KTLA News: "Black high school students hold conference to address gang violence" (1972)

[No audio] [Crowd noise] [Unidentified Student] Ah, we're going to try and enlighten them. We're going to try and come up with some programs. We already have some that we will bring out in this conference and just probably work with them. You see we're just going to try and get everybody together and just, like, have a brainstorm on what we can do. [KTLA Reporter Stan Chambers] Do you, ah, think that this is just the first of many such conferences or do you think this one will accomplish what you're after? Press conferences? [Chambers] Uh, huh. [Student] Ah. [Chambers] Well, conference among the students. No, we will keep this up all year  long, as necessary. We have been together since the start of the school year. But, like, because of the violence, and all that, we just have to bring or show the community and let them know that we are here to help. And we need their help in return. [Microphone wind noise] [No audio] [Crowd noise] [No audio] [Crowd noise] [Chambers] How long has this conference been in the making? [Student] Oh, for about four days. [Chambers] And what was its need, Cynthia? Why was it needed? [Cynthia] Ah, we felt we would call it because we felt that there was a need in the community for everyone to get together, [Cynthia] and stop a lot of the violence that was going on. [Chambers] How many schools are represented? [Student] All the black high schools, but some help from Compton and Fairfax. [Chambers] What are you going to discuss? How are you going about this? The purpose of this press conference today, is for us to just enlighten the community. All the black leaders, ah, leaders, are getting together to, like, discuss the purpose of coming together for once, to deal with the problems as students. All the students, all the schools getting together, all the black high schools getting together to deal with the whole problem at one time. [Chambers] Specifically, what is the problem? [Student] Ah, gang activities and just really, put it all in it's perspective, ah, negative activities. Other communities and schools. Which, ah, nobody's really dealing with so we feel like as students that maybe we have a chance because they are our peer group, whatever. [Chambers] Does this activity take place after school, during school, on school grounds, off school grounds. Where do you find it mostly? Ah, not trying to avoid the question but it's, ah, like a twenty four hour a day thing, you know, and like, at least we can deal with it while it's in school and maybe on our own, deal with it outside of school, whatever. [Chambers] Cynthia, what need, was needed in the organization? Did you have trouble getting all of the schools together? [Cynthia] No, because, ah, they were active in the student support system anyway. So, they all got together because it was a need and they were willing to work. [Chambers] To whom did you appeal? Was it certain groups in the school or did you hope to get the gang members here? [Cynthia] Oh, we appealed to everyone. Gang members and everyone. [Student] Oh, we're not going to concentrate just on the gangs. We're going to like, try and deal with the general student population, in terms of stopping them from going over to the negative side into all these activities. So that's about it. [Chambers] What are you going to offer them in its place? [Crowd noise] [No audio]