At Gala, Western Justice Center Honors Schools That Found Healing After Fire

Last week more than 350 educators, community leaders and supporters gathered at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles for Empower 2025, the Western Justice Center’s annual gala honoring the power of peacebuilding in schools and communities. The evening was guided by ABC7 Eyewitness News Meteorologist Danny Romero, whose familiar voice and presence set the tone for a night centered on hope, unity and collective purpose.

The event honored Eliot Arts Magnet Academy and McKinley School of the Arts with the Dorothy W. Nelson Peacemakers Award for their shared journey of healing after the Eaton Fire. When the wildfire forced Eliot’s students to relocate to McKinley’s campus, the two school communities faced the challenge of coming together in the midst of trauma and uncertainty.

Elissa Barrett, Executive Director of Western Justice Center, described their story as a model for what is possible when conflict resolution becomes part of a school’s culture. In her remarks she shared, peace is a practice, and that while conflict is inevitable, violence is not. “When schools like Eliot and McKinley embrace restorative practices and student voice, they don’t just rebuild after crisis, they create a foundation for belonging and hope.”

Dr. Maria Toliver, Principal of McKinley School of the Arts, shared that the journey toward unity began with grief but grew into a story of community. “No one knew what it would take to forge two school communities into one while maintaining the integrity of each school’s culture and identity. With Western Justice Center’s support, we implemented community circles to begin the process of healing, promoting open dialogue and finding common ground. Slowly, we began to see the emergence of one family.”

Lanisha McKenzie, Principal of Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, said the experience showed how restorative tools can transform hardship into strength. “Our campus was disrupted and with it, the normalcy our students depended on. In those early months we saw conflict and frustration, but we also chose to rise. Peer mediation and restorative circles became lifelines. They gave our students and staff the tools to listen, to heal and to find unity. Today we are not just a school that survived a challenge. We are a community transformed by it.”

Empower 2025 also recognized two visionary Latino leaders whose work reflects resilience and equity.

Dr. José A. Gómez, Superintendent and President of Pasadena City College, received the Movement Builder Award for his leadership in higher education and his efforts to support community recovery after the fires. He reflected on the resilience he witnessed, saying, “In the midst of winter, I found there was within us an invincible summer. Our communities are filled with people who refuse to give up, who push back against devastation and turn tragedy into opportunity.”

The evening concluded with the Champion of Justice Award presented to Judge Richard A. Paez of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Paez spoke of his lifelong commitment to fairness and equality, sharing, “From my early days as a legal aid attorney to my years on the bench, I have worked to ensure that the law is applied fairly and evenly, with equal rights afforded to everyone. Western Justice Center embodies that same vision, creating a culture where fairness, equity and respect guide how we live together.”

Throughout the night, guests were reminded that conflict resolution is more than a set of skills. It is a way of life that strengthens democracy and builds trust in communities. Western Justice Center now serves more than 25,000 youth across Los Angeles County and has helped partner districts reduce chronic absenteeism from 30 percent to 6 percent. Barrett added, “We are building the society we want to live in, one where every child learns to face conflict with empathy, courage and compassion.”

Empower 2025 helped raise support for Western Justice Center’s programs that bring conflict resolution education, peer mediation and youth leadership development to more than 50 schools across the region.

To become a Mediation Mentor at next year’s Peer Mediation Invitational – February 10 and 17, 2026, visit www.westernjustice.org/pmi-2026.

To see the inspiring story of Eliot Arts Magnet Academy and McKinley School of the Arts, watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SrVvRreAkE.