Please join Susana Rojas, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Latino advocacy group Calle 24, as well producer/director Andrew Jameson, for a screening of a short film from the new documentary series FACES OF THE CITY, to be followed by a conversation with USC Rossier School of Education Dean Pedro Noguera.

FACES OF THE CITY explores areas of hope amidst a growing crisis in San Francisco. In the wake of the tech industry boom, which showcased the city’s focus on innovation, many unintended consequences have arisen — including gentrification, homelessness, and crime. 

Against a global narrative for San Francisco that has become quite dire, FACES examines the unsung heroes working in community to uplift those who are struggling to survive in the Bay Area. It showcases the passionate advocates in the Asian, Black , and Latino communities that are making a difference every day — preserving culture, nurturing the forgotten, and ensuring that people continue to thrive in the face of a changing landscape.  Tonight, the film being screened will center on Latino advocacy group Calle24, which is a legendary force for good in the Fillmore district.

Noguera is one of the nation’s leading scholars on issues related to race, inequality and education.  Prior to coming to USC to serve as the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education, he served as a Professor of Education and holder of endowed chairs at UCLA, NYU, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent book A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K-12 Education in the United States Today with Rick Hess was the winner of the American Association of Publishers Prose Award in 2021). Noguera has served as an advisor to several states, school districts, foundations and nonprofits. In 2022 he was appointed to President Biden’s National Commission on Hispanics. In 2014 he was elected to the National Academy of Education and Phi Delta Kappa honor society, and in 2020 Noguera was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Noguera has received seven honorary doctorates from American universities, and received awards from the Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and from the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty.  In 2023 he was ranked 1st in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education, by Education Week.  

Jameson is a writer, director and producer, serving as Partner at The Turnpike Alliance, a content venture formed with actress Tisha Campbell and dedicated to uplifting unheard voices. His credits include Power (Starz), The Good Life (TBS), Dream School (Sundance Channel), Living Lohan (E), Bullrun (SpikeTV), Say it in Song (MTV), and Feast (Dimension) . He has lectured at Columbia University, the University of Southern California, and Georgetown University, and has been profiled in publications including The New York Times, Billboard, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Los Angeles Times.

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Rojas is a renowned social justice advocate that has worked in San Francisco’s Mission community for over 30 years. As Executive Director of Calle 24, she has dedicated her life to empowering residents of the Mission — preserving culture in the face of gentrification and displacement and offering hope to a historic community that could be facing extinction. 

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