Biography

On a wall next to Kathy Wooten's kitchen in South Los Angeles are photos of her two oldest sons, Branden and Kejuan. The pictures are blown up to the size of posters, larger than life. The sons are dead, murdered months apart in gang-related violence in 2008.

The gangs in South Los Angeles were established in the area long before her sons were born — and their pull is still very strong. Kathy is working to stop the violence and prevent more children from dying. She is a gang intervention worker and has started a grief and support group for families affected by the violence. She's seen over a hundred mothers like her, whose children have been injured or killed in shootings.