All People's Celebration brings disability rights to the forefront

Speaker 1: (00:00)

Speaking out for disability rights on MLK day. What

Speaker 2: (00:04)

Place does ableism play in King's vision? He absolutely on

Speaker 1: (00:11)

I'm Maureen Kavanaugh. Jade Henman is off today. This is K P S midday edition Census ethnic categories. Don't include some thriving San Diego communities.

Speaker 3: (00:29)

The census numbers tell us that San Diego is getting increasingly diverse Latinos and Asians in particular have been growing really fast in the county. And all of this is happening while the white popul has been shrinking.

Speaker 1: (00:42)

The legacy of war provides inspiration for dance photography in north park and civil rights films honor Dr. King tonight on Turner classic movies. That's ahead on midday edition.

Speaker 1: (01:02)

This morning's people's celebration in San Diego honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. Was once again a virtual event, the community organization Alliance, San Diego hosted the 34th annual MLK day celebration entirely online with a simple but strong theme. This year love and power. The slogan is taken from one of Dr. King's speeches. Part of which declares power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Rebecca Coley us disability rights program officer for the Ford foundation is this year's keynote speaker at the all people celebration, and she joins us now. Rebecca, welcome.

Speaker 2: (01:44)

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1: (01:47)

What kinds of demands of justice are priorities for the large and diverse disabled community? Right now, all

Speaker 2: (01:54)

Issues are disability rights and justice issues, immigration reform, access to healthcare, the right to marry, who you love their is not a social justice issue being debated in this nation today that does not have a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities. Obviously, top of mind in this moment is the ongoing impact of the coronavirus. The virus, we know results in roughly one third of those individuals who have contracted it living with long haul COVID, which in itself is a disability. We're talking about a minimum of 10 million, newly disabled people in this country and a social service system that is not receiving nearly the kind of funding and resourcing it's going to need to meet the growing need of this growing community.

Speaker 1: (02:40)

So do you think the public health officials have done an adequate job of connecting with the disabled community during the pandemic?

Speaker 2: (02:48)

Absolutely not. As we saw this last week with the director of the center for disease control implying that it was a good thing that people with disabilities and chronic illnesses were the largest proportion of people continuing to die of the virus, to seeing discussions about whether or not we return to work, placing greater value on its economic impact. And on the impact of actual human beings lives shows us that we still have a long way to go for people with disabilities to be seen as equal voices at the table with public health officials.

Speaker 1: (03:21)

Now, it sounds from what you're saying that people with disabilities are not regularly considered when issues of equity are discussed and they are still often forgotten, is that get the case?

Speaker 2: (03:33)

It is very much the case. I mean, even the, the current voting rights legislation being discussed at this Mo the freedom to vote act actually will make it harder for people with disabilities to access the vote than it is currently. And so I think that there continues to be this lack of recognition that people with disabilities exist disproportionately across all marginalized communities. We are disproportionately women. We are disproportionately people of color. We are disproportionately immigrants. And so any types of reforms or policies, advancements that are intended to impact those communities must be examined to look at how they can either help or in this case harm the rights of disabled people.

Speaker 1: (04:16)

I just wanna play a little clip from president Biden earlier today, about the effort to pass new federal voting rights legislation

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In his time, through his courage, his conviction, and his commitment, Dr. King held Amira up to America and forced us to answer the question, where do we stand? Who side are we on? We're in another moment right now where the mirror is being held up to America.

Speaker 1: (04:44)

Okay. So there's the idea that voting rights at legislation is trying to be passed through Congress, but you say there are things missing for the disabled in current discussions. Can you talk to us more about that?

Speaker 2: (04:57)

Definitely. It's not even so much that we're missing in the discussion. It's at the proposals being tossed around, actually make it harder for people with disabilities to vote. A key part of the freedom to vote act includes the, the mandate of a paper ballot that can be verified. Not all people with disabilities can access a paper ballot. Some people with disabilities need to be able to access a touch screen or voice to text or other forms of technology to give them the same level of privacy to access their vote as nondisabled people. And yet that's not being part of the conversation. We continue to see the conversation around accessibility pitted against one of security

Speaker 1: (05:40)

In the real world. Do you see the struggle for disabled rights actually meshing with the ongoing fight for racial equality, or are there some areas where they are fighting one another?

Speaker 2: (05:53)

I think we've seen a generational advancement in a really pivotal way. I think we talk about this in the disability community, in the context of what we call the ADA generation or the first generation of people in this country that have grown up with the rights of the ADA interlocking with their education rights. We see this when it comes to allies too. And frankly from activists in Ferguson to the women's, to my colleagues at organizations like the national action network and the national black justice coalition, they see us as partners at the table. We collaborate, we work to come to consensus on key issues that impact all of our communities. And we stand by each other in times like this. And so I am seeing a shifting and a, a greater inclusion of disability issues into the mainstream, but that also just has to be the reality. You can't be doing social justice work. If you're not being inclusive of people with disabilities, you can't get policing reform or ameliorate poverty in this country unless disabled people are part of the conversation. And at the table while decisions are being made.

Speaker 1: (06:59)

Rebecca in your keynote today, you talked about your own family's role in the history of racism in this country, specifically your grandfather. Why was it important for you to address that today?

Speaker 2: (07:11)

Because as white people in this country for too long, we have expected black and brown people to fix racism and it will not be fixed in this country until white people start standing up examining how we benefit from the institution of racism and actually put our butts on the line to make this country a better place for everyone. Did Dr.

Speaker 1: (07:34)

King himself ever address the need for equality for people with disabilities?

Speaker 2: (07:40)

No, we actually, in, in all of the readings that I've done, I've seen conversations around economic insecurity. I've seen issues around conversations around gender, but in none of the readings that I have done, have I ever seen Dr. King dress directly address issues of people with disabilities, but that is not to say disabled people were not at the table for, if you actually look at video from the, I have a dream speech standing to the right of Dr. King during the speech is an African American little person activist named Kenny brown, who was very active in S SC C and S SNCC during the heyday of the civil rights movement. So our community has always been at the table though for a long time talking about disability, just like talking about L G B T issues was seen as a distraction from the greater issues of the time.

Speaker 1: (08:33)

What is most misunderstood about the disabled community in your view

Speaker 2: (08:38)

That disability rights are something and extra that the right to have closer parking is a privilege and not something that we have a, a fundamental civil right too, because of the discrimination we face as people with disabilities. I think so often we see stories of disability rights framed in, oh, well, that's a special privilege that those people have because they're disabled. Not that is something that people with disabilities need so they can get to the same table as people, without disabilities. And until we're actually able to have that conversation and examine our own prejudices, as it relates to and ableism that are faced by people with disabilities in this country, we will never achieve Dr. Kings dream.

Speaker 1: (09:21)

I've been speaking with Rebecca Coley, us disability rights program officer for the Ford foundation. She was also keynote speaker at the all people celebration today in San Diego. Rebecca, thank you so much.

Speaker 2: (09:33)

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: (09:41)

Martin Luther king Jr day has become a celebration of all of America's diversity, but we may be missing out on the entire scope of our different heritages and experiences because we're just not documenting them a review you of the 2020 census finds that San Diego is more diverse than ever before, but some San Diegos wonder where they belong. When faced with the standard census categories, several vibrant communities say their identities are hidden behind generic ethnic labels. Joining me is voice of San Diego reporter Maya, Christian, and

Speaker 3: (10:17)

Maya. Welcome. Thanks for having me

Speaker 1: (10:19)

Now on your podcast, San Diego, 1 0 1, you start off by talking about the overall problems with the 2020 census that may have tainted results. Can you remind us about that?

Speaker 3: (10:30)

Yeah. So there were a few things that happened. Um, one was that the Trump administration tried to add the citizen question, which didn't end up actually happening, but it still potentially spooked a lot of people who were already in hard to count communities because, um, they were in immigrant communities and were concerned that filling out the census may have an impact on their ability to stay in the country. Then there was also the COVID 19 pandemic, which made gathering information in person really difficult in past census counts. Uh, there have been people who go door to door, particularly in heart to count communities. And that was sort of impossible at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic. And then finally in fall 2020, the Trump administration actually cut the census gathering short a little bit. And again, many of these hard to count communities are some of the communities who end up filling out their census data last. And there's potential that some of them were also left out in that process,

Speaker 1: (11:30)

Even. So the census is telling us that San Diego's diversity is increasing. What do the numbers say? Yeah.

Speaker 3: (11:37)

So the census numbers tell us that San Diego is getting increasingly diverse Latinos and Asians in particular have been growing really fast in the county. Um, since 2010, the Latino population has grown by almost 13%. And the Asian population has grown by more than 22%. And all of this is happening while the white population has been shrinking. Now,

Speaker 1: (11:58)

You mentioned that an increase in people identifying as other on the census is a key indicator. Tell us more about that. Yeah, well,

Speaker 3: (12:07)

We don't know the full extent of who's filling out other, but it is likely people who don't feel like they fit into one of the other racial or ethnic categories on the census. And compared to the last census, there were about