A couple of months ago James and I went to hear some Chicano Rockabilly in Claremont. We had a splendid time. Having lived and been a college administrator's wife in the early 1970s it was stunning to see the changes on campus.
I was encouraged by the image painted on a column of my hero, Dolores Huerta.
I mentioned this and Kathy Bautista, who happens to be on the Latino Heritage board, share that this was work done by her daughter.
Made sense that she would have drawn her version of the Barbara Carrasco's classic portrait. I was surprised that she had painted this because I thought of Kimberly as a documentarian.
I knew that she had done whatever comes after a trifecta in creating the film "Justice for my Sister" - writer, director, producer, editor... The document is about the struggle of women in Guatemala to confront the violence they experience. To quote the website - " In April 2008, Guatemalan feminists pushed Congress to ratify a law against femicide". The documentary focuses on the work of one woman and her success in making sure laws were implemented.
Justice for my Sister has also become a campaign. Kimberly holds violence prevention and leadership workshops in Guatemala and the U.S.
In 2011 she launched a program where texting becomes a tool for preventing violence via helpline.
Kimberly's work gives me hope. She and her contemporaries are doing work that feeds hope and fives the rest of us a solid nudge to continue doing work and creating art that is meaningful - on many levels.
She was recently recognized for her work - she is the Inaugural Young Alumni Achievement Award Honoree.
I love the idea of Chicano Rockabilly! I'm imagining a cross between early Elvis and late Ranchero, but what do I know?!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a lot closer to sideburns, wool jackets, and classic cars.
ReplyDelete