Father Gregory Boyle Kicks Off 2018 Speaker Series

By TRILBY BERESFORD | Reporter

The 2018 Palisadian-Post Speaker Series began on Wednesday, Aug. 29, with a powerful appearance by Father Gregory Boyle.

“There just might be lives out there that matter less than other lives.” This was a sentiment that Boyle mentioned several times, declaring it “the opposite of who we are [as a community].”

He emphasized that we must stand with those who are poor, powerless, voiceless, readily left out and easily despised or disposed of, and restore the notion that a unified community is based on kinship, justice and understanding.

This higher awareness is what compelled Boyle to launch Homeboy Industries 27 years ago; an organization that provides job training and essential services—such as tattoo removal, legal advice and educational classes—to gang members in the Los Angeles area.

“We are healing centered,” said Boyle, because “a healed gang member will never go back to prison.” Homeboy offers an 18-month training program and receives 15,000 members a year—men and women who choose to walk in themselves.

During his keynote address, Boyle described several of the participants, referring to them as “Homies,” and offered a glimpse into how their tragic childhoods led them on a path toward gang activity.

One Homie spent his childhood drinking out of pickle jars because his family didn’t own any cups or glasses. He would steal ketchup packets from McDonald’s and call it “lunch.” He used newspaper as toilet paper.

“No kids are seeking something when they enter a gang,” Boyle said, matter-of-factly. “They are fleeing something.”

Boyle talked animatedly about a Homie nicknamed “Bandit” who entered his office one day and proclaimed, “I’m tired of being tired.” As a result of the Homeboy program, Bandit got a full-time job in a warehouse. Cut to five years later and he is married with three kids. One of his daughters is going to college to study forensic psychology.

“What if we were to invest in people instead of incarcerate our way out of it?” Boyle gently asked the audience, who remained attentive and still.

“There’s a Buddhist text that says, ‘Remember who you really are,’” he went on to share, explaining that’s really what Homeboy is about. “We invite people at Homeboy to join in exclusive mutuality. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’”

Throughout his tenure with Homeboy, Boyle has buried 224 kids who died from gang violence. Naturally, Boyle explained that people assume his job is horrible and grim. But to the contrary, he expressed clearly, “It’s anchored in joy.”

This sense of joy seems partly due to the fact that Boyle does not believe in evil. “I’ve never met a bad guy,” he said earnestly. “I know, you’d think I would have bumped into one.”

Post owner Alan Smolinisky, who is on the board of directors at Homeboy Industries, moderated a question and answer portion to end the program. It was then that Boyle attributed some more of his contentment to the priesthood. “I’ve been joyful as a Jesuit,” he concluded.

Reflecting on his choices for a moment, Boyle admitted that Homeboy Industries hasn’t all been successful. “Homeboy Plumbing never caught on … turns out people don’t want gang members in their homes,” he said with a laugh.

Among the many takeaways from Boyle’s visit was his assertion that “gang violence is about a lethal absence of hope.” This is something that will surely stay with Palisadians for a long time to come, along with the notion that, at the end of the day, we are all searching for the same thing: a sense of purpose and belonging.

You may view Father Boyle’s speaking engagement here.