By Julie BUTCHER

The City of Glendale presented a virtual panel discussion on racism: past and present on Thursday, July 30. City officials said this is the first of several in a series, part of demonstrating the city’s commitment to recognizing its past and moving forward into the future.

Gary Shaffer of Glendale’s Library, Arts & Culture Dept. introduced the moderator and panelists including Steven Nelson, dean of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Nelson is also professor emeritus of African and African American art history at UCLA and, until recently, the director of the UCLA African Studies Center. He is the author of two forthcoming books: “On the Underground Railroad” and “Structural Adjustment: Mapping, Geography and the Visual Cultures of Blackness.”

Another panelist was Safiya Umoja Noble, associate professor of Information Studies at UCLA where she also serves as the co-director of the Center for Critical Internet Inquiry. She is the author of a best-selling book on racist and sexist algorithmic bias in commercial search engines, “Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.”

Hannibal B. Johnson, Esq., Harvard Law School graduate, was also on the panel. He is a member of the federal 400 Years of African American History Commission. He is an expert on Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District and the Tulsa race massacre. His books cover those topics, together with others on race and racism in Oklahoma and beyond. Johnson has held teaching positions at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa College of Law. His book, “Black Wall Street 100,” is available for pre-order.

Panelist Gary Keyes is a Southern California native and a retired professor, and taught at Glendale Community College (GCC), Pasadena City College and Crescenta Valley High School for over 40 years. His Race and Differential Application of Justice lecture at GCC proved very popular. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Los Angeles, he is the co-author of two books: “Wicked Crescenta Valley” and “Murder & Mayhem in the Crescenta Valley.”

A city spokesperson explained the process of coordinating this first installment of the panel discussions.

“The City of Glendale has always valued the many voices represented in the community, and recognizes how important it is to ensure that every voice is heard as we make our way through this process. Part of this process will involve building the racial literacy of City leaders and the community. For City leaders and the community, racial literacy involves individuals learning to recognize, respond to, and counter various forms of racism. This racial literacy will allow all stakeholders to understand the conversation surrounding racism and work towards building a better, more equitable Glendale.”

“Based on national and local conversations,” Eliza Papazian wrote, “the first level of community engagement came by way of a panel discussion organized by the City of Glendale regarding a historical perspective on race and its impacts on present day society – both across the country and here in Glendale. The goal of the panel presented on July 30 was to have an academic perspective and, very recently, GCC held a week-long lecture series with local scholars that was heavily promoted on city channels. That said, this panel is the starting point for a yearlong series of educational programming presented by the Library, Arts & Culture Dept.

“These programs will often occur in conjunction with commemorations such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Armenian Genocide Remembrance, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and the one-year anniversary of the racial justice protests. The series will feature authors, curators, historians, panelists and speakers presenting exhibits and presentations. The series is sponsored in part by the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission to enhance and elevate culturally diverse voices and bring additional focus on systematic racism through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion. Community members can watch for announcements on future programming at eGlendaleLAC.org.”

The library department’s website explained the impetus for this initial panel discussion.

“The death of George Floyd and the resulting widespread calls for justice have ignited a long-overdue national conversation about racism: How did we get to this present moment and where do we go from here? Perhaps, like many in the community, you’ve been reading, watching, listening and learning, as well as having conversations with your friends and neighbors, but are still looking for more opportunities to do the work. In the pursuit of a more just, engaged and empathic society, the City of Glendale is hosting a virtual panel on Racism: Past & Present.”

According to the city, upcoming 2020 programming that will focus on highlighting specific cultural heritages and experiences includes Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 24 with author Eric Nusbaum, “Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between” and Native American Heritage Month on Wednesday, Nov. 4 with Walter R. Echo-Hawk, author of “In the Courts of the Conquerors: The 10 Worst Indian Law Cases Ever Decided.”

The panel July 30 panel discussion was recorded and can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/y6jjshqt.

Councilmember Dan Brotman said that he thought the panel was “very well done. I loved the moderator and range of amazing panelists. At no time did it skirt the uncomfortable topic of Glendale’s history as a town designed to keep out non-whites. Kudos to Glendale Library Arts and Culture for taking this on! This is just the beginning and I’m looking forward to a year-long series of events, some of which will be uncomfortable, as they should be. One of the panelists spoke about acknowledgment, apology, and atonement. This forum started the process of acknowledgement. Hopefully, Council will soon pass a resolution to give that acknowledgment greater voice and will add an official apology. The hard work will then be how to make amends – how we become an actively anti-racist city. We will need to look at all the ways our education system, housing and transportation policies, and other structures, perpetuate bias and cement inequality across generations. I’m excited at the potential this moment is giving us and believe we are at a real tipping point.”

Councilmember Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian agreed.

“The panel is an important part of the process of better understanding the roots and different characteristics of racism, especially as a part of Glendale’s past and present. These types of talks are necessary in order for us to chart the course towards a place where we do not tolerate racism and discrimination in Glendale.”