Change Links cannot publish without your support. Send events, articles or poetry to changelinks2@gmail.com or via http://change-links.org/submit/ Please subscribe as well. Subscriptions to the print edition are $12/25/50 a year, low income, regular or sustainer (sliding scale), Payable to “AFGJ,” our fiscal sponsor, with “Change Links” in the memo. All events announced are
encouraged to donate $5 (per event), payable to AFGJ, mail to Change Links, PO Box 34236, LA 90034. It helps keep this publication solvent. Thanks in advance.
In light of the current COVID-19 global pandemic, and quarantines in California, the Change Links calendar has also been affected by cancellation of events and closure of venues. Consequently, we will print fewer copies, and mail out more, until further notice. You’ll notice there are empty dates on this calendar. Most have turned to virtual meetings via teleconferencing, etc. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you contact any event listing of interest in this Calendar before you attend, as the ones listed herein were posted prior to actual circumstances reaching a heightened level of awareness.
Please contact the event by phone, email or website for updates.
COVID-19 Safety Precautions
Change Links urges all our subscribers and readers to administer all necessary precautions, to ensure their safety. You will find a number of related articles to COVID-19 in our print and electronic issue. We will continue to update you going forward. We advise you as well to do your personal research for updates from all available sources to you. We face a difficult time, and wish you and yours good health and tranquility as we weather this together. Los Angeles COVID protocols in effect at most indoor public venues: proof of vaccination and photo ID required for entry.
Other Calendars: http://la.indymedia.org/calendar/,
https://echoparkfilmcenter.org
https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/movies/all-of-las-outdoor-movies-in-one-calendar
On-Going & Continuing Events
1st of each month, PeoplesStrike actions called by a national united front coalition initiated by Cooperation Jackson in Mississippi (see Mondays for more into). http://www.cooperationjackson.org
3rd Sunday, SoCal350 monthly meeting, 3-5 p, Physical meeting cancelled, virtual “meeting” scheduled. http://bit.ly/SoCal350Updates; facebook.com/SoCal350 Climate Action.
Mondays, PeoplesStrike organizing calls, 9a PDT, zoom call https://peoplesstrike.org/ https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesStrike mayday2020generalstrike@gmail.com for details
Mondays, Support Honduran Refugees, 6-8p, Central American Resource Center (CARECEN-LA), 2845 W 7th St, LA. Offices are closed, call for details: (213)-385-7800. In the San Fernando Valley: 213-385-7800 ext. 122
Tuesdays, Join Black Lives Matter, Stop LAPD Spying and allies at LA Police Commission meeting via zoom to speak out against racist police murders with impunity. Police Commission meetings are being held via Zoom call, with the option to call in by phone to observe and (occasionally and arbitrarily) to comment. In response to increased public scrutiny, they changed their rules and only allow public comments of 1 minute each on two specific items and general public comment as the first agenda item, so call in promptly to get on the stack. https://lapd.zoom.us/s/289225944
Tuesday eves, Stop LAPD Spying Coalition meetings have been changed to teleconference. LA CAN, 838 E. 6th St. LA, CA 90021, is closed to the public. http://stoplapdspying.org – see website for meeting topics. https://www.facebook.com/stoplapdspying
Tuesdays, 8:30-10p, Second Draft LA, open mic cold read of writing and acting (virtual, not at Art Share-LA, 801 E 4th Pl, LA 90013). https://artsharela.org (213) 687-4278. https://zoom.us/j/9103444651 Pwd: artshare
Wednesdays, 4-6p, Fund Services Not Police, #EndPoliceAssociations BLM-LA and allies vigil/protest outside LA Police Protective League (who protest killer cops from accountability), 1313 W. 8th St in downtown LA, across from the ACLU-SoCal headquarters. Hear from families who have lost loved ones to racist state terror.
