{"id":27767,"date":"2020-09-02T22:39:15","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T05:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=27767"},"modified":"2020-09-02T22:39:15","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T05:39:15","slug":"amid-the-epidemic-of-police-shootings-and-racialized-violence-supervisor-ridley-thomas-hosts-leadership-dialogue-to-discuss-issues-of-racism-policing-the-pandemic-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=27767","title":{"rendered":"Amid the Epidemic of Police Shootings and Racialized Violence Supervisor Ridley-Thomas Hosts Leadership Dialogue to Discuss Issues of Racism, Policing, the Pandemic and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles County (September 02, 2020) – In response to an increase in shootings of unarmed Black men and women, including the recent shooting of Dijon Kizzee in South Los Angeles, and subsequent protests against the racialized violence endured at the hands of law enforcement towards communities of color, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, in collaboration with the Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles (INLV), led a leadership level\u00a0virtual dialogue on Racism, Policing, the Pandemic + Beyond<\/strong>. This year marks the 25th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary of Days of Dialogue, a nonpartisan organization geared towards bringing diverse communities together to discuss polarizing issues for community change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe epidemic of police killings of unarmed African Americans is an unrelenting outrage, and we all have every right to the anger and pain felt so deeply right now. But where do we go from here? Carl Segan once said, \u2018You have to know the past to understand the present.\u2019 In order to influence change, we need to identify the root of the issue \u2013 and Days of Dialogue is a step in the right direction,\u201d said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.<\/p>\n

For over 25 years,\u00a0Days of Dialogue<\/em>\u00a0has convened civic, business, ecumenical and community leaders to discuss timely social and political issues facing communities. In the midst of rising threats of racial violence as well as its implications for both community well-being and individual endeavors,\u00a0Days of Dialogue<\/em>\u00a0provides a forum for leaders to address tensions.\u00a0Days of Dialogue<\/em>\u00a0has taken place in political town hall forums in large civic auditoriums, to smaller venues such as neighborhood libraries, churches, and today, via a virtual platform.<\/p>\n

Attendees to this the invitation-only dialogue, included; Commission Chair of Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission and Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, Patti Giggans; Los Angeles Police Chief, Michael Moore; Los Angeles County Public Defender, Ricardo Garcia; Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr. Jonathan Lucas; President of Saint Mary\u2019s University, Dr. Ann McElaney-Johnson; and Bishop of Faithful Central Bible Church, Kenneth Ulmer.<\/p>\n

Recently, the Board of Supervisors made a historic decision to establish an\u00a0Antiracist Policy Agenda<\/a>, but this motion is only the beginning of a process to change Los Angeles County governance, policymaking, and service delivery. Subsequent to this motion, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas moved to\u00a0ensure greater transparency and accountability within county law enforcement<\/a>. The recent shooting deaths of murder of Andres Guardado and Dijon Kizzee by law enforcement and the COVID-19 pandemic have created an environment that has made the need for dialogue even more urgent.\u00a0 Underscoring this need, participants spoke about the origins of racism and police violence and reflected on its persistence in the midst of a pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot let the winds of change die. We are living a movement to push systemic racism to the forefront of America\u2019s consciousness. We must look to the institutions, their values, their history, and their rewards to understand how best to make permanent change. Racism is a plague that infects and seeks to put us against one another. It is self-perpetuating and feeds on lies and fear. Only in solidarity can we defeat racism,\u201d said Public Defender, Ricardo Garcia. \u201cHonest dialogue, real talk, is the way to look at our institutions and understand what action is required. Thank you, Days of Dialogue, for continuing to encourage community discussion to promote healing, action, and, most importantly, change!<\/p>\n

\u201cDays of Dialogue has allowed community members to have courageous conversations on very sensitive social topics for decades. These kinds of gatherings are more important as ever as we work to dismantle racist practices and bring communities together,\u201d said Commission Chair of Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission and Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, Patti Giggans. \u201cWe are grateful to Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas and Avis Ridley Thomas for creating and continuing these community dialogues.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have participated in sessions of Days of Dialogue for many years and have always felt it is an excellent opportunity to express your inner feelings and get immediate feedback.\u00a0 It is a very important tool for communicating,\u201d said Los Angeles Police Chief, Michel Moore. \u201cAs an attendee of previous Days of Dialogue, I hope to gain insight based on what is currently happening in Los Angeles and across the Country, with the various demonstrations the people demand for change.\u00a0 Change is needed in Law Enforcement and many other institutions within society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Ann McElaney-Johnson, President, Mount Saint Mary\u2019s University had this to say:<\/p>\n

\u201cDays of\u00a0Dialogue are crucial for people to share their lived experiences, speak honestly and bravely, and be heard. They invite discovery and develop common values around a shared sense of accountability towards the dismantling of systemic inequities. We must educate ourselves to deepen our understanding, response and commitment to addressing racism and advancing racial equity. I am hopeful today\u2019s conversation will spark creative solutions to combat racism, particularly anti-Black racism, and widespread injustice that we see in our neighborhoods and around the country. In doing so, we recognize that racial justice work is a process that requires a systematic approach. Therefore, we stand as an ally in the re-imagination of a just and equitable society.\u00a0\u00a0I am grateful the Board of Supervisors is approaching these issues with a collaborative lens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA past participant in Days of Dialogue, I am proud to partner once again with this critically important forum for our community as we deepen our understanding of racial justice around the COVID-19 pandemic and other pressing issues,\u201d said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at Cedars-Sinai. \u00a0\u201cI look forward to strengthening relationships with a diverse array of community leaders at a time when unity and compassion are more important than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles County (September 02, 2020)...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27768,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27767\/revisions\/27768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}