Convocation: Paula Crisostomo

"Walkout: The True Story of a Defining Moment in Chicano History." As a high school student, Paula Crisostomo stepped into the spotlight of the Chicano struggle for equality and the fight against racism. Appalled at the deplorable quality of the education she was receiving, Paula led the largest high school student protest in this country's history. In early March, 1968, Chicano students from five East Los Angeles high schools walked out of their classes as a direct protest against the sub-standard quality of their education. Not only was it the first time Chicano students walked out, but it was also the first major mass protest against racism ever undertaken by Mexican-Americans. A week and a half later, more than 20,000 students had participated in East Los Angeles and in sympathy walkouts at other high schools across the city. This story has been made into an HBO movie, "Walk Out," which premiered in March of 2006. Directed by Edward James Olmos and starring Alexa Vega as Paula, the movie tells the story of a piece of history that has become a seminal point in the struggle for educational equity in the Chicano community. Paula's courage and leadership in this historic event has been documented in numerous books and she is featured in the PBS documentary "Chicano!: Taking Back the Schools." Today, Paula Crisostomo is the Director of Government and Community Relations for Occidental College in Los Angeles. She provides leadership and direction for the college's community outreach strategies, including neighborhood relations, local and federally sponsored services programs in education and local and state government relations.