1st Thursday, 6-8p, Justice Not Jails, has switched to a virtual meeting. https://zoom.us/j/529548178 You can also call in by dialing: 301 715 8592 US Meeting ID: 529 548 17. RSVP to Larry Foy at:
Thursdays, 5:30-7p, Operation Ally Weekly Social Justice Conference Call, fb.com/justadvocacy
http://advocacyproject.org/ (888) 407-4101 Join the Operation Ally weekly zoom conference call to gain
insight into the issues of systemic oppression, organize into collaborative efforts and strategize the dismantling of these systems. Be a part of a community that supports you as we mobilize for change. https://www.facebook.com/events/200763851083819/
Fridays, Interfaith Communities United for Justice & Peace forum, 7:30-9:30a, has switched to a virtual meeting on zoom or dial in by phone: 669-900-6833 For details and to prevent zoom-bombing, contact communications@icujp.org for an invitation and instructions.
Fridays, Montrose Peace Vigil, 5:30-7p, Ocean View Bl and Honolulu Av, Montrose.
Saturdays, Crenshaw Farmers Market, 10a-3p, 3650 Martin Luther King Blvd. offers fresh produce and artisan goods. Ties into the mall’s health initiative promoting wellness in the Crenshaw community. This farmers’ market has re-opened! Contact Sustainable Economic Enterprises: http://www.seela.org for other farmer’s markets that are also continuing with physical distancing (in Echo Park, Hollywood, Atwater Village and on Central Avenue in South LA).
Every 1st and 3rd Sat: End Homelessness Now-LA, 2-4pm, a grassroots campaign to pressure LA city and county officials to use vacant public properties for large, permanent, supportive public housing to end the homelessness catastrophe. Call or email for information on how or whether meetings will continue.. 323-723-6416 endhomelessnessnowla@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/endhomelessnessnowla/
Every 2nd & 4th Sat, SOLA Food Co-Op http://www.solafoodcoop.com/ Baldwin Hills Farmers Market has re-opened.. SOLA Co-Op has been taking orders for pick-up of various CSA boxes..
Last Saturday, Move to Amend Local Meeting, 1-3p, Holy Grounds Coffee & Tea, 5371 Alhambra Ave, LA 90032, 323-255-1279. Call to check, venue probably closed.
AWARE-LA White anti-racist Saturday dialogues, https://www.awarela.org/saturday-dialogue Saturday Dialogue is a gathering for white anti-racists who want to discuss issues of identity, community, privilege and racism in our lives with the intention to strengthen our practice as anti-racists in alliances, relationships, and interactions with people of color.
Regular, recurring dialogues throughout the year focus on the intersections of multiple identities, including Race and Class, Sexuality and Race, and Gender and Race. Other workshops focus on relationships, Radical White Identity and Community, and issues such as police and the prison industrial complex, immigration, and gentrification.
We currently have four monthly Saturday Dialogues, which used to meet in various places throughout LA County, and are temporarily meeting online through Zoom. We also have one monthly “Online Sunday Dialogue” which was originally made available for folks who cannot make it to meetings in LA, or on Saturdays. Sign up here https://actionnetwork.org/forms/aware-la-email-list/ to receive reminder emails about Saturday Dialogues. We strongly encourage you to attend a Saturday Dialogue Orientation before attending a Saturday Dialogue. See below for more info.
You must register for each space each time you want to attend, as all of the zoom links are personalized and different for each person/gathering.
Every 1st Saturday (Westside SD), 1:00pm – 3:15pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsf-yuqjsqHtYAnJ5qfW8-z-C1OyEH-LuY
Every 2nd Saturday (Encino SD), 10:30am – 12:30pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsfuqsrz8vE93l1M91tYG96h8D6wg2IVcN
Every 3rd Saturday (Eastside SD),1:00pm – 3:00pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkfuGrrjsuE9U7F_QxEz87reFKojZj8-ow
Every 3rd Sunday (Always Online), 3:00pm – 5:00pm
https://msmu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsfuCppzovGNb1iGfup5qrLyLV2gLFcMSI
Every 4th Saturday (Pomona Valley SD), 11:00am – 1:00pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEucuGhpj0vHdxiJyZxKAF8LCIPt8WJMetR
SATURDAY DIALOGUE ORIENTATION: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6-7p via: Zoom, register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rceuvrDoqHdV0AWp0NwBrlcpXsIcUerEx.
