don't. So we do the best we can. But since you'll be talking, you'll at least And actually, I think audience members, you can PIN them, although you might only be able to PIN one at a time. Anyway, I'm gonna stop share. that's nice on all right.
Leslie R. Lewis: So let's start. I'm going to start with the first question, and maybe we'll just I we can answer just in the order that I presented your awards. Or if somebody just is raring to answer something you can just sort of say I'll go first, so we'll start with the first question, what inspired and has driven your change, making work
Leslie R. Lewis: all right. So, Patrice, would you like to start?
Leslie R. Lewis: All right? You gotta unmute.
There we go.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: I'm here.
Patrice Baker: Yeah, Patrice, you're still needed. There we go. Okay, you you got it. I'll be technical. I think it started with the the voice inside myself. believe it or not.
Patrice Baker: I probably was very shy when I was young and very introverted, if you will, and my family soon found out that I could advocate for them, even when I couldn't advocate for myself.
Patrice Baker: So it's kind of like, you know. I had a small voice, and but also had all these emotions I didn't understand, and I lived in a world that didn't want to hear that. You know there was a we didn't discuss emotions, feelings. And so I would tell people, you know. Mostly I'm 3 years old, you know, just to explain how I did not. I wasn't able to connect with my words to express myself.
Patrice Baker: as I began to become more of an advocate for others that strengthen my own voice for my own message, and I began to realize that I have something valuable to share, as others do. I wanted to become a catalyst for that. I've seen so many times when people are unafraid to a afraid to speak up, and they have so much wisdom themselves.
Patrice Baker: they don't see the value in themselves, they're putting themselves down, and that just take them. Then shake them and go. No, you've got it inside, but it's the process.
Patrice Baker: And now I realize people have to be able to believe in it themselves first. So that's my goal. Now it's become my legacy to create the space for others, to speak up myself as well, but you know just just unhing people one at a time, so they can. They they're juicy. Goodness can come through. I'll put it like that.
Leslie R. Lewis: Oh, I love that. Yes, and changing their goodness, that's wonderful. Thank you. sherry. What would you say? Well, I I was living a rather semi closeted life in the fifties and sixties In the early seventies I had a chance to move to Philadelphia
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: and stumbled across meeting Barbara Gittings, Who is a pioneer in the LGBT movement, and that changed my life.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: I worked on the first Pride parade that they had in Philadelphia, and got more politically involved. And By the time I came back to San Diego I was an activist.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: and vice, by a
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: fluke of circumstances, became the the director of the LGBT center and I must say, for a grand total of $500 a month. But my partner was, had a good paying job, and she agreed to pick up most of the bills. And from that time on I've been involved in a variety of things, mostly with starting with the center, and then mostly in democratic politics.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: and have have worked in all the the campaigns as Christine keeled it the
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: primary winner of a as an LGBT person to city council and since then some of the others that have that have run. I was president of the San Diego Democratic Club LGBT Club.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: and we worked on district elections which I I think benefited the entire city. and I stayed active in democratic politics up until just recently.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: when my help for granted me from going to all the conventions.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: but I've had a a really good time and living in a great residential area now
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: and
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: My life is still political, I may still say, I I get involved, and I'm going to be working in a couple of different campaigns as a
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: volunteer.
Leslie R. Lewis: Very cool, I hope that continues. And I love that. You said that it was that you had great fun because activism, this kind of work can also be fun and joyful at.
Leslie R. Lewis: Thank you. Yeah. How about you? D, what has inspired you and sustained you?
DeForrest Hancock: Well, first of all. I need to share that this is this is the greatest harm that I received in my entire lifetime.
DeForrest Hancock: And so it's an honor to be here with these amazing people who are true. We elders
DeForrest Hancock: change makers.
DeForrest Hancock: and, to be honest.
DeForrest Hancock: I didn't know I was doing change, making work.
DeForrest Hancock: I did know I I'm an elder, but I didn't know I was doing that. I just enjoyed
DeForrest Hancock: listening and interacting with people being along much of the time. I find just inspiration and being around people and sharing with those who may be experiencing challenges, and I think
DeForrest Hancock: the main asset is being a listener.
