West Hollywood to Commemorate ‘Juneteenth’ With a Virtual Discussion on Racial Injustice

The City of West Hollywood will present a virtual panel discussion about racial injustice on Friday at 5 p.m. in recognition of “Juneteenth,” the date that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Panelists will discuss issues of racial injustice and police violence and will provide their perspective on why the movement is happening in the way it is today, and how the progressive LGBTQ+ community can be engaged in next steps to create meaningful change.

Panelists will include: Barbara Arnwine (moderator) president & founder of Transformative Justice Coalition; Jasmyne Cannick, political strategist working on the intersection of race and politics; Sinbad, actor, comedian, and activist; Marcus Smith, Emmy Award-winning senior producer for KTLA5 News, and Marquita Thomas, executive director of the Los Angeles LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will provide a welcome and introduction.

Those who want to watch the panel may live-stream it by visiting the city’s website at www.weho.org/wehotv or on the city’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv; on streaming services such as AndroidTV, AppleTV, FireTV, and Roku; and through broadcasts on Spectrum channel 10 in West Hollywood and AT&T U-verse channel 99 throughout Southern California. Digital streaming platform viewers can easily find programming by searching for “WeHoTV” within the search functions of these services. Members of the public wishing to ask questions of the panelists prior to the meeting may email alovano@weho.org no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday.

“Juneteenth was first marked as a holiday more than 150 years ago. We should be outraged that, in 2020, racial injustice, systemic racism, and police brutality are still day-to-day realities in our nation,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath. “We are outraged at the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among so many Black lives lost too soon to violence. West Hollywood is a city founded in advocacy for social justice and human rights. We must ask difficult questions and we must work for systemic change. I hope you can join the panel discussion on June 19 as we examine what meaningful change looks like in support of fairness, inclusivity, equality, and justice.”

At its regular meeting on Monday the City Council approved support for a pledge issued by President Obama to commit to action to address police use of force policies. This pledge includes review of law enforcement use of force policies; community engagement that includes a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories; and reporting the findings of such a review to the community to seek feedback.

Juneteenth is recognized on June 19 each year as the date that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It was on June 19 in 1865, more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, that news reached Texas and orders were read in Galveston that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free.