We strongly encourage you to attend a Saturday Dialogue Orientation before you attend a Saturday Dialogue. Please join us! In this orientation, we’ll talk about the purpose of Saturday Dialogues and why AWARE-LA organizes as a white anti-racist community. We’ll go over what a typical Saturday Dialogue agenda looks like, and talk about the different types of content that we do throughout the year. We’ll also tell you about the organizational structure of AWARE-LA, and then close out our time together with an opportunity for newcomers to ask questions of our facilitation team.
Accessibility: We can provide ASL interpreters and closed captioning upon request. To ensure availability, please make your request at least 72 hours prior to the event you wish to attend. Contact: awarela@gmail.com with questions
All Laughtears.com events are on-line, until further notice. We’ll be meeting in the clouds a la Richard Brautigan, who said, “Everyone has a place in history. Mine is clouds.” Feel safe! Call Gerry Fialka for weekly zoom & video chat sessions 310-306-7330, email: pfsuzy@aol.com.
Ongoing Exhibitions at the CA African American Museum in Exposition Park
Thru Jan 17: April Bey: Atlantica, The Gilda Region; curated by: Mar Hollingsworth, Visual Arts Curator and Program Manager. In Atlantica, The Gilda Region, April Bey’s first solo museum exhibition in Los Angeles, the Bahamian-American interdisciplinary artist presents an immersive installation that taps into Black Americans’ historical embrace of space travel and extraterrestrial visioning—a cultural movement dating back to the late 1960s and later termed Afrofuturism. Through this lens, Bey reflects on subjects such as queerness, feminism, and internet culture in vibrant tableaux that combine living plants, video, music, photography, and oversized mixed-media paintings and textiles.
Thru Jan. 23: Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch; curated by: Andrea Andersson (Founding Director and Chief Curator, Rivers Institute) and Sergio Bessa (former Director of Curatorial and Education Programs, Bronx Museum). For more than two decades, LA native Sanford Biggers has been developing a singular body of work that is deeply informed by African American history and traditions. Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch, the first survey of quilt-based works by the New York-based interdisciplinary artist, features nearly fifty pieces that seamlessly weave together references to contemporary art, urban culture, sacred geometry, and more. Biggers’s engagement with quilts dates to 2009, when he was commissioned by Hidden City Philadelphia to produce a work for the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a stop on the Underground Railroad. As the artist researched the history of the Underground Railroad, he was intrigued by the long-debated narrative that quilts doubled as signposts along escape routes throughout the nineteenth century. Inspired by those stories, Biggers created his first quilt-based works.
Thru Feb. 27: Rights and Rituals: The Making of African American Debutante Culture, curated by: Taylor Bythewood-Porter, Assistant Curator. In November 1961, Pres. Kennedy and Gov. Pat Brown greeted 28 young ladies as they made their debut into society during The Links, Incorporated L.A. Chapter’s 10th annual cotillion at the Beverly Hilton. The President was paying respect to singer Nat King Cole, whose daughter Carole was debuting, yet his presence epitomized the emergent power of African American debutante culture. Social organizations such as The Links, the Questionettes, and the 20th Century Onyx Club have a history of challenging institutionalized stereotypes that limited the role and potential of Black girls. Rights and Rituals: The Making of African American Debutante Culture investigates the origins of these organizations and the ways they supported young Black women’s participation in vital, albeit sometimes understated, race work.
