- Today, we're celebrating a Drew Gooder right here,
and she's from Watts, South Los Angeles,
and has spent the last 50 years educating children
from underserved communities.
Take a look at her story.
- Hi, I'm Dolores Sheen, aka Aunt Dolores.
And I'm the executive director and co-founder
of the Sheenway School and Culture Center
in Watts South LA.
The school opened in 1971,
50 years ago,
and we're still here reaching and teaching.
I was going to be a doctor.
I dropped out of school,
took Montessori courses so I could be an educator.
Our curriculum is enriched
and we use everything we can in our power
to develop and encourage critical thinking.
Sign language, drama, music.
We have a cricket club, the first cricket club in the hood.
I teach harp, violin, cello, bass, piano.
We had all these pumpkins in our little garden
and that's how the Sheenway Bakery was born.
The Chow Wagon was launched on Juneteenth of this year
to allow the children to serve a community.
- Come get your delicious pumpkin bread.
- [Dolores] I'm never gonna retire
because as long as I can give,
I think I'll live.
It's a good feeling
when you know that someone's gonna walk out
knowing more than they did when they came in
and you had a part of it.
I think that's why I love children so much, sorry.
It's like good in the hood.
(Dolores chuckles)
(audience cheers)
- Welcome live and in person
Dolores Sheen, aka Aunt Dolores.
(audience cheers)
- Thank you.
- And I understand you brought
two special gentlemen here today.
- Yeah, some good cooks.
- Oh.
(Dolores laughs)
- This is Marcus and that's Jordan.
(audience cheers)
- Hi.
(Dolores chuckles)
- Marcus, I'd like to ask what your favorite thing is
about being a part of this community?
- It's fun and it's physical education.
- I love that you summed up one word that speaks volumes.
And Jordan, what about for you?
- I like the food.
(audience laughs)
- I think something all people can relate to and appreciate.
And you also have Sheenway sister school in Ghana, Africa.
Will you please tell us about that program?
- Our school here is an underserved area
of what they call south LA in the hood.
Our school in Ghana is in the bush.
It's like an underserved area.
We were the first registered private school
in the Volta region.
(audience cheers)
- And you guys brought some baked goods for us.
And these are treats from the Sheenway Bakery, right?
- Yes, the students own and operate their bakery
because there's a history of why we have the bakery.
And the history stems from when the community
and Richard Pryor helped us get a peace treaty
with the Bloods and the Crips,
it's two of the main gang factions.
And we wanted to say, thank you.
And that year we had a lot of pumpkins in our garden.
So I said, "This time we make some pumpkin bread."
And they said, "Let's give Richard Pryor some."
So, he loved the pumpkin bread
and that's how the bakery got started.
And not only that,
he came back three times to talk with the dialogue.
And that set a different perspective on the community.
Like someone knows we're here.
Someone knows our pain.
That was more than any money or anything anybody could give.
And to this day he is our hero.
(audience claps)
To this day.
(audience claps)
- The layers of importance and beauty just keep unfolding.
And we also have some special people joining us
right here in the audience
who are proud of you
and what you have done for your community.
Please welcome Principal Roy Sadakane,
faculty and alumni from the Sheenway School, hello!
(audience cheers)
- [Roy] All right, three cheers for Aunt Dolores.
Hip hip hooray!
Hip hip hooray! - Hip hooray!
Hip hip hooray! - Hip hip hooray!
- I love that Principal Roy.
What is your hope for Sheenway in the next 50 years?
- Currently as Aunt Delores had mentioned
we have a school in Sasekofe, Ghana,
and we're starting a new digital infrastructure
that will connect our Los Angeles school
to the school in Sasekofe, Ghana.
- Well, you're gonna need support.
And you deserve that.
And to commemorate your 50th anniversary,
our friends at ConAgra Brands Foundation
are donating $20,000
to the Sheenway School and Educational Center
in LA, California.
(audience cheers) - Oh my God!
- All right! - Oh my God!
- [Drew] Thank you, Dolores.
Thank you, Marcus and Jordan, Principal Roy
and everyone at the Sheenway School
and Cultural Center in Watts.
For more information, you can go on our website
at thedrewbarrymoreshow.com to support
this incredible institution.
(upbeat music)
♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