( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust Hosts Virtual Monthly Forum
ENSPIRE Contributor: Rosa Linda Fallon
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust continued their virtual forum ‘Building Bridges: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue About Racism’ on July 14 after receiving such a positive response from hosting their first forum on June 8. “The response was so strong that the museum decided to continue ‘Building Bridges’ as an ongoing series, said CEO of the museum Beth Kean. The series brings together social justice leaders of the community and representatives of the city to talk about moving forward in the fight against racism in today’s world.
Founded by the oldest Holocaust survivor in 1961, the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust has provided free education to students and visitors from the United States and around the world. During regular times, the museum usually welcomes over 20,000 students per year for free, including bus transportation. The mission of the museum is to commemorate and honor those who perished, as well as educate and inspire through engaging programs that place value on open dialogue, learning and reflection. Through these methods, the Museum holds the belief that we can build a dignified, respectful and humane world for everyone.
The Museum is partnering with leading social justice organizations for this series including Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, Los Angeles Urban League, Jewish Center for Justice, and the Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE).
Panelists for the forum hosted on July 14 included Board Chair of the Jewish Center for Justice Julie Bank, President and CEO Michael Laweson of Los Angeles Urban League, CEO Helen Torres of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, Board Chair Charlie Woo of the Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment.
“Over the last several weeks, we’ve all been reminded how important it is for our communities to stand together against all types of hatred and bigotry,” Kean said. “Collaborative efforts toward social justice can pave the way for meaningful progress and conversations like these are a productive way to increase awareness and involvement from those who are committed to a better future,” he continued.
The series will continue Aug. 4, Sept. 1, and Oct. 6 with additional dates to be announced.
“Injustice suffered by anyone is injustice suffered by all of us,” Kean says.
“We hope the lessons of the past help illuminate the crises we deal with today. That’s one of the bridges that we’re building. This is a way to begin difficult conversations and learn from one another and work together by bringing representatives from different communities together.” For more information on how to register visit http://www.lamoth.org. A $10.00 donation is recommended to support future educational events.
