Editorial: UCLA events help build bridges with community
There was more diversity at UCLA’s JazzReggae Festival this weekend than this campus has seen in a long time, and for once this university lived up to its name.
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States and one of the most diverse cities in the world. But UCLA often seems like UC Westwood, an upper middle-class society separated from the real issues and experiences of everyday Angelenos.
This weekend, performing on the threshold of Bel Air, artists Anthony B, Rupee, Roy Hargrove and India Arie, among others, were able to draw a crowd that seemingly reflected the diversity of the Los Angeles community.
The JazzReggae Festival is a great step toward building bridges with Los Angeles. Other programs such as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the university’s downtown Labor Center, and the chancellor’s “UCLA in LA” initiative are other good steps, but there needs to be more.
UCLA should continue to hold these types of events and build more partnerships. Not only are they enjoyable to the community, but they increase access to UCLA by familiarizing the rest of the city with the campus. As one of the leading public colleges in the nation, it’s the least we can do.
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