Realizing A Dream

Known as “The Blood Corner,” this community sat between rival gangs and carried the weight of drugs, prostitution, and daily violence. At its peak, it recorded the highest daytime crime rate in Los Angeles.
The neighborhood convenience store - ground zero for much of this activity - was later immortalized by rapper Ice Cube in Why We Thugs music video (while masking the location as New York), a stark depiction of gang life that revealed how deeply the environment shaped behavior.

As John and Vera Mae Perkins considered retirement, they heard about this place - and instead of turning away, they moved in. Years of resistance, setbacks, and uncertainty followed, but slowly the community began to stabilize.

The next challenge was healing, and it had to begin with those who bore the deepest scars: the children.
From this belief grew Harambee School - named after a Swahili word meaning “all pull together.” The name became both a philosophy and a practice. More than a school, Harambee became a space where education, mentorship, and care offered young lives a chance to rewrite their future.

This film follows that quiet, persistent work of rebuilding—where change doesn’t arrive loudly, but through commitment, presence, and the shared effort of a community choosing to move forward together.