2020-2021 Online Public Library Series “Be the Change: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Antiracism”

September 16, 2020 12:23 PM

Santa Monica, CA — Authors Eric Nusbaum and Gustavo Arellano to kick-off a 10-month-long series on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Antiracism. In honor of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, the pair will discuss Mr. Nusbaum’s new book, Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, during a public library forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2020. Registration for the free virtual event is available at www.GLAC.info/BeTheChange.

The series is being convened to help build a collective understanding of systemic racism, elevate the voices and stories of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and inspire our community to be the change. It is being produced by the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department of the City of Glendale in collaboration with the Southern California Library Cooperative and member library Santa Monica Public Library, making the events available to all Southern California residents. The series is sponsored by the City of Glendale Arts and Culture Commission with funding from the City of Glendale’s Urban Art Fund.

Stealing Home is a story about baseball, family, the American Dream, and the fight to turn Los Angeles into a big league city. The hills that cradle Dodger Stadium were once home to three vibrant Mexican American communities. In the early 1950s, those communities were condemned to make way for a utopian public housing project. Then, in a remarkable turn, public housing in the city was defeated amidst a Red Scare conspiracy. Instead of getting their homes back, the remaining residents saw the city sell their land to Walter O'Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. But before Dodger Stadium could be built, the city would have to face down the neighborhood's families, including the Aréchigas, who refused to yield their home. The ensuing confrontation captivated the nation and the divisive outcome still echoes through Los Angeles today.

Eric Nusbaum is a writer and former editor at VICE. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, ESPN the magazine, The Daily Beast, Deadspin, and the Best American Sports Writing anthology.

Gustavo Arellano is a long-time investigative reporter and author of ¡Ask a Mexican! and Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America. He is also a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

The Be The Change Series: Inclusion – Diversity – Equity – Antiracism series takes place in conjunction with such commemorations as Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, American Indian Heritage Month, Black History Month, Armenian Genocide Remembrance, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and LGBTQ+ Pride. The series will also examine the one-year anniversary of the 2020 racial justice protests and 100-year anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The series will include virtual lectures, exhibits, and online programming from authors, curators, and historians.

The series is led by Glendale Library, Arts & Culture in partnership with the Southern California Library Cooperative, and Santa Monica Public Library. The series is sponsored by the City of Glendale Arts and Culture Commission, with funding from the City of Glendale Urban Art Fund.

Upcoming author programming includes: 

For more information, please call Library information at 818-548-2021 or email Library staff at LibraryInfo@GlendaleCA.gov. The Library website is www.eGlendaleLAC.org.

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