Young Leaders Project

Building a Movement:

The Young Leaders Project at CLUE is a training program for leaders interested in the work of economic justice. The Project works with young adults, from local high schools, colleges, seminaries and rabbinical schools, as well as at large, to train them in the struggle to eradicate poverty in our community. Through concrete organizing projects, direct action, and shared vision our Young Leaders learn first hand about the reality of the working poor and how they can help transform our society together. At any given time, the Project is engaged in a variety of activities including internships, community gatherings, public education, creative actions, and fellowship. For more information, please contact Bridie C. Roberts, coordinator of the Young Leaders Project at broberts@cluela.org or 213-481-3740 x104.

Our Myspace

www.myspace.com/youngleadersproject Check out our MySpace page for updates and other events.

Young Leaders Actions

Every semester the young leaders at CLUE organize an action to support worker rights. The last action in the fall of 2006 took place in front of the Hilton hotel in Glendale. The young leaders organized an alternative Christmas party to protest the party that the city was holding inside the Glendale Hilton regardless of the workers request for them to boycott the hotel. The party started off with picketing in front of the hotel. It then moved onto the lawn outside the hotel where workers, organizers, clergy and young leaders enjoyed tamales and champurrado while a group of the young leaders performed a skit reinacting The Christmas Carol with Scrooge being the owner of the hotel. Other young leaders changes the lyrics of classic Christmas songs to depict the struggle of the workers. These carolers did a delegation to the management of the hotel to share the songs with them.

Students Reflect on the action they created to support the workers of the Glendale Hilton hotel in Spring 2005:

Luke Cederberg, Occidental College
I helped to organize, co-ordinate, and execute a two-part action that included an eat-in at the Glendale Hilton hotel restaurant and a rap battle outside of the hotel.  During the eat-in, some of the students stood up in the middle of the restaurant and boldly prayed for the workers of the hotel and condemned the management’s treatment of the workers so everyone in the restaurant could hear. I spoke to security officers to diffuse tension with them as they came to our table to remove us from the restaurant. After we left the hotel singing, "This Little Light of Mine," I rapped to a crowd of workers and supporters gathered on the sidewalk in front of the Hilton about the unjust treatment of the workers and the community's support for the workers' and their struggle.

Angelica Corona, Pasadena City College
I heard about the Glendale Hilton action at the Young Leaders barbeque at Rev. Alexia Salvatierra’s house, it was my first encounter with anything related to worker justice. By the end of the night I ended up volunteering to help plan the action and was invited to a planning meeting to strategize for the event. I got to help out by making signs. During the event I marched with the workers and had the exciting opportunity of witnessing workers who were willing to stand up for what they believed in and what they deserve. After this action I decided to become a CLUE intern, having changed my views towards the underpaid lower working class in our society. I will never be the same.

Ryan Thompson, Fuller Seminary
The opportunity to join with other student leaders from the religious community was amazing. I can't say how much of a blessing it was to be a part of an action reminding the hotel workers of our support for them--to remind them that their struggle is also our struggle for equality and respect.