DeForrest Hancock: I've always been a listening. and I find that
DeForrest Hancock: I bring to the table. When people are having conflicts, they're not listening to each other.
DeForrest Hancock: so I listen, and then share with each of them. But they are not hearing for the other person, and so that is the quality. I believe I burn to those around me, and I believe in the the philosophy that once you are.
DeForrest Hancock: if you're on one side and you're not hearing the other.
DeForrest Hancock: you're totally out of balance.
DeForrest Hancock: So we come together, and we actually look at if I'm facing you, and I'm having a conversation with you or debate.
DeForrest Hancock: if I could just ask you, what do you see?
DeForrest Hancock: That's outside of my vision here. What do you see behind me that I can't see? What do you see in me?
DeForrest Hancock: And I do the same for the other person.
DeForrest Hancock: So instead of taking opposite sides and not hearing what the other person's value is, or problem is, or viewpoint is.
DeForrest Hancock: maybe we can share the view that they can't see.
DeForrest Hancock: And so that's what I bring to the table. I believe in a and I' to do that.
Leslie R. Lewis: Thank you. That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that absolutely good wisdom.
Leslie R. Lewis: I don't think. Did Stan make it? I know I think I saw you, Nan. so I don't want to miss you if you are here. Okay, all right, then I think we'll go to Paul. Let's go with Paul. What has inspired and sustained you.
Paul Watson: But for me. It actually
Paul Watson: started when as a young person, as part of those civil rights movement.
Paul Watson: And I remember be watching on TV. When Martin Luther King was leading the desegregation in the South.
Paul Watson: and it was really I just was touched by the fact that I knew that
Paul Watson: The only reason that these folks were being treated that way was because of the color of their skin.
Paul Watson: and I also knew that if I was there they do the same thing to me
Paul Watson: and And so. even though I wasn't experiencing it at that level at that time, what it did make a commitment to me to say.
Paul Watson: you can't just sit on the sidelines and watch. You gotta do something about this. If this is, if I don't want this to happen to me, I gotta get out and do something. And so it was that kind of commitment that I wasn't quite sure. That's a young age what to do.
Paul Watson: But I had to just get out and just do something, you know. And then that that kind of strive got me to actually get involved. And I actually met a lot of people.
Paul Watson: and they were the kind of things that helped sustain it, because I learned so much from so many different people, and whose commitments were deeper than mine. It helped me to understand what it takes to be a real change agent.
Paul Watson: It takes commitment.
Paul Watson: takes focus and a and a willingness to give to other people, you know. And so I had to learn that
Paul Watson: by going through it and working through. So so that was really the
Paul Watson: the kind of driving for us. I think that that helped me. And then it's just so many different people that I met along the way.
Leslie R. Lewis: okay, thank you so much, Paul. How about you, Bill?
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): Yeah. I gave this a lot of thought. And I ended up coming up with a somewhat personal thing. It it really comes down to my parents. My mom taught me that at all times, in all situations you lead with love.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): and that all people are God's people. All children are God's children, and therefore deserve dignity and respect.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): My dad. He told me what it means to be a man which for him was someone who carries out the responsibilities, regardless what it takes, regardless to personal cost and without complaining in that And I am not the most important person on the planet that indeed I am my brothers and sisters keeper.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): I mean most of my youth. My dad worked 2 or 3 jobs. I went careers. They were jobs. So he had enough to ensure that his wife and 5 could. Kids could eat and have a place to sleep.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): He's the guy when you're fixing the tire on a rainy day on the side of the road that pulls up behind you
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): an office to help
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): And so essentially, they built it into my DNA. And when people ask me why I do this, I tell them I really don't know. I just don't know what else to do. This seems like what I'm supposed to do.
Nice
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): You're muted, Leslie.
Leslie R. Lewis: Oh, shoot! I'm sure I said something profound. Damn all right. So, Glenn, you know, just do it doesn't even, you know, whatever the reason, the I'm sure, is good for so many people. So the next question. You've sort of some of you have nibbled that already. But What has sustained you along the way or fortifies you? I mean this kind of work that we're all engaged in. This is like
Leslie R. Lewis: lifetime level. Right? We're not going to fix things overnight. So we need to find ways to to kind of sustain ourselves and fortify ourselves. So what lessons can you share about that? maybe we'll just come back around and start with you, Patrice.
