REPRESENT JUSTICE:
Represent Justice turns stories into action by building narrative power within system-impacted communities, and mobilizing audiences to transform the legal system. Our organizational vision is dignity for system-impacted individuals and communities, and an end to extreme sentencing and mass incarceration. Over the past five years, we have used the power of storytelling to reach millions of people with firsthand stories about the legal system, generating hundreds of
thousands of advocacy actions, building an engaged audience of over 180,000 supporters, and growing the visibility, influence and connectivity of dozens of system-impacted movement leaders.
Our Ambassador Program was born out of the belief that those most directly impacted by mass incarceration should be front and center in the movement to end it, including the stories that shape our understanding of the systems that perpetuate it. We honor the power of voice and first-person storytelling in the movement to end mass incarceration, and imbued in our work are principles of owning our truths, cultivating joy and celebrating wins. Wellness and community care are also at the center of the Ambassador Program, as integral components to power
building, learning, and the creative process. We can’t show up as our best and full selves if we are limited by our circumstances, and a lot of times, those struggles show up in our mental and emotional capacities. Ambassadors receive access to mental health support in the form of monthly one-on-one and group sessions with our contracted mental health professional. This is a space where they can work through the challenges associated with telling their stories and creating a wellness plan to keep connected to themselves and the process.
We consider the Ambassador Program to be a brave and supportive space where cohort members can feel seen and bear witness to one another without judgment. These are the kinds of spaces we believe Michael was committed to building, and we would be honored to carry on his legacy through this work.
ARC FIREFIGHTERS FUND:
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) works to end mass incarceration in California. To ensure our communities are safe, healthy, and whole, ARC empowers formerly and currently incarcerated people to thrive by providing a support network, comprehensive reentry services, and opportunities to advocate for policy change. Through our grassroots policy advocacy, we are dedicated to transforming the criminal legal system so that it is more just and equitable for all people.
The Fire Fund Scholarship Program provides the opportunity for a shift in narrative and the removal of stigma put upon those released and those still in correctional facilities. The story told with this program is that of second change, perseverance, and long-term success. This program bridges the gap and provides equitable financial services to a neglected and underserved population. Scholarship funding can be used for any of the following purposes: educational advancements and training, reentry support, facility improvements at fire training camps, fire response equipment, and expungement efforts. Members’ success within this program will evolve into highlighted stories to remove additional barriers and call for new justice reform. As just the beginning, we have welcomed two crew members home so far and provided both with scholarships. One young man, Fausto Lopez, is now attending Cal State San Bernardino.
CHIRLA:
CHIRLA’s mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants. CHIRLA was formed in response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 which made hiring undocumented workers illegal, thus creating a situation ripe for worker exploitation and abuse that have increased since that time. For nearly 40 years, CHIRLA has organized and served individuals, communities, and coalitions to build power, transform public opinion, and change policies to achieve full human, civil and labor rights. CHIRLA’s work carries on Michael’s legacy by leading changemaking work to advance social justice and equity for immigrants and refugees in this country. CHIRLA centers the voices and leadership of immigrant youth, families, and low-wage workers in all of our campaigns and programs. We are building leaders and spokespersons within our member base who become civically involved and organize their own families and communities to lead our grassroots movement. Our work seeks to advance changes in California’s immigration, labor, economic, and safety net systems so that they are more inclusive of all residents regardless of immigration status and to ensure immigrants have equitable access to resources so they can thrive in this country.
CHIRLA also leads narrative change work to uplift the stories of immigrants and refugees, whether it is through sharing stories of self with elected officials, creating videos of immigrant stories and testimonies to publish on social media and media outlets, or engaging community members, partners, and allies in public conversations. Our programs, campaigns, and events create safe spaces for immigrants to share their stories and bring together the community so that we can change the narratives around immigration, inclusivity, and belonging in this country.
CREATIVITY: Short Documentary Film:
Calm is partnering with the Michael Latt Legacy Fund to create a short documentary inspired by Michael’s personal philosophy and life’s work. The film will center on the theme of creativity and artistic expression, both as a way to make an impact and a pathway to meaning and healing. It will feature interviews with artists and thinkers from Michael’s community and beyond, each sharing stories of how they were uplifted, forever changed, or perhaps saved by their artistic expression. These accounts will reveal the profound emotional and spiritual power of art and story.Calm’s involvement gives the film a mindfulness and mental health point of view. Through interviews with a mindfulness teacher, a psychologist, and a neuroscientist, the doc will explore the question, Why is creative expression so innate to the human experience and what impact does it have on our brains and bodies? This educational element will be a secondary storyline, intercutting with and complementing the main narrative and giving the piece practical Insight.
WALK GOOD/LA:
WalkGood LA is a family-led community wellness organization based in Los Angeles that provides equitable healing spaces for underrepresented communities. Recognizing the need for community healing during the Black Lives Matter protest and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as the desire to address so many people’s constant experience of feeling “othered,” WalkGood began providing an inclusive space of healing through community yoga classes,
meditations, hikes, run clubs, arts programs, and more throughout Los Angeles and beyond. WalkGood LA believes in the power of mobilizing community for the good, storytelling as a way to generate empathy, and healing through the arts and wellness.
The 2025 FilmGood: Film & Wellness Festival will be dedicated to uplifting and empowering underrepresented filmmakers throughout Los Angeles. Our festival will not only showcase the short films of incredible talent, but also create vital opportunities for creatives and artists to connect, learn, grow, and push boundaries of storytelling in Film & TV. 2025 will be FilmGood’s 3rd annual festival.
GET LIT: through Spoken Word poetry and media:
Through in- and after-school programs centered on classic and contemporary poetry and multi-media expression, Get Lit advances education, promotes literacy, and offers opportunities for under-resourced young people to create community. Get Lit supports and elevates youth voices. Our method validates students’ feelings while teaching them how to express them and own their personal stories through poetry and media. Our programs span the classroom to career including training in high-demand fields leading to life-changing creative opportunities, internships, scholarships, and jobs.
To create a bridge to success for our students from high school graduation to young adulthood, we developed our Creative Career Lab (CCL). CCL is a year-long job training and mentorship program in creative fields that culminates in participant placement in paid full-time jobs with our entertainment and nonprofit partners. CCL Fellows receive professional-level training in a wide variety of creative fields, portfolio development, 1 on 1 mentorship, and job placement. CCL also includes financial and media literacy training; “soft” skills such as communication, teamwork, and professionalism; career planning; invaluable networking; and ongoing mental health support.
SOLA FOUNDATION:
The SoLa Foundation in partnership with the Michael Latt Legacy Fund hosted a unique 12-week program designed for young adults (ages 16-21) from South LA. The first year of the initiative explored intersections of art and activism through a series of workshops and events featuring artists and creatives of color. Partnering with Michael Latt’s Lead with Love (LWL) the program selected 13 artists and provided meaningful support focusing on creativity, activism and entrepreneurship to a next generation of artistic and entrepreneurial leaders.
The program emphasized the importance of youth seeing role models who reflect their own backgrounds and succeed in arts, business, and entertainment and included interactions with established artists and creatives, hands-on workshops, and a final showcase for the broader South LA community. Additionally, an entrepreneurship component provided financial compensation for the students’ artistic contributions at the program’s conclusion.