Wildcats Yth Academy rebuilds after Gang Shooting

Hi my name is Derrick Cooper and I'm the Founder and Commissioner of LAC Wildcats Youth Academy located in the city of Compton. We've been serving several communities for the past 27+ years and just recently our After School Kids ages 6-12years old were caught in the middle of a gang war between two rival gangs on the property of our After School Facility.

PROGRAMS OFFERED

We offer the following programs, After School Program, Tutoring, Boys to Men Mentoring Program, Basketball, Cheer, Dance, Drum Squad, Soccer and Transportation.

WHO ARE WE

The L.A. City Wildcats is a community-centric Youth Academy. We provide a safe and stable environment for inner-city at risk children to develop essential character traits and skill sets. We support a successful outlook in Mentorship through academics, tutoring, sports and performing arts while fostering a culture of harmony, self-awareness, community recognition and discipline.

SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED

On December 9, 2022 was the day I dropped to my knees when my After School Program Kids were caught in the middle of two gangs shooting it out in front of our After-School facility. Our kids were in shock as gunfire erupted right before their eyes. As a result of this dangerous incident I'm forced to closed my After School Program doors. We were under the impression we word received help to relocate to a safer area from the City of Compton and the County of Los Angeles but nothing has happened in 4 months but empty promises and kids not having a safe, fun place to go after school and on the weekends. I decide to move forward to get our doors back open and not can't wait on these city officials who hasn't lefted a finger to help us relocate and open our doors for our children to return to their safe and fun place when they get out of school.

Not 1 time did our Mayor from Compton or any L.A. County stop by and check on the children, give words of encouragement or support as these children who were caught up in the cross fire and could have easy lost their lives that day. I'm soooo disappointed in the leadership of our city officials.

To add injury to insult the unthinkable happened to my sports kids soon after. Cesar Chavez MS which we've used for the past 7 years located in the city of Lynwood kick all of my sports kids off there campus for no apparent reason and left us looking for a place to keep 117 kids off the streets. It's been brought to my attention "because we're a predominantly black youth organization we bring a bad vibe to the campus". I can't believe This has happened to my kids and staff in less than 4 months we've been turned away as if Black and Brown children's Lives don't matter in the communities of Compton, Watts, Lynwood and South L.A. I can not wait any more on our poor leadership the Mayor of Compton or city officials from Compton or the County of L.A. to help us rebuild and relocate. I'm asking our community, family members, friends, local businesses and supported community organizations and activists to stand by donating to the LAC Wildcats Youth Academy so we can demonstrate what it is to support, protect, inspire and most of all, show some genuine Love to our children who come from the community who depend on us to give them a good childhood and great memories that will last a lifetime. Please support our LAC Wildcats After-school program relocation project.

On behalf of the LAC Wildcats Youth Academy we thank you for your prayers, support and heart felt concerns for our children's safety.

Respectfully,

Derrick Cooper, Founder/Commissioner