Patrice Baker: yes. Well, you know, I think I've always looked at things from a different lens, regardless of what happened in my life.
Patrice Baker: You know it it. Whatever the situation is.
Patrice Baker: whether I feel it's a good thing, or you know it's harmful or my family's in jeopardy.
Patrice Baker: I I never asked why I just say, what is it that I need to know or to do?
Patrice Baker: And I just hang on sometime. Wait it out.
Patrice Baker: I but often when I, when I write my daughter when she was in college, and at the end I was in the letters with, when you fall down, get back up just yourself off and keep moving forward. And that's the model for my life. Each phase of life I kind of call them new beginnings.
Patrice Baker: and you know that means something. This happened. I maybe I've been, you know, juggled around a little bit, maybe a little painful. But you know, what am I going to do next, and I always know there's something next for me.
Patrice Baker: I have. I also I have proof of faith. you know, in the movies where they, you know, kidnapped somebody. So we want proof of life. Well, I have proof of faith
Patrice Baker: and you know, that comes out through my my children.
Patrice Baker: my! I have a daughter, son, and a granddaughter.
Patrice Baker: and my son in particular, has had a whole mental health, mental health, situation from age 16 to now he's 42, and that taught me to see the genius in both my children. So my daughter, you know, excels and everything academically. Whatever you could see her genius right away with him and the mental health
Patrice Baker: arena really needing services.
Patrice Baker: He also was a genius. And so and then my granddaughter, of course, you know, grand babies are just like the best. that's what they're by legacy, you know, and that's what sustains me going forward. I always raise them to know that I'm putting a product out into the world.
Patrice Baker: and there's a responsibility in that. And so I I you know, you know they know I'm I'm a mama, you know, that were that proudly. But I don't play it. So so that's that's, you know. Challenges are what they are for me.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: Hmm, wonderful. Yeah. Our people fortify us the ways you frame frame things. I think that's really Jerry, what's well, it's hard to put it to words what to sustain me over the years, I think, good relationships, good friendships, and a a goal that we all seem to share. most of the time. and
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: That we that we were able to to help each other through the struggle. I may have made some really wonderful lifelong friendships
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: through this work. And It's been a pleasure to work with people like
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: Christine Krigo and Tony Atkins and their their struggles to become
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: probably lesbian
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: sliders. And very early on they were several people running who didn't make it. but they're they. They laid the groundwork, and it was very rewarding to be part of that in the political sense, and have have that political
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: activity, and and and realize that we could really do something when we were organized. So I think the organizations and the people of that time, or what has this named me?
Leslie R. Lewis: Yeah, wonderful. They had my back as well. My relationships. I heard solidarity and the courage of the people around you. Yeah, that that does
Leslie R. Lewis: for us. Thank you. how about you? Dd, let's have sustained and fortified you
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): for me. I thought about this, and I wrote it down. Okay.
DeForrest Hancock: okay, what has sustained me seriously, is
DeForrest Hancock: my faith and belief that all things are possible.
DeForrest Hancock: we each roll along and we will ex alone. So over the years
DeForrest Hancock: I learned that
DeForrest Hancock: I needed to welcome opposition and challenges
DeForrest Hancock: and see them as being builders of strength and endurance.
DeForrest Hancock: I came to believe that we are all ordinary people, simply living out the scripts of our lives.
DeForrest Hancock: And some of our scripts include life challenges which provide lived experience to bill
DeForrest Hancock: the expertise and skills of survival. And that's coming from my experience of the 7 years of homelessness.
DeForrest Hancock: and being a survivor
DeForrest Hancock: and considered from time to time, is lived experience and other times is lived. Expertise. Well.
DeForrest Hancock: being an expert is generally someone who has studied who has looked out for
DeForrest Hancock: how to be better at
DeForrest Hancock: that feel. No one wants to be homeless.
DeForrest Hancock: So how do you really don't want to be an expert at homeless, because you know. But that's just the term I'm looking at the definition of it.
