HomeMy WebLinkAboutTianna Arata LetterJuly 22, 2020
District Attorney of San Luis Obispo County
1035 Palm Street, Room 450, 4th Floor
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Dear Mr. District Attorney Dow,
We are writing in response to your office’s recent charges filed against local activist Tianna Arata. As
staff members of Grizzly Youth Academy and Grizzly Challenge Charter School, we know Tianna
intimately from her time here as a student and cadet of Class 38 in 2017, and would like to defend
both her character and reputation.
Young people choose to attend Grizzly Youth Academy to make a positive change in their lives.
During their 22 weeks in residence at Camp San Luis, they are challenged academically, physically,
and emotionally as they learn to adapt to a quasi-military environment away from their homes and
loved ones. To make it through this program takes a level of courage and resiliency that many adults
would struggle to find within themselves.
Tianna is a Grizzly Youth Academy graduate. Like the other incredible young people who participate
in our program, she showed these traits consistently throughout her time here. From her leadership
among peers, to her work in the classroom, Tianna showed the strong character she is still
maintaining today. In her U.S. History course, she spoke about historic injustices and connected them
to issues happening today. She is not an opportunistic young person, jumping into a movement that
she does not truly believe in. After completing Grizzly Youth Academy, Tianna continued to grow and
progress in life, attending Cuesta College while competing as a student athlete.
The reason for providing such a backstory of this young woman is to provide balance to the damaging
narrative that might be gaining momentum as these charges have been brought against her. While
she may be more outspoken and uncompromising than law enforcement and local political leaders
would like, she is a 19 year old Black woman who has used her voice to spark and maintain a protest
movement in our community that is much needed.
Therefore, as her former educators, we respectfully request that all charges are dropped immediately.
This type of record can have future repercussions against Tianna, who in all good faith was protesting
out of her sense of humanity and not to disparage law enforcement, but to work with them to create
positive change.
Sincerely,
Duskin Hobbs Scott Burt Devon McReynolds Rose Fugle Emma Wilkinson Rich Hovey
Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher
Carmen Jaquez Diane Khuu
Paraeducator Teacher