Thru Mar. 20: LaToya Ruby Frazier: The Last Cruze; curated by: Karsten Lund and Solveig Øvstebø. CAAM’s presentation is organized by Taylor Renee Aldridge, Visual Arts Curator and Program Manager. In The Last Cruze, artist LaToya Ruby Frazier chronicles the lives of workers at the General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio. Due to a confluence of circumstances, including the global outsourcing of labor, rapid automation, and the growing demand for electric cars, GM’s Lordstown facility stopped production in 2019 after more than fifty years of operation. This shutdown presented Lordstown facility workers with limited choices: relocate, sometimes leaving behind family and support networks, or find work elsewhere. Across the country, the trickle-down effect of economic decline and the corporate response to this decline disproportionately affects large groups of workers who have very little decision-making power within big corporations. And yet, their labor remains vital to the development and success of these businesses. Through 67 photos, video, and an architectural installation that echoes the assembly line, The Last Cruze extends Frazier’s long-standing commitment to visualizing how working-class people—in places such as Flint, Michigan; her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania; and the Borinage mining region in Belgium—are impacted by industrial exploits, environmental injustice, and systemic racism.
Upcoming Events
Jan 1 – Sat
Last day of Kwanzaa, 7-10p with the Robey Theater Company. Register here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AE303IE1wedEXn0V8QPXK6dPRynejoegFKF_AruPGEmeFgi2bUVfdll2OG0xz1XWWa7wmZw
The Robey Theatre Company is presenting a new play, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Unity, to coincide with the seven-day celebration of the winter festival of Kwanzaa, from December 26, 2021, through January 1, 2022. Kwanzaa is a festival of African American culture, inspired by African harvest festivals and created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, chair of Africana Studies at Cal State Long Beach. In the play Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Unity, Dr. Agu, an American Black Studies professor, has traveled to Ghana in order to trace his own ancestral roots. Ghana is subjected to an abrupt and complete pandemic lockdown. Dr. Agu cannot leave his hotel, much less return to America. He is compelled to teach his students back in the U.S.A. via Zoom. Dr. Agu offers his students a more complete version of American history and teaches the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa as a blueprint for living a responsible, productive, and ethical life. Info benguillory@therobeytheatrecompany.org
Jan 2 – Sun
Oshogatsu Family Festival – Year of the Tiger, 11a-4p, Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave, L.A. vent by Japanese American National Museum. Tickets: 9644p.blackbaudhosting.com/9644p/tickets UPDATE: Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County from the Omicron variant, and for the safety of our visitors and staff, we are canceling the onsite activities for the 2022 Oshogatsu Family Festival. Admission to the museum will remain FREE all day on Sunday, January 2nd with advanced registration and limited capacity. All scheduled activities are now virtual. For a complete schedule of virtual activities and more information on admission, visit https://janm.org/oshogatsufest2022! If you would still like to visit the museum on January 2nd, please note that due to enforcement of indoor capacity, wait times may occur. We ask that you present your unique RSVP barcode, which can be found only by following the link in your reservation confirmation email (sent by “Japanese American National Museum” during your RSVP date), either on your smartphone or printed on paper.
Screening: Tarzan Triumphs, 2p, Ted Mann Theater, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Part of the Vienna in Hollywood film series on Emigres and Exiles in the US film industry. Johnnie Weismuller takes on the Nazis in this 7th of his films as Tarzan of the Apes. 1943, 77 mins, b+w. https://www.academymuseum.org/en/programs/tarzan-triumphs-1b729e7d-a2e5-d4b7-ddec-8de257780da0 Details of the full film series, which started in December with a USC symposium are here: https://www.academymuseum.org/en/series/vienna-in-hollywood
Jan 3 – Mon
Jan 4 – Tue
Jan 5 – Wed
Screening: tick, tick…BOOM! 7:30p, Hammer Museum, $20/$10 with Hammer membership. Q&A with Andrew Garfield after film, Part of MoMA’s “The Contenders” film series, through Jan. 31. https://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2022/tick-tick-boom-andrew-garfield This film program is organized by Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, and Sean Egan, Producer, Film Exhibitions and Special Projects, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Hammer Museum’s presentation is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation. COVID protocols in effect proof of vaccination and photo ID required for entry.10899 Wilshire Blvd., LA 90024, (310) 443-7000, info@hammer.ucla.edu
Jan 6 – Thu
ADDED ITEM NOT IN PRINT EDITION
Day of Remembrance and Action: Vigil for Democracy, 5-7p, Westwood Federal Bldg, 11000 Wilshire Blvd. corner Veteran. Mark the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Capitol and defend democracy against demagogues and radical-right and Christian white nationalist violence.
