By Christian Mosqueda

Staff Writer

A count of 700 middle school and high school students from the surrounding L.A area attended the 8th annual Male Success Alliance Summit Friday at Cal State Dominguez Hills where the focus of being a catalyst for change started within the students themselves.

     Attendees included MSA members as well as MSA alumni. Dr. Tyrone C. Howard, associate dean for equity and inclusion at UCLA and a CSUDH alumnus, was the keynote speaker.

     “When I look at you I see me,” said Howard, who achieved his master’s in education from Dominguez Hills back in 1994. “If a black person was shot the news would be here. Where are Channel 2, Channel 4, ABC 7?” Howard said.

     “We are going to change the narrative.”

     Howard touched on the importance of recognizing people of color’s history and of the brilliance and potential that they possess. He also reminded the more than 15 schools in attendance that brown and black students have more in common than they think and must work together in this mutual struggle.

     Howard also said that students’ thoughts, lives, families and communities are at stake.

     “There is an ongoing battle for your mind.”

     The UCLA professor educated the young men about  for-profit prisons and how they make money locking people up. Where it costs $150,000 to incarcerate one person per year, the majority being being black or brown, it only costs $12,000 to invest in their educations.

     “There is a system built on our failure. We cannot allow that to happen,” Howard said. “It’s time to change the game.”

     Howard’s keys to success for the students included loving themselves and having self-discipline.  He also stated the importance of completing the A-G requirements to be college-ready, as well as the importance of loving, valuing and respecting women.

     “We do not put a hand on our women, we cherish our women,” he said.

     The summit culminated with members of MSA sharing their own personal narratives.

     Alex Guerrero, MSA president, said this workshop helps students relate to the members through shared experience.

     “The students need to know that there are guys from the same areas as them that are making their paths to success,” Guerrero said. “I feel that we are truly reclaiming our legacy and the students are understanding that they need to achieve higher standards.”

     Miguel Vega, a sophomore from Jordan high school, said the message that most resonated with him was of surrounding yourself with like-minded people.

     “If you have five friends that don’t have the same mindset that you have, drop them. You’re going to have to work on your goal first and then come back for them,” Vega said.

     As to the overall message of the summit:

     “The topic on self-love and love of others was the most important,” said Guerrero. “Males tend to forget that they deserve to love themselves, and when they do they can start to make positive changes in the people around them.”