DeForrest Hancock: I find I found that my experience
DeForrest Hancock: of homelessness has lifted up my generally my expertise now, and what others who are dealing with that challenge.
DeForrest Hancock: and how they could overcome simply by having the faith and knowing that there are people out there who care and understand that no one on the planet ever said. When I grew up I want to be homeless.
DeForrest Hancock: so no, that we can conquer and overcome that. But
DeForrest Hancock: I see that.
DeForrest Hancock: having victory over our challenges and live condition. it actually
DeForrest Hancock: is validation that we are living out
DeForrest Hancock: our life purpose.
DeForrest Hancock: I believe each and every one of us has a purpose, and when we stand up to our challenges
DeForrest Hancock: we are victorious over that.
DeForrest Hancock: And The question is.
DeForrest Hancock: what is the celebration of a victory.
DeForrest Hancock: a
DeForrest Hancock: opponent.
DeForrest Hancock: or a challenge to overcome
Leslie R. Lewis: lost you for just a second. But but thank you for that, and and certainly so, hearing in their purpose. How how powerful that is! And that's that's very sustaining. Yeah. Paul, what? What? It sustained and fortified you.
Paul Watson: Well, I think for for me.
Paul Watson: Social change is not about policy. It's not about economics.
Paul Watson: it's about people. you're trying to improve the quality of life for everybody. and
Paul Watson: and so the thing that sustained me over the time is that very thing. The people the folks that I've met along the way, who were also out there trying to be change makers and and speaking up and trying to defend justice for everybody, you know, and through the people is what where I learned and got an education, and that also fortified.
Paul Watson: You know. I I told you I started out with the civil rights.
Paul Watson: and so in my early days that was really kind of thinking about fighting the Ku Klux Klan.
Paul Watson: But as I got when I got into college and started working with the panthers and others, and
Paul Watson: I, I and I really begin to understand that. it's really not that simple. It's not about black and white. It's it's about people, you know, as many times as I've been arrested.
Paul Watson: And and I've never spent more than one night in jail and never was convicted of a crime. The reason for that was because of the fact that I always had plenty of good lawyers and people who believed in me. But those folks weren't black
Paul Watson: and and so I begin to really understand. You can't really. Just look at things in in a broad sense. It's really about the individual, those people that support you and help you to really begin to understand. When I had a chance to meet Stokely Carmichael, he he really taught me that. It's you've got to be dedicated. You can't. This is not a part time job. You got to commit yourself to the kind of change that you want to see and that they've just source. I can't even
Paul Watson: mentioned all the people that I that I met and along my life, and continue to do now. Even the folks that I've met at Ucsd and in the communities that continue to to build me up and to strengthen me and to help me in a resolve to keep at this, because it's so. It is a lifetime change, you know. Bill and I laugh and say, Well, everyone we get up to say, all right, we don't go out and smash capitalism today.
Paul Watson: And that's been we've been smashing for over 40 years. It hasn't changed yet. but we gotta keep at it. It's just the way that it is. So.
Paul Watson: So it's the people, the people that I just met, so many wonderful, wonderful people who are sold to the earth, and it's worth fighting for them.
Paul Watson: and it's worth fighting with them. And it's worth learning from them being fortified. So that's what that's what does it for me?
Leslie R. Lewis: Nice. Thank you. Yes, all that smash, and it's exhausting. But yes, it is the people that make it make it absolutely yeah, and connecting that to Dd's purpose. Right purpose of people Bill, what has sustained and fortified you?