Jan 7 – Fri
Spring Socialist Network gathering via zoom, 4p-continuing Sat Jan 8 until 3p. info@springmag.ca https://www.facebook.com/events/634382017750741 Join us for the Spring Socialist Network 2022 Winter Convention. https://Springmag.ca for more information. Spring is a Canadian socialist magazine and network. We will be looking back at 2021, learning from the year of struggles, assessing our work and discussing how we can prepare to fight and organize in the year to come. Join us as we discuss how to build the movements to take on racism, settler colonialism and capitalism, while also building our socialist network. The convention will take place on Friday evening and Saturday during the day.
Jan 8 – Sat
Self-Care Yoga Workshop, 11a-12n, CA African American Museum in Exposition Park, free. https://caamuseum.org/programs/talks-and-workshops/self-care-yoga-january-2022 Start 2022 right at the first of this year’s monthly yoga sessions at CAAM! Move through a 60-minute flow with yoga and meditation teacher Constance Hartwell. No previous experience necessary. We’re moving the class indoors for the winter; please bring your own yoga mat. RSVP required on website.
ADDED EVENT NOT IN PRINT EDITION
CalCare Car Caravan, West Hollywood CA, B of A Parking lot, 8021 Santa Monica Blvd, 11:30a. California Nurses Association is organizing a statewide CalCare Care-A-Vans to push for the passage of AB 1400, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act (CalCare). Join us on the January 2nd CalCare Office Hours (see Calendar section below for more info) to join in the planning of the HCA-LA West Hollywood Caravan or to plan your own! https://act.medicare4all.org/event/ca-caravan_attend/2947/signup/
Jan 9 – Sun
ADDED EVENT NOT IN PRINT EDITION
Committee for Racial Justice presents: THE “R-WORD”: REPARATIONS & WHY IT MATTERS, 6:30-8p, Zoom meeting open to all: Click the following link to join the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88947830395
Reparation measures are intended to be acts of justice that not only address harm but also recognize that recipients’ rights were violated. It’s an effort to create Reparative Justice. This can happen in many different forms and arenas of community life. The January 9th workshop of the Committee For Racial Justice is entitled “The ‘R-Word’; Reparations & Why It Matters” because we anticipate that this new year is going to bring some opportunities to repair past injustices to communities of color in the United States.
Timothy Lee Conley, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, Department Chair of Cinema and Film at Columbia College Hollywood, and a board member with the Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council will kick off our panel discussion with an overview of what reparations might look like locally & globally and what effects they could have on our communities and our country.
California has recently formed a state-wide task force to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans who are descendants of people who were enslaved in the U.S. This task force is under the jurisdiction of the CA Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. Its stated purpose is: (1) to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans; (2) to recommend appropriate ways to educate the California public of the task force’s findings; and (3) to recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the Task Force’s findings.
So far, this group has heard testimony about how institutional racism has impacted the racial wealth gap, the environmental degradation of communities of color, the educational inequities experienced, the access to good-paying jobs & housing, and the health disparities – to name a few of the many areas of life that are impacted by racism in our history and today.
Two members of this task force will be with us for this month’s CRJ workshop about Reparations on 1/9/22 to inform us of their progress and plans. Kamilah Moore, a reparatory justice scholar and attorney, is chair of this working group. Her master thesis explored the intersections between international law and reparatory justice for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, chattel slavery, and their legacies.
