Friday, August 26, 7 pm: screening “Can You Dig This”, followed by a discussion with James Todd, lifelong gardener, and labor and community organizer and Kennard Morris, downtown gardener and entertainer, at the Skid Row History Museum & Archive.
Movie Nights At The Museum are free, with free popcorn, coffee, and conversation.
Parking is available in the same building on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floor.
Take the elevator on the back to the 2nd floor where the Skid Row History Museum & Archive is located (440 S. Broadway, Mezzanine Level, Los Angeles, CA 90013).
“Can You Dig This”
Directed by Delila Vallot | Running time: 1 hr 20mins
“Can You Dig This” follows the inspirational journeys of four unlikely gardeners, discovering what happens when they put their hands in the soil. These “gangster gardeners” call for people to put down their guns and pick up their shovels in order to create an oasis in the middle of South LA, one of the most notoriously dangerous places in America. This is not a story of science and economics. This is a story of the human spirit, inspiring people everywhere to pick up their shovels and “plant some shit.”
About James Todd:
James is a lifelong gardener, amateur hydroponicist, and labor and community organizer, who represents the Historic Core of Los Angeles as a recently elected Resident Director on the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. He manages the LA region for Service Employees International Union Local 1000, representing 95,000 California state workers. In 2013, James founded the SB Tenants Association, and was successful in bringing together hundreds of downtown residents to stop a planned conversion of SB Spring and Main into condominiums. He believes strongly in the power of communal gardening to bring people together, overcome economic, social, and gender barriers, and ultimately achieve justice in under-resourced communities by providing the opportunity to identify and develop new neighborhood leaders, all through the production of food. He has been testing this theory through his ongoing participation in the Spring Street Community Garden, where he has lead the design-build and drip irrigation teams. The Garden opened in spring of 2016, and has started producing a delicious bounty of herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
About Kennard Morris:
Originally from the San Gabriel Valley, Kennard has been a resident of downtown for just over five years. At first, he thought his move would limit his opportunity to plant and grow fresh fruit and vegetables, but he later found he could assist friends and family members in planting their own gardens.
Kennard went to USC to study music. His background lead him to find work in recording studios, and eventually, in movies and TV. With nearly 100 films and TV shows to his credit, as well as countless commercials and music videos, he has enjoyed a career in entertainment that spans over 20 years.
As a foodie and amateur chef, urban farming was the next logical step. Having planted, grown, and assisted with gardens since childhood, being a part of a larger community garden has been an unexpected blessing: “Building a sense of community through a community garden feeds both the body and soul.”
