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Peek in the Stacks: los angeles

Early Childhood Educator Associations

The issues of childcare and early childhood education have been a hot topic in national conversations during the pandemic, but they are by no means new issues. In 1925, after several years of discussions and planning, a group of concerned nursery professionals founded the National Committee on Nursery Schools and held the first conference in 1926...

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For the Love of Music: Berry Gordy Jr. and Motown Records

On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. founded Tamala Records in Detroit, Michigan with an $800 loan from his family. One year later it was incorporated as the Motown Record Corporation, a blended nickname that comprised the words Detroit had come to be known for, motor and town. The musical talent ....

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A Look Back at a Previous LA Housing Crisis

According to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, in 2019 the number of unhoused people in Los Angeles County rose 13% from the previous year to over 66,000 people. It remains to be seen what the numbers will look like for 2020, which saw the highest rise in unemployment on record since....

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Northridge: the Early Years

The pre-mission San Fernando Valley was peopled by the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. Their descendants continue to live, work, learn, and grow here. In 2020, CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison, in consultation with tribal President Rudy Ortega Jr., and professor Scott Andrews (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma), composed, approved, and made public the following land...

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Hometown Heroes: Girl Scouts of the Crescenta Valley

A child’s youth can be a tumultuous time. To assist children and teenagers, many youth groups offer structure, companionship, adventure, education, and a place to grow to their own. The Girl Scouts is an organization that helps young girls and women in particular grow into productive and contributing members of American society. Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, the Girl Scouts...

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The Gridiron: Oppression Means Stagnation and Freedom Means Progress

The Gridiron, volume 1, number 1 debuted on December 17, 1926 with a subtitle proclaiming it the gridiron, "Over which the gold of truth is separated from the dross of error." The weekly paper was published locally and initially focused on public utility reform...

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Supreme Council of the Mexican American Movement Collection

The Supreme Council of the Mexican American Movement (1945-1950) can trace its roots to the Mexican Youth Conference (MYC) sponsored by the Youth Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in the early to mid-1930s. Initially, the conference provided a platform for young Mexican American boys to socialize outside the barrios of Los Angeles. The group extolled the virtues of...

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Beauties in the Archives

Beauty pageants are common throughout the world. Historically, these contests have focused on cisgender women, but there have been exceptions. Judging criteria for pageants is largely based on a combination of intelligence, talent, and poise, yet the core point of comparison is physical attractiveness. Young women participating in beauty pageants often look to the previous year’s winners for images of how...

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The Legacy of Brad Pye, Jr.

In 1943, at the young age of 12, Brad Pye, Jr. paid a friend who transported cars to California $5.00 for a ride from his home in Plain Dealing, Louisiana to Los Angeles. Once in LA, Pye continued his education, completing both junior high and high school while working as a gas station attendant in the evenings. During World War II, housing accommodations were tight, and Pye rented space to sleep on an army cot in a freezing hallway. Nevertheless, he did not let his age or hardships deter him from pursuing his passion for journalism...

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