The other panel member from the CA Reparations Task Force is Dr. Cheryl Grills, a Clinical Psychologist with an emphasis in Community Psychology, who has been a Professor on the faculty of Loyola Marymount University for 34 years and is Director of their Psychology Applied Research Center.
Later this month, Santa Monica will roll out the “Right to Return” policy to allow homeowners (and their descendants), who were displaced by the 10 Highway construction and the Belmar triangle neighborhood destruction, to be priorities for access to affordable housing in Santa Monica. Mayor Pro Tem Kristin McCowan, the first Black woman to serve as a Councilmember, will also be joining our panel. Her stated priorities on the Council are economic recovery & justice, reimagining public safety that protects EVERYONE in their homes & out in the community, and increased opportunities for historically disenfranchised & vulnerable communities. She returned to her home town after serving in the Obama administration as a Presidential Appointee in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Executive Office of the President. She is currently the Executive Director for Getty House Foundation.
Another of our panel members on January 9th will be Nichelle Monroe, an accomplished vocal artist, whose grandparents lost their family home when the 10 freeway was built. She currently works at Santa Monica College and was featured in a recent article in the LA Times about Black people seeking to return to Santa Monica to live under the new Right to Return Policy.
Jan 10 – Mon
Jan 11 – Tue
Close Guantanamo Now! 12n, in person and virtual event, DTLA Federal Building, 300 N. Jackson St. at Temple. Interfaith Communities United for Justice & Peace, ARA-LA/PART, National Religious Coalition Against Torture and other stage an annual protest to shut the US military prison at Guantanamo, and return the base to Cuba. For more information, https://icujp.org.
Jan 12 – Wed
Support Amazon Workers national Day of Action, https://supportamazonworkers.org/jan12/
Jan 13 – Thu
CAAM Cinema: Ailey, 7-8:30p. CA African-American Museum in Exposition Park. Free. See the new documentary Ailey, a portrait of the legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey. The film traces the contours of this brilliant and enigmatic man whose search for the truth in movement resulted in enduring choreography that centers on the Black American experience. Told through the choreographer’s own words and featuring evocative archival footage and interviews with those close to him, Ailey connects Ailey’s past to our present with an intimate glimpse into the Ailey studios today. RSVP required on website. https://caamuseum.org/programs/concerts-performances-and-screenings/caam-cinema-ailey
Screening: Dune, 7:30p, UCLA Hammer Museum. Q&A with Dennis Villeneuve after fil. https://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2022/dune-denis-villeneuve See Jan 5 for details on film series and Hammer Museum.
Jan 14 – Fri
Jan 15 – Sat
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday
Jan 16 – Sun
Brown Skin Brunchin’, 12:30p, Join Brown Skin Brunchin’ this month as we host brunch at The Salted Pig, 3750 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501-3317. Tickets:www.brownskinbrunchin.com/event-details/inland-empire-january-brunch
The Salted Pig menu changes to always offer you ingredients at the peak of perfection. They exclusively feature craft beer from local and world renowned breweries. Please bring cash due to no ability to split checks. Street parking will be available. Please arrive on time. The entire party must be present to be seated. Failure to arrive on time may result in forfeiture of your seat. Haven’t brunched with us before, and wondering what we do? Brunch of course! We specialize in bringing together women of color for good food, fun, and drinks, all while creating friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Connect with women locally and nationwide as you expand your Brunchin’ circle. To reserve your space in this month’s brunch, a non-refundable fee of $10 is required. Seating is confirmed once your RSVP and payment are received. Wondering what the $10 covers? It covers the cost/fees associated with keeping the group active.