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): Well, I would start with a quote from Bishop Desmond Tutu, of South Africa? When he was asked this question his answer was, I guess I'm just a prisoner of hope.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): And when I heard that, I thought, oh, that explains it. But There's also the joy of seeing people become empowered to raise their voices for themselves, their families, their community watching a young person grow into the feeling that of being empowered enough to be able to speak for their needs and their hopes in their dreams and desires. Seeing an immigrant refugee mother develop her voice and speak out for me. Nothing in my life has been more rewarding
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): than that. knowing that every Muslim student in San Diego unified school district can
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): get a allow meal at school because they for it.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): knowing that every 18 youth, 18 years, and all that has free public transit because they for it
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): in behind me the ocean view going grounds. This 10 years ago was a completely vacant lot and had been vacant for more than 35 years. This environmental justice, learning hub and community health generator was built by the community that surrounds it. Since if you don't know where it is, it's on Ocean View Boulevard in Southeast San Diego or Food Desert.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): a food swamp and a brown field and so Those are the things that move me.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): But so, to be truthful. you may not know this about me, but I can be a pretty honorary stubborn. whatever you want to call it. Culturally, I'm a fourth generation Irish
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): American, and that's not a culture that accepts submission easily
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): if you know their history.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): And as a kid I was barely 5 foot tall. Wait a hundred 5 pounds, so can wet, and you, no matter how big you were, and no matter how hard you hit me, you would never get an uncle out of me, and for those of you who may not know what uncle means. If you're getting the crap beat out of you. If you say, uncle, they usually stop because you give up.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): I can't tell you how many kids walk. Big kids walked away from me, realizing never going to say.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): And so part of it again is, I think this is is my, my DNA And just unwilling to submit. Nothing makes me angrier and more motivated than the abuse of power.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): and so, when I see it, I can't help myself.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): but to take some action, to do something, not by myself, but with the people who are being abused by that power. And so and it's about not about leading. It's about supporting and building and helping people find their voice and bring their voice forward.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): And so that that sustains me. And again, I don't know what else to do. This is my life, and I love it. I'm 74, and I don't even see her retirement on the horizon.
Leslie R. Lewis: So nice. Thank you. Ornery Bill. yeah, I love it. But the victories along the way, but also regardless right. I love it. Nice. all right. Last question. What advice do you have for up and coming change makers? Patrice?
Patrice Baker: Well, when I saw the question, I thought, Oh, my goodness!
Patrice Baker: Over the years, that's what I've been doing. I collect information to pass on.
Patrice Baker: I've always done it. That's my legacy. But I love about being in the community and working as meeting so many people, and then the folks that come into our offices at groundwork and work with those for young people.
Patrice Baker: They say you know nobody's ever asked me that question before, so I love being able to give them tips includes to make it through this life.
Patrice Baker: I mean. So so I have 3 things, and one is, pay attention, connect the dots in your life because life is not a straight line, the bins and curves, and sometimes you get thrown off the track and you have to get back on sometime you need to time out and so. But all these things are connected to your experiences, to what you have experienced with situations.
Patrice Baker: all all the things that make you who you are and paying attention to those, because you can learn from each set things happened. You kind of look for the learning in it, and then you build upon something. I think sometimes we don't take understand? The value of being connected and connecting the dots is when those folks can no longer connect with people or connected dots.
Patrice Baker: Then they make the, you know, some decisions that that just aren't. We can't understand. But connecting the dots pay attention And that way, when you learn pieces, then you get the best from what you've been given to make you the best you can. Number 2. Be clear, your human being, not. Everybody is going to like you love. You want to be around you want to spend time with you. that's just, you know. Get over it. Life ain't nice as a title of my book, and
Patrice Baker: but you get more choices every day that can bring you closer to the life you want. You'd have to make a choice. And so if you see someone's lead it, something is leading you farther along in another direction, and you don't stop it. That's on you.
Patrice Baker: But this that's part of the journey. You have to decide what's true for yourself versus allowing others do your homework. Find the people whom you can count on as wise elders. I've done that. That's why I've made it through. I've had wise elders in my life. I've called, and then you can become one yourself, and you can be a wise elder to someone else. So, thirdly, is, Commit to discovering what brings you, join
Patrice Baker: what turns you on what lights you up?
Patrice Baker: What brings a smile to your face when you're alone, not just in public.
Patrice Baker: and learn to treat yourself with compassion. You know, if we've heard all the negativity that goes on in our heads, I mean it would drown out any joy we may have, and we know this, so we have to learn to treat ourselves with compassion, refuse to wait another few seconds for anybody else, to show up, to bring you compassion or joy. First of all, they ain't coming okay. Secondly, they don't know where to find it inside. It's an inside job.
Patrice Baker: and so And you can't fake it because the joy is a direct link to your heart.
Patrice Baker: and when you come in with your heart people can tell. They can see it.
Patrice Baker: They can know if you're a fake, they can know if you for real, and that, you know that's what I ride on. It's it's it's being present being who I am, and loving the journey.
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: Hmm, gosh! That was beautiful. Thank you. I wrote that down alright, Jerry, what advice do you have?
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: And find the people that you can trust, and to leave in and support them, and they will be supporting you and
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: Find your find. Find the the that the thing that moves you the most, what you really believe in and what you will work for, and
Jeri Dilno and Shelly Lorenze: and a lot of it will come.
Leslie R. Lewis: Wonderful. Thank you for those additional words, didi, what advice do you have?
DeForrest Hancock: Device I would share is actually from being with the voicemail.
DeForrest Hancock: I share the words of a song, an original song by the choir, the songwriters of the choir.
DeForrest Hancock: and the title is being You.
DeForrest Hancock: Trials and tribulations equal joy. Take your time. No need to rush. All right.
DeForrest Hancock: you are enough.
DeForrest Hancock: Release your vision now.
DeForrest Hancock: love, you will keep when you give it out.
DeForrest Hancock: Don't worry about what others say or do. don't you know they can't live your life for you?
DeForrest Hancock: You are the best in the world at being you.
DeForrest Hancock: So be still, and no, you'll end up where you need to. Dreams come, true.
DeForrest Hancock: Spirit will carry you.
DeForrest Hancock: Life becomes new. strength is inside of you when you're being you.
DeForrest Hancock: Thank you.
Leslie R. Lewis: Hmm, thank you. That's beautiful. Thank you. Oh, what advice can you share?
Paul Watson: Well, I you know at this point in my life life is good.
Paul Watson: And when life is good it's easy. It'd be very easy to just kind of feel like it's time to relax rest. Let somebody else do it
Paul Watson: but I always remember when I was doing some work in South Africa, and one of my friends was with the Amc. Who was taking me around one of the things he used to always say to me every morning when he woke me up at 7 in the morning, and and then we brought me back off at midnight, back at the hotel.
Paul Watson: he said, Paul, you've got to feel the pain of the people.
Paul Watson: And and so his tours was all about that. But what that meant to me was that I need to stay connected
Paul Watson: with those folks that are still struggling.
Paul Watson: that with the issues that it's there that's really impacting people's lives. because that's the motivation that we can't rest.
Paul Watson: It's not a time to just sit on our laurels. But it's it's time to increase the work that we've been doing and to really try to stay committed to to working with both lives. And and so when I watch. You know the shootings that we're having, and the families and misery you know that motivates me when I see women out marching for women to that motivates me
Paul Watson: but you've got to stay in touch with what's happening. Otherwise it's easy for us to to step back and and let somebody else do it? And if we do that.
Paul Watson: nothing's gonna change. So so that's my advice I give out to particularly young people that I'm talking to stay connected to what's important and what's important is
Paul Watson: the quality of life for everybody.
Leslie R. Lewis: Absolutely. Thank you, Bill. What's your advice?
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): Well, usually I try to avoid. Give me if I it's not my I I to help people find their own answers. I hate to give them and I wanted to avoid the sort of usual, you know. Say what you mean. You, you say, don't just walk up to talk, walk, to walk, but
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): the deeper I thought of it the more I realized the most important advice, I think, is, have a moral conference.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): the compass that guides and directs you in your life. You're going to be faced with decisions where none of you, all of your options suck. And the the right answer is not clear. And that's where, in those times, and that will happen, I think, more often than not.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): and that's where you need to draw on your moral compass to make sure you're staying on target.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): the other is again. And I think, Bd. Said this early, the importance of listening. My mother, one of my mom. If you know Irish culture, they have more sayings than anybody in the universe, I think, but certainly my family did, and one of my mothers, my sayings, was my favorite. Is, there is a reason why God gave us 2 ears in one mouth. And I tried to keep that in mind.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): And lastly, I ask yourself the question, if not us. Oh.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): and if not now, when
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): because the time to do it is not going to get better or easier.
Bill Oswald Global ARC (he/his): You want change. It needs to happen now and so again. All of the advice the you, all wise elders to give is, take the bull by the horn, get into the struggle.
Leslie R. Lewis: Amen. All right. Thank you all for those wonderful words. we just have a few more minutes. Does anyone in the audience want to throw out a question? You can either just unmute yourself and ask or put it in the chat.
Keith Pezzoli: and I just give a quick affirmation.
Keith Pezzoli: Warm blanket right now.
The deep.
Keith Pezzoli: the deep sort of wisdom that was shared. It's experience based. It's ego less.
Keith Pezzoli: I thank you all for this. It's really uplifting.
Keith Pezzoli: It's hopeful. It's empathic. and it's also wise, I mean
Keith Pezzoli: I I I I knew what wisdom meant before this call, but
Keith Pezzoli: but I think I actually know what it means even better.
Keith Pezzoli: because you just gifted us with this and such a such a personal
Keith Pezzoli: a way that
Keith Pezzoli: I I just wanted to put that affirmation out there.
Leslie R. Lewis: Thank you for that, Keith. That's beautiful. And I agree anybody else.
Leslie R. Lewis: Yeah, fun.
Fonna Forman: Just to say one thing, just picking up on something that did, he said earlier about expertise.
Fonna Forman: No, we at the university sometimes have a problem that we, we think we know everything. And there's something really wonderful about exposing our students to this kind of wisdom. It's humbling, and it's so important.
Fonna Forman: thank all of to all of you for being there for our for our young people. They they need this wisdom.
Fonna Forman: Yeah, thank you.
Leslie R. Lewis: Oh, I agree. Thank you, fauna, and thank you for the ways that you make it possible. As well. Yeah.
Leslie R. Lewis: anyone else.
Steve Parish: But.
Steve Parish: Leslie, if I could. I I also want to offer my heartfelt thank you.
Steve Parish: for for this event, for all you've done for everyone over the years. you're all truly wonderful, and and thank you so much.
Fonna Forman: Wonderful. I offer. Please take on, too. And but he said, General, thank you, obviously to the amazing voices and the commitments, and to share these heart failed
Fonna Forman: a a set of reflections, really? But with Baker, who is our Queen? Mainly in a sense of the kinds of works that we have developed in the last years. I mean, she was our first public scholar, our D
Fonna Forman: as part of the Ucz community stations. When you know, we convinced the the Melon Foundation that this kind of wisdom needed to be validated in terms of scholarship in terms of the
Fonna Forman: the knowledge is the social, political. You know, environmental knowledges that really are grounded within communities, I mean in in a very rooted and embedded way.
Fonna Forman: and that that knowledge needed to circulate. between the university and the communities. And and Patrice is an incredible mediator and facilitator of that knowledge. So he said, I wanted to say that everything that was said is about how we also accompany each other. I think we've learned hugely from Patrice, and we have called Co. Produced, in a sense
Fonna Forman: knowledge that would have been impossible to do to develop otherwise. from the silo, from the kind of I would. I call it a tunnel medium. So it's It's the idea that
Fonna Forman: we have. We have really moved and walked together.
Fonna Forman: And finally, I just wanted to say a very impressed with Did these work words as well. so I already mentioned it about challenging our conceptions of expertise. But primarily, what she said really
Fonna Forman: remains very much in my my heart, and my mind is that this this expertise only emerges out of conflict. I don't. I don't think they they kind of
Fonna Forman: forceful, experiential kind of you know of. If facing the world in in such, in such a
Fonna Forman: embedded way, it's a knowledge, that is, you know, that emerges out of that, that the struggle of survival and of perseverance. And so this is something that needs to
Fonna Forman: contaminated us all in the university. we some top for that. So thank you. Did. And Patrice and everybody else.
Leslie R. Lewis: Yeah, Amen. We need to get contaminated. Anybody else
Leslie R. Lewis: where we close out
Leslie R. Lewis: alright. Well, thank you all so much. Beautiful panelists, Honorees awardees. I'll be in contact with each of you about delivering your physical award. But thank you so much for sharing your words of wisdom and your and your presence, and thank you everyone for coming and joining us in this. thank you. All
Patrice Baker: my keys.
Paul Watson: Okay.
Keith Pezzoli: thank you. I was lovely seeing you.