His first article on skid row in the LA Weekly was a travesty , but he has slowly gotten better at telling the story. I have been living in the heart of skid row for over 8 years and have watched Frankiln and his sister grow up. They have both been an inspiration to all of us here.

This second video is great and it tells a good deal of what is happening with he kids of skid row. School on wheels is a fabulous organization and I know many local loft residents who have been tutors to these kids.

Just as an FYI , SRO Housing Corporation now owns the FORD HOTEL. It was out of escrow two weeks ago and now will be transformed into stable living in the future for low income residents.

Keep up the good work. The first video has lot's of footage that is very old indeed and brings back memories of what skid row used to be like 3 years ago . Today it is quite different. There still need to be changes made , but the neighborhood is being stabilized. With the attention focused on LAMP community for the mentally ill, and the money they will start to receive from the Movie coming out about Nathaniel Ayers,a movie called THE SOLOIST , the next phase of getting the mentally ill inside is about to happen and is beginning to happen.

This was a great series . And I would like to see what is happening as far as what is happening in the here and now not three years ago. There is still more to see , so I will just wait. I just can't believe the changes which have happened here . That footage is just hard to fathom and it is like glimpses of a nightmare that one chooses to forget. SAm Slovack was correct in stating that the trauma of skid row is imprinted on the minds of these children. It is imprinted on my mind and I am an adult. Watching people die on these streets and watching them kill themselves with drugs was common.

Let's see more....

Posted on February 24, 2008 — by dgarzila

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Sam always does a great job of letting homeless children in Skid Row and elsewhere tell their own story. No matter what you perceive the situation to be in Skid Row, their perception, their reality is what will affect their development. Thanks for giving the kids a voice, Sam.
Skid Row needs to be a safer place, no doubt. But moving homeless families out and loft families in doesn't solve the bigger problem. According to LAHSA's 2007 Homeless Count, “each night, an estimated 7998 children sleep in locations not suitable for human habitation." I hope that people like Sam will continue to fight to give these kids a voice even if Skid Row becomes Loft Row.

Posted on February 24, 2008 — by mer153

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I found the videos mentioned in the Franklin Arburtha section, they're at: http://kids-row.wowtv.tv/

Posted on March 14, 2008 — by vilelittletroll

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Pras from The Fugees recently made a documentary where he spent 9 days on the ground in L.A., isolated and with a hidden camera. It's a powerful statement and it came out as the award winning 'Skid Row'

We're working with the creators to distribute the film on DVD, as well as hosting activist events (some of which have discussions and performances by Pras)

Please, if you're moved by the homelessness tragedy, check out our page for Skid Row at: http://www.indiepixfilms.com/film/3397

Thank you, and get involved!

Posted on April 21, 2008 — by indiepix

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