15
January
2013
|
15:49 PM
America/Los_Angeles

Tattoos on the Heart: Inspirational Founder of Homeboy Industries to Speak at CSUSM

CSUSM welcomes founder of Homeboy Industries, Father Gregory Boyle, to campus on Monday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. for an inspirational talk on the transformative power of compassion and his work leading the nation’s largest gang intervention program. The talk, which is anticipated to draw 1,000 attendees, kicks off the University’s popular Arts & Lectures series for the spring.Author of the New York Times bestselling book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Boundless Power of Compassion, Father Boyle has been nationally recognized with numerous awards, including his recent induction into the California Hall of Fame, for his humanitarian work. Most notably, in 1988 Father Boyle began a grassroots effort to address the escalating problems and unmet needs of at-risk and gang-involved youth in the barrio communities of East Los Angeles. Those efforts sparked the creation of Homeboy Industries, which today is the largest of its kind in the nation, emphasizing alternatives to gang involvement. The most distinctive feature of Homeboy Industries is its social enterprises, which offer job training for former gang members and at-risk youth.On February 11 Father Boyle will share personal and inspiring stories from his 25 years of work with gang-involved youth, and discuss the environmental and social conditions that make young men and women gravitate towards gangs. A book signing will follow the event.Tickets are available online at Arts & Lectures and are $10 for general admission, $5 for CSUSM employees and free for CSUSM students. All attendees must bring a printed ticket to the event.Special Exhibit at the CSUSM Arts GalleryIn addition to the lecture, during the month of February the CSUSM Art Gallery will feature the vibrant works of renowned Chicano muralist and artist Fabian “Spade” Debora, who shares roots with Homeboy Industries. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The CSUSM Art Gallery is located at 1080 San Marcos Blvd., Suite 185, in Old California Restaurant Row and open Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m.