Screening: Forbidden Passage (short) plus The Search, 2p. Academy-Award nominated short by Fred Zinneman on a father who illegally emigrates to the US, followed by a film set in Europe among displaced persons, as a mother and son try to find each other and reunite. Part of Vienna in Hollywood series. https://www.academymuseum.org/en/programs/the-search-preceded-by-forbidden-passage-c5e87802-c805-141f-9e2b-203925b8b4f7 See Jan 2 Tarzan film for details on the series and venue.
ADDED ITEM NOT IN PRINT EDITION
Kala Koa Entertainment Presents The 15th Annual Southern California Slack Key Festival and Island Marketplace, 11a-5p, concert 2p.
Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Kala Koa Entertainment celebrates 15 years of bringing the biggest and brightest names in Hawaiian music to the mainland with the 2022 Southern California Slack Key Festival returning to the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center on Sunday, January 16, 2022.
One of the most acclaimed Hawaiian concerts to ever leave the islands, the Southern California Slack Key Festival takes fans on a Hawaiian musical journey showcasing GRAMMY-winning slack key guitarists, the best hula dancers in the world, special guest performers and a free to the public Island Marketplace. Since 2008, the Southern California Slack Key Festival has been the biggest Hawaiian music concert event in the mainland U.S., and features the most respected names in Hawaiian guitar music and hula today. Taking its name from a finger-picking style of guitar playing indigenous to Hawaii (as heard on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack for “The Descendants”), the Slack Key Festival brings the art of ki ho’alu guitar to Redondo Beach.
This year’s Southern California Slack Key Festival’s line-up includes George Kuo (available for live interviews/performing starting on January 14th – one of the last ‘elders’ from the Hawaiian music community along with his his rare double neck guitar), Jim “Kimo” West, Makana, Jeff Peterson, Kenneth Makuakane, Patrick Landeza & Sons, Ian O’Sullivan, Pomaika’i & Malie Lyman, Alan Akaka, Patrick “Kaipo” Asing
What is Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Music?
Played from the heart and soul through the fingers and flowing with vivid tropical images, Hawaiian ki ho’alu (slack key) is truly one of the great acoustic guitar traditions of the world. In slack key, some of the strings are “slacked” from the standard guitar tuning, with the thumb playing the bass notes while the other fingers play the melody and improvise in a finger-picked style. How does the distinctive sound of slack key music fit into the fabric of Hawaiian music and culture? Watch this video and learn more about this beautiful generations-old art form – https://vimeo.com/155399448.
In addition to the concert, an Island Marketplace – free to the public – takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Browse a variety of island themed gifts, home décor, accessories, apparel, and more. Plus, Hawaiian food, authentic island-style shave ice and outdoor entertainment. The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd (at Aviation Blvd.), Redondo Beach, CA 90278 Free Parking- https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/kalakoa/1723/event/1237315 or 800-595-4849
– slackkeyfest.com or https://www.kalakoa.com
– Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socalslackkeyfestival
Jan 17 – Mon Martin Luther King Jr. holiday/Day of Service
MLK Parade from MLKing Jr Blvd & Western to Crenshaw, then south to Leimert Park. This year, progressive community forces got the permit in advance, requiring the “Kingdom Day parade” to negotiate and agree on keeping out cops and the military! BDS-LA is planning a pro-Palestine contingent, and there are sure to be other community organizations finally able to participate with a clear conscience and warm welcome from the organizers. More details may be forthcoming soon on facebook or at https://harriettubmancenter.com/
Jan 18 – Tue
Jan 19 – Wed
KPFK Local Station Board meeting via zoom, see https//kpftx.org for details. 6-9p. Half-hour of public comments at least, interspersed in segments throughout the meeting. General Manager and Pacifica National Board members will report; new PNB director candidates will put forward their platforms (voting for STV and IRV ballots will be conducted by email and results will not be known for a few days).
Jan 20 – Thu
Screening: Licorice Pizza, 7:30p, UCLA Hammer Museum. Part of MoMA Contenders film series. https://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2022/licorice-pizza See Jan 5 for prices, details on series and Hammer Museum.
Jan 21 – Fri
Jan 22 – Sat
VIVA LAS MUJERES! PANORAMA CITY, 2p. Reproductive rights are essential to humans as a whole. Women are constantly being the victims of the patriarchy and of misogyny in corrupt policies. We are here to march for a better future that includes reproductive rights, fair and equal wages, and respect for all women. Plaza del Valle, 8610 Van Nuys Blvd, Panorama City, CA 91402.
Jan 23 – Sun
Faith-Based Network gathering on Ending Systemic Racism, 4-6p via zoom, initiated by Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace. (see story, p.1) More info at https//icujp.org or on FB/icujp. Join anti-racism and racial justice groupings from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other traditions, as well as secular humanists and others to help build a rooted and effective network to act against educational, environmental, and other forms of racism.
Jan 24 – Mon
Jan 25 – Tue
Jan 26 – Wed
Change Links planning meeting, 7:30p via zoom. Email changelinks2@gmail.com to get involved in planning the next issue and other related tasks, like distribution. (4th Wed. every month).
Jan 27 – Thu
In Conversation Patrisse Cullors & Angela Davis, 7-8:30p, CA African-American Museum in Exposition Park. In “An Abolitionist’s Handbook,” artist, author, and organizer Patrisse Cullors charts a framework for how everyday activists can effectively fight for an abolitionist present and future. Filled with relatable pedagogy on the history of abolition, a reimagining of what reparations look like for Black lives, and real-life anecdotes, “An Abolitionist’s Handbook” offers a bold and humanistic approach to how to be a modern-day abolitionist. Join Cullors in person as she virtually discusses her latest work with political activist, scholar, and philosopher Angela Davis. This program is moderated by LA County Library Director Skye Patrick. Presented in partnership with LA County Library as part of their Trailblazers in Conversation series. Free, RSVP required on website via eventbrite. https://caamuseum.org/programs/talks-and-workshops/in-conversation-patrisse-cullors-and-angela-davis
Can California Solve Its Air Quality Inequality? Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian, 7:30p. Live in person and streaming. A Zócalo/California Wellness Foundation Event, Moderated by Saul Gonzalez, KQED Correspondent and Co-Host of The California Report, ASU California Center, 1111 S Broadway, LA 90015. Register on website: https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/event/california-air-quality-inequality/ While smog in Los Angeles and wildfire smoke in San Francisco dominate headlines, California’s rural communities are also besieged by a constellation of forces that foul their air. In the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most polluted parts of the state, one in four children have asthma, and the impacts of air pollution cost the region $6 billion annually. Air quality is a statewide issue—more than half of California’s counties fail to meet federal pollution standards. But the burden isn’t evenly distributed: Black and Latino people are exposed to about 40 percent more fine particulate matter from cars, trucks, and buses than white Californians, and low-income communities about 20 percent more than their higher-income counterparts. What would it take for the more privileged parts of California to reduce air pollution that disproportionately affects low-income and rural communities around the state? What political and economic strategies have succeeded in improving air quality locally and statewide? And can people and organizations fighting for clean air find inspiration from coalition-building and organizing efforts in other arenas? A panel including Central Valley Air Quality Coalition executive director Catherine Garoupa White and USC sociologist and Solidarity Economics author Manuel Pastor visits Zócalo to discuss how we can help all Californians breathe easier. Based on the City of Los Angeles requirements for similar events, proof of vaccination (at least two weeks after the final dose) will be required. Additionally, face coverings are required for all audience members.
Jan 28 – Fri
Jan 29 – Sat
Jan 30 – Sun
Jan 31 – Mon
Screening: Sunset Boulevard, 7:30p, part of Vienna in Hollywood series (see Jan 2 for details) https://www.academymuseum.org/en/programs/sunset-blvd-feadf4f6-25a7-6a02-6554-f2ecf72af2de
Billy Wilder directed, Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Eric von Stroheim star, nominated for 11 Oscars. “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.”
