SHARE strong despite cutbacks
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Monday, August 3, 2009.
By DAISY RATZLAFF
Valley Press Staff Writer
LANCASTER – Despite cutbacks in many educational programs, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Stop Hate And Respect Everyone, or SHARE, tolerance program is still going strong and continues to teach Antelope Valley youth about respect and tolerance.
The unique program that aims to combat hate and intolerance with the help of a custom-built mobile theater has, since its start in October 2008, visited dozens of high schools within Los Angeles County and is now being joined by Los Angeles Police Department officers in an effort to spread the message even further, said Lancaster Deputy Greg Chatman.
“We want to infect the world with tolerance. We want to lead strongly and be part of change,” said Chatman, who took on the lead of the program about three months ago. “We want to educate our youth by sharing our knowledge, because we too had struggles to overcome. They have made us who we are today and we as a department and as sheriff’s deputies really care and we will take the trailer wherever there is a need.”
The SHARE program, which was in the planning stages for two years, was established in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the county Board of Supervisors, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Museum of Tolerance and other public and private organizations.
The idea for the trailer was developed when sheriff’s Chief Neal Tyler was 8 years old. He saw separate drinking fountains and bathrooms for nonwhites and “knew how screwed-up that was,” said Tyler at the August 2008 demonstration.
The idea then spiraled into a tool to fight crime and tolerance after a sheriff’s deputy decided to build a North County Museum of Tolerance.
The Valley was the first extended target area for the program, but Chatman said since then dozens of other schools within the county and a number of social community events, such as the Boys & Girls clubs, have taken advantage of the “rolling educational theater.”
“It is going great and we are getting busier and busier,” he said and added that Littlerock High School will have the trailer stop by in the middle of August.
The trailer, which is capable of seating 20 people at a time, is equipped with a projector, air conditioning and a surround-sound system. After showing a custom-made, 35 minute documentary film, uniformed deputies facilitate a 60 to 90 minute discussion about the film, the issues it presents, and the challenges of combatting hate and intolerance.
The video displays different gang violence and hate crime incidents as well as their effects on individuals and society as a whole.
For the program, all deputies have received special training to serve as facilitators and answer questions, Chatman said. Along with the deputies, dozens of teachers, students and community members have been trained to be facilitators by personnel at the Museum of Tolerance in West Los Angeles.
Chatman said the trailer incorporates audio and visual approaches to start communication and understanding to ultimately eliminate hate crimes.
“You can have a good heart, but when it comes to prejudices people’s true colors come out,” said Chatman. “We want to show that you alone can be held responsible for your actions.”
Chatman, who was born in Natchez, Miss., was taught by his mother at an early age to treat everyone with respect, even if some people don’t treat you fairly.
Chatman has been working for Los Angeles County for about 26 years, 20 of them as a deputy sheriff, nine of them as a School Resource Deputy. He also volunteers at the Youth Center and as a coach and is also a liaison for several churches.
Chatman said he joined the program in hopes that it will effect positive change and encourage leadership. He also said it creates a unique opportunity for law enforcement officers to assume a leadership role in promoting tolerance and appreciation for diversity.
“I believe it is imperative for the communities we serve to see past the uniforms we wear. I want young people especially to see deputies as fellow human beings, who share similar experiences with them,” he said.
Chatman said elementary schools have also been on the program’s schedule.
“It is a little different. We have other films and presentations to assist us in reaching the certain age group,” he said. “But (no matter what you use) the program speaks for itself. And there is no doubt that the program has already made a difference.”
For more information about the S.H.A.R.E. Tolerance program or to book the program for a school or community event visit sharetolerance@lasd.org or call (323) 265-6500.
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