SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE
LEONARDO DORANTES MEMORIAL LECTURE
Presents
MATTHEW BOGER AND TIM ZAAL
Speakers, Educators
“FROM HATE TO HOPE”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 FROM 12:45PM – 2:05PM IN THE GARVIN THEATRE
Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal present “From Hate to Hope”, in which they share their own remarkable true story of an earlier hate crime and
the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Mr. Boger and Mr. Zaal were the subjects of the Academy Award nominated documentary film
“Facing Fear”.
Mr. Boger’s and Mr. Zaal’s paths crossed twice in their lives under extraordinary circumstances. In 2004 in Los Angeles, Mr. Boger left a
successful career as a hair colorist to volunteer at the Museum of Tolerance. He moved quickly up the organization’s hierarchy and was named
general manager in 2006. While working at the museum, Mr. Boger met Mr. Zaal, a facilitator and consultant for the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s
National Task Force Against Hate. The two began a business relationship working mutually to combat prejudice, racism, bullying, and
homophobia.
In a life-changing conversation in 2005, they realized that they had first confronted each other 26 years earlier in an alley in West Hollywood. In
that incident, a group of teenaged Nazi punks attacked and beat a gay, homeless 14-year old boy who had been kicked out of home by his
mother after opening up about his sexual identity. Mr. Boger was that young boy and Mr. Zaal, at age 17, was a member of that group who had
left the boy for dead in the alley, never knowing he had survived.
Today these two men share their story of change and hope in order to educate and inspire students, educators, professionals, and law
enforcement personnel about the consequences of bullying, racism, and prejudice through a safe and open dialogue. For more information
regarding the “From Hate to Hope” program, please go to: www.hate2hope.org
SPONSORS: The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara City College Bookstore, Santa Barbara City College Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services, and Santa Barbara City College Human Resources Department
SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE
Presents the 2013-2014
LEONARDO DORANTES MEMORIAL LECTURE
MS. ERIN GRUWELL
Educator
“THE CATALYST FOR CHANGE”
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
12:45 PM
Garvin Theatre
Ms. Gruwell is best-known for creating Freedom Writer Methods, a progressive teaching philosophy and curricula valuing diversity
that is designed to achieve excellence from all students. By encouraging her students to re-think their beliefs about themselves and
others and re-consider their daily decisions, she transformed their lives from potential paths of teenage pregnancy, drugs and
violence to ones of college students, published writers and catalysts for change.
It all began in room 203 of Wilson High School. Ms. Gruwell and her 150 students, who were written off by the education system,
told their collective stories in the book Freedom Writers Diary, the name selected in recognition of the civil right activists the Freedom
Riders. In 2007 Paramount Pictures turned the New York Times’ bestseller into a major motion picture starring Hilary Swank.*
Ms. Gruwell has been credited with giving her students a second chance, but it was she who changed the most during her time with
them at Wilson High School. She decided to channel her experiences in the classroom toward a broader cause, and so she founded
the Freedom Writers Foundation. Proceeds from the sale of The Freedom Writers Diary directly fund her Foundation. For more
information on Ms. Gruwell’s Foundation, please visit: www.freedomwritersfoundation.org
She is a graduate of University of California, Irvine, where she received the Lauds and Laurel Distinguished Alumni Award. She
earned her Master’s Degree and teaching credentials from California State University, Long Beach, where she was honored as
Distinguished Alumna by the School of Education.
*The film Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank will be shown at SBCC on Tuesday, November 5, the evening before Ms. Gruwell
presents the Dorantes Lecture. The movie will air at 7:15 PM in A-211 and is open to the community free of charge.