By Megan Burks
You’re Invited: Teens and Safety in City Heights
Join Speak City Heights partners KPBS, Voice of San Diego, Media Arts Center San Diego, The AjA Project and Mid-City CAN 4 p.m. Saturday at Hoover High School for an event centered on teens and safety in City Heights.
We’ll take a look back at our public safety reporting with a multimedia exhibit and panel discussions on bullying and curfew sweeps. Some of your elected officials will be there to hear your thoughts on violence in schools and San Diego’s curfew sweeps push.
We’ll also have a resource fair highlighting community organizations dealing with youth and safety, a performance by youth dance group TranscenDANCE and free pupusas, horchata and jamaica.
Follow us @spkcityheights.
Help the Media Arts Center Take Back Its Alley
If you need to work up an appetite for those pupusas, spend the morning with the Media Arts Center. The nonprofit will be transforming its back alley into a community gathering spot and needs your help planting and painting. Volunteers will be needed 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday behind 2921 El Cajon Blvd.
Click here to see how the location has already evolved.
Follow the Media Arts Center @macsd.
Event to Promote Health and Fitness in African-American Beauty Salons
The Network for a Healthy California plans to launch its “My Hair & My Health Matter” campaign 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Mae’s Beauty Salon at Euclid Avenue and Elm Street. The campaign will work with hairstylists to bring healthy food options and physical activity to African-American beauty salons.
Amina Sheik Mohamed, who manages the campaign, said black women spend several hours in the salon and often eat meals from nearby fast food and soul food restaurants while they wait. Participating salons will offer free fruit and vegetables for clients instead and post information about exercise.
Saturday’s event will highlight another health barrier for African-American women: their hair. Many black women don’t exercise regularly because they don’t want to jeopardize their expensive hairstyles. That’s why the Network has enlisted stylists to demonstrate hairstyles that are more conducive to physical activity.
KPBS talked with the Network about why hair makes exercise difficult for black women. We also covered the Network’s efforts to make soul food healthier.
Find the Network for a Healthy California on Facebook.
Help The AjA Project Install a Mural
The AjA Project is seeking volunteers to help install a mural in the pocket park planned for City Heights Square Sunday.
The mural will consist of 1,100 tiles made with recent and vintage photographs submitted by residents. AjA hopes the piece will tell a story about the diverse residents of City Heights—where they’ve been and where they’re going.
We shared a City Heights Life article about the mural.
You can help arrange the tiles and prepare for the installation Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. at 5253 El Cajon Blvd., Suite A. Email senemgoctu@gmail.com for more information.
Follow The AjA Project @AjAProject.