GrassrootsKPFK: Tej Grewall

Namaste, brothers and sisters, my name is Tej Grewall. “....real representation from the real listening audience, NOT the COLLECTIVES and the REVOLUTIONARY shows...” -- Host of Daily Briefing, July 15, 2010 --- My eligibility to run for the LSB as 'Unpaid STAFF' is earned from volunteer hours with the bilingual COLLECTIVE, People Without Borders and Freedom Now, a REVOLUTIONARY program. I ran for the 2009 LSB elections as a LISTENER Candidate as a sincere supporter of Pacifica’s Mission. --Tej Grewall

KPFK is full of mentors and friends who are family—KPFK family.

In the past year, I have been applying my degrees and my skills and have been delivering to the community, under the guidance and direction of some of KPFK’s most progressive staff and LSB.

Today, I run and operate two clubs at the Hawthorne Teen Center. I work creatively with teens who attend the after-school/ summer programs who are there to stay out of trouble, because they enjoy the facilities and clubs available, or because many youth are already on probation for crimes.

Working with today’s youth is the only way to not get lost in the lies on paper about where Education and our Youth are today. Los Angeles has so much violence and racism, that these kids need to let their hearts bleed before they can be clear to hear classroom instruction.

Tutoring youth today is no joke. The No Child Left behind Act has produced 9th graders with 2nd grade reading levels, and this is happening locally, today in 2010, all over Los Angeles.

The Black and Brown wars that are still going on today are easy to tune out. But the youth involved are READY for true mentorship, and so I give it to them, and pray for paid work later;)

I see the art they create, and I hear they are telling us the true local news. They are creative youth, writing poetry, making bands with hip-hop lyrics, and I want to be on the LSB so that there is representation and access for active mentorship directly for the youth in the community.

I learned more about oppressed peoples and am constantly practicing my Spanish because more languages, means I can reach more people who I can learn from.

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Q & A

Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board (LSB)?

I wish to be on the LSB so that there is a voice of representation for the YOUTH in the COMMUNITY, who are currently too young to become members of KPFK themselves, but are still represented in the progressive body that makes the decisions for its community radio, until they are no longer YOUTH and at 18, they can become members of KPFK.

How do you envision the LSB working with the Pacifica Foundation, staff and listener members?

I envision the LSB to work with the Pacifica Foundation, KPK staff and listener members with less power play and more harmonious approach with more Mothership (to remain global in thought, while broadcasting from this Paternalistic country.) I envision true education music and arts in truth on our airwaves, and less emissions of wasted time during meetings, to really serve the community and do what we are there for, which is to represent, not be with self motives, there is no time or room.

How can your station better serve the community? Please define community.

KPFK 90.7FM LOS ANGELES can better serve the community by observing the truth of the nature of Los Angeles’ demographics, so we can see WHO is in the community, instead of WHO is a wealthier audience in town. That is for other radio stations and is not in the Pacifica Mission Statement not just as a law per program, but as part of KPFK as a home for all of its programs, Spanish or English.

Since KPFK is community radio, and the Hispanic population in Los Angeles is about 48% and we must not ignore this beautiful culture whose music we play and not show respect then to its people. It’s important to honor who the real listening audience of radio is at 5:30am, and that is the Spanish-speaking community (really, without question in Los Angeles.) 5:30am slot should respectfully be for the Spanish-speaking community, for we must honor our demographics and our mission to serve our community.

KPFK 90.7FM LOS ANGELES can better serve its community also by providing an earlier time slot (it’s more conducive) for its Hip-Hop audience. That way the youth in the community can listen and learn.

In the ethics of a non-profit zone, COMMUNITY is 2,000 people each donating $5, and not 5 members each donating $2,000, so to speak.

Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience.

“....IF YOU HAVE OUTREACH SKILLS, outreach for this show, FOR ALL OF OUR SHOWS, this station will take off just on THAT point. Help us out folks, run for the Local Station Board.” —Int.Prog.Dir. on Daily Briefing, July 15, 2010

— I am a member of both the KPFK Outreach Committee and Program Oversight Committee, wherein I meet the variety of leaders in the community, and exercise support for them by bringing in guest speakers for the students at the Hawthorne Teen Center (servicing 3 high schools,) where I currently run and operate two clubs. I support the arts and outlets of the youth in the community, and am constantly suggesting to and also directing the students (upon their individual arts) to tune into KPFK, and show them how to actively join the community, be it inspiring them to think about free opportunities to perform music for KPFK Outreach Picnics, panel discussions, attending Pan-African Beach day, art shows, poetry nights, etc. To me, that is facilitating the value of KPFK and making the work happen to inspire our youth into these directions, so when they are 18 and no longer allowed at the teen center, they are eligible for KPFK membership, and that is OUTREACH.

I REACH OUT to tutor in Compton to both Black and Brown brothers and sisters, and have passed on flyers to their parents that I picked up from KPFK and put in my bag as I get my bus fare. I learned about underserved communities and I went directly there to do my work. I take Metro from Hawthorne to Compton/Long Beach, because communities can’t afford tutoring, and I have something to give to these youth.

I have taken vigorously taken public transportation since 2005. I recently met an elderly lady complaining of shoulder pain at a bus stop near M.L.K. Blvd./Crenshaw, and I applied a homemade healing oil on her while we waited. It helped her and she gave me the names and numbers of other elderly in severe pain and without medical insurance, whom since I did go visit and see (riding the Metro, of course.) I especially encourage them to tune in to Page 2 Pantry and other health awareness shows they can get knowledge from as they listen, while they are surrounded by the prescription medicine lying all around and they can see what really works. HEALING in the HOOD, riding Metro is ongoing OUTREACH to me.

What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel your station should solicit? Do you have any ideas with respect to improving the current funding mechanisms?

FUNDRAISING IDEAS: I am a visual Artist, so generating fundraising events with Southern California visual artists would really draw in support for KPFK. Artists can give works to KPFK, and those can be exhibited and sold in Art Exhibitions (between fund drives) held quarterly, and all proceeds and work are fairly generated by the community and

Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, work history, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.

Please view my attached resume

Tej Grewall
Resume

Profile Statement

Highly skilled Mathematician, Healer, Artist and Tutor with diverse industry experience

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strategic thinker, attention to detail & dedicated team player

Educational Development

Current
California State University

Bachelor of Arts
Mathematics

2003 Graduate
University of California at Santa Barbara
Bachelor of Arts
Global & International Studies

Bachelor of Arts
Art Studio

CBEST: Permanent Pass Status

Certified Massage Therapist
South Bay Massage College

Work Experience

1994 – Present Jet Eye Vision, Hawthorne, CA
Healer, Tutor, Artist

• Massage Therapy including Ayurveda, Aromatherapy, Chromotherapy
• Temporary In-Home care for elderly, including Physical/Massage therapy
• Teach students of varying ages in literacy, science and math
up to college-level algebra and geometry
• Paint, illustrate, culinary art – by commission only

2009 – Present Club Z Tutoring, Compton, CA
Math, Science, English Tutor

• In-home, one-on-one tutoring, ages 8 – 17

2006 – 2007 Puzzle Zoo, Santa Monica, CA
Sales Associate

• Developed promotional materials and displays to boost sales
• Implemented and maintained section layouts to best suit
socio-economic needs for business and consumers
• Oversaw inventory control

2005 – 2006 Apple One, El Segundo, CA
Administrative Assistant

• Conducted general office duties including filing, phones, data entry
shipping support and administrative writing
• Served as a liaison between management and clients
• Provided on-call administrative support for front desk and
Human Resources

2003 – 2004 Montecito Wine Bistro, Montecito, CA
Manager, Personal Assistant to Owner

• Oversaw and assisted in daily activities; meal preparation,
expediting orders, management of day-to-day business
• Promoted rapidly from waitress to manager

Volunteer/Internship

2010 – Present Hawthorne Teen Center, Hawthorne, CA
Math, CAHSEE, SAT Tutor
Creative Arts Director
2009 – Present Pacifica Radio, KPFK 90.7FM, North Hollywood, CA
Asst. Producer, Freedom Now with Dedon Kamathi
Outreach Committee Member
People without Borders, Bi-lingual collective
2009 Local Station Board Candidate
2008 - Present Coastline Spa, Manhattan Beach, CA
1990 – Present South Asian Network, Artesia, CA
Assets & Achievements

• Fluent in English, Spanish, Punjabi & Hindi
• Adaptability to different work environments
• Intuition and camaraderie in sports, arts, poetry
and communication

On which Local Station Board committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?

Currently, I serve on the Outreach Committee and the Program Oversight Committee

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