photo by Michael Espinosa

–Written by Adrienne Crew, for LA OBSERVED

Toni Ann Johnson, a screenwriter, community activist and blogger, uses her blog to document her efforts to bring more green to her neighborhood in South Los Angeles. It’s been a two year struggle but she’s finally achieving visible results. Partnering with Million Trees L.A., the Southwest Los Angeles Neighborhood Council and Ralph’s super market, Toni Ann gathered with over 100 volunteers to plant Ginko Biloba trees in front of Ralphs supermarket at Western and Manchester on Saturday, January 23, 2010.

Not content to rest on her laurels for a moment (sorry I couldn’t resist), Toni Ann gave Native Intelligence a quick interview.

How did you feel after the event and as you were putting in the trees?

Right after the event I was delighted, gratified and very tired. Later when I reflected on what we’d accomplished and how long it took to reach the goal, I was profoundly grateful and feeling very connected to God,  blessed.

As we were putting in the trees I was joyful. Many of my very dear friends and neighbors came down to help out and it was pretty amazing seeing them work to make the community better. It moved me. I enjoyed digging the dirt and seeing the roots of the trees, thinking about how they were going to reach down into the soil and become a real part of the landscape. I love the idea of an urban forest!

What was the toughest obstacle in this process?

The toughest obstacle was actually what motivated me the most and I’m grateful for it. It was when the director of store operations for Ralphs told me that they wouldn’t allow the trees to be planted. He said there were no plans to green that location and that there probably never would be. Knowing that all the other Ralphs in Los Angeles had trees, the fact that he said no infuriated me and propelled me into action. I made as much noise as I possibly could, determined to be a pest until they’d install the trees just to shut me up. I gained momentum in 2009 when an op-ed that I wrote was published in the Los Angeles Times. The forces against me allowed me to develop strengths and skills I hadn’t cultivated previously, so I appreciated the challenge.

Did the result match your vision?

Honestly, not yet. : ) The trees are Gingko Biloba and they’re going to be spectacular! However, they look bare right now because the trees are dormant and they have no leaves. They look like Charlie Brown trees. We pitched this project to the community telling them that there would be an immediate visual impact, because they were 24-inch box trees, which are pretty large. Had these been evergreen trees, the “immediate visual impact” would have been true, but since they’re deciduous and it’s winter now, the visual impact is significantly reduced. But, I anticipate that in a couple of months, the result will absolutely match my vision. I am thrilled about the trees, even the way they look now.

How long did it take to put in the trees?

Not long at all. It went much faster than I expected. The event began at 8:40am and we were pretty much finished by 11:30am. We had a ceremony, a dance show, and a tutorial prior to the planting, so I’d say the entire planting time was only about two hours. We had more than enough volunteers– well over one hundred people. There were 20 trees and each tree takes 5 people to install. There was a demonstration before we all went off to our respective trees and people seemed to follow the instructions very well. Also, there were “team leaders,” representatives from The Los Angeles Conservation Corps, who helped and guided all of us.

What’s next for your group?

There are going to be two more phases of tree-plantings along Manchester Avenue, I’m happy to report. So, hopefully by 2011, much of that commercial corridor will be green! It’s very exciting.

A Lush Green South LA, with Toni Ann Johnson

www.toniannjohnson.com
www.fs.fed.us
www.Turnt-Up.com
www.milliontreesla.org

Interview with Executive Director of LA, Lisa Sarno

Interview with Screenwriter/Community Activist, Toni Ann Johnson

Interview with Council Member, Bernard C. Parks

That’s me with Russell Ferguson who recently won SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.  So, what does THIS have to do with Community Beautification?  The connection is a slight stretch, I’ll admit, but there IS a connection.  As well as being the force behind the tree planting event tomorrow, I am also a screenwriter who’s worked on a number of dance movies.  Currently, I’m developing a script set in the world of the JERKIN’ Movement and, more specifically, set in my own South LA community.  It tracks a kid who makes a transformation from gang culture to the Jerkin’ culture (which is anti-gang).   I met with Russell and his mom and brother yesterday to tell them about the story and to see if it might interest him as a vehicle.  As I shared it with him, he lit up and when I was done, he told me that it sounded much like his own trajectory.  He was surrounded by negative influences, but he used his talent for dance to turn in another direction, toward something positive.   God willing, we’ll work together.  He’s a truly talented and lovely kid with a beautiful, bright spirit.   He deserves all the success he’s having!

Some of the kids involved in the Jerkin’ movement live in the community and will be attending tomorrow’s tree planting.  They’re scheduled to perform at 8:30am.  For those of you who don’t know what Jerkin’ is, it’s a relatively new youth culture and it’s one worth supporting.  As Shariff Hasan, who’s making a documentary on the subject, explained to me, Jerkin’ has been described as “youth rebelling against rebellion itself.”  It is a move AWAY from gangs, violence, drug use and low aspirations, toward something healthy and positive and fun.  Kids in the Jerkin’ movement make their own music and videos, upload their stuff to youtube and their myspace pages and share it with their social networks.  They are also using these networks to sell themselves, their music and even fashion, thus creating a generation of new entrepreneurs.  I met Indigo Vanity last week–a beautiful and talented 16-year-old who is fast becoming a mogul of her own making.  On her website, she is selling not only her music, but she’s also selling fashion, including some sunglasses she was rockin’ when we met.  Her fans had seen her with them on and she has had them mass produced.  She’s a performer, but she’s also a savvy businesswoman!  At 16!

This is what Jerkin’ is doing for youth.  I’m all for it!   It’s uplifting, it’s self-empowering, it’s kids creating opportunity and wealth on their own using their talent and the internet.   They’re succeeding even without record deals, but the record companies are seeking out these kids with the large social networks, and partnering with them to sell records.   These artists have a lot more power than the previous generation of artists who signed contracts with companies that kept most of the profits.

One of the things that really excites me about “Jerks”–which is a GOOD thing to be, the opposite of what we used to call a Jerk– is that they are environmentally conscious.   I spoke with Indigo Vanity and a 15 year old colleague of her,s and both of them eloquently explained their understanding of global warming and how they feel compelled to do what they can to nurture the environment.   They support tree planting!  So, some of the “Jerks” will be with us tomorrow.  Hope you will, too!

Heard from Pat Jones, chair of the neighborhood council, today. She held a special meeting and they finally have a quorum. Woo hoo! This is awesome. She said they voted in favor of supporting the tree planting. This means that we’ll be able to have them help pay for the second year’s maintenance of the trees! We’re $1900.00 short, so we can really use their support.

Less than 2-weeks till the big day! Can hardly wait!!

I posted the tree planting as an event on facebook and I have 28 confirmed volunteers. I was at Ralphs last night and asked the cashier if he was participating in the tree planting and he told me everyone working that day was going to participate. Glad to hear it! Pat says the NC board members are going to be there. Bernard Parks’ office sent out a flyer to their e-list of community members. We need one hundred, able-bodied volunteers, which is quite a lot, but I’m trusting things will work out.

Hope to see you there with gardening gloves on!