Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD) is pleased to announce a partnership with KoreanAmericanStory.org in which we will be highlighting stories of the Los Angeles Riots as part of our efforts commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the LA Riots on April 29, 2017. 

"We are thankful for this wonderful opportunity to partner with KoreanAmericanStory.org, which is dedicated to telling the stories of Korean-American experiences." States Hyepin Im, KCCD President and CEO. "Almost twenty-five years ago, the LA Riots resulted in over 3,600 fires, 2,300 business destroyed, 53 lives lost, and over $1 billion in property damage, with 50% of the damage incurred by Korean Americans. KCCD has been a leading voice in highlighting and sharing the Korean and greater community's stories of not only the tragedy but also the effects it has had with them, their families, and their community over the years. As the 25th Anniversary of the LA Riots approaches, we want to continue sharing the stories that are so vital in the progress to bring peace and unity to our impacted communities."

Everyone (both Korean and non-Koreans) is welcome to submit their stories- stories of pain as well as positive efforts that have resulted as a result of the LA Riots. We are also interested in capturing also the children of the Riot victims. Selected participants will be interviewed on video. Deadline to submit is by March 6. To submit your story, please click here . 

"KoreanAmericanStory.org is honored to partner with KCCD to capture the stories of those whose lives were impacted by SaIGu." HJ Lee, Co-founder and President of KoreanAmericanStory.org, shares. "As a nonprofit organization whose mission is to capture and preserve the stories of the Korean American experience, we consider LA Riots to be one of the seminal moments in the history of the Korean American community. Its impact reverberated from KoreaTown in LA to all different parts of the United States where Korean Americans worked and lived. Those of us in LA struggled to rebuild our lives after the traumatic, life-altering experience of violence and destruction aimed at Korean Americans. Many of us were angry at the injustice of racism that still pervaded parts of our society, and some of us were challenged to be introspective about our own role in miscommunication and misunderstanding that existed between Korean and Black communities.

Personal stories have the power to engage others through our shared humanity, and through this connection transform people's perspectives. We hope to capture these stories to commemorate the lives of those who have suffered, but also to promote vigilance against systemic racism that divides our communities. We will archive these stories at the Korean Heritage Library of the University of Southern California so that future generations can remember and learn from them."

In 2012, KCCD launched an six-month SAIGU (Serve, Advocate, Inspire, Give, Unite) Campaign to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots. The SAIGU campaign revisited the tragedy Koreans and the greater community incurred through deaths and property damage, while lifting up and celebrating the progress that has been made in continuing the efforts towards unity and healing in Los Angeles since. (Watch here .)

As then-Los Angeles City Mayor and 2012 SAIGU Campaign Co-Chair Antonio Villaraigosa stated, "If we are to learn from our past, we must continue to strive to come together as one city. We must continue to build community, by community and recognize that our differences and respective experiences are the common grounds for unity."

With the 25th anniversary of the LA Riots approaching in April 2017, we need your stories! Your story will help continue to share the efforts in continued dialogue and building trust among our communities. We will be also sharing your stories for potential media interviews as well. See a story by StoryCorps here . 

To do so, please fill out the form by clicking on the button below. The deadline to submit your story is by March 6.

To learn more or volunteer or sponsor our campaign, please visit www.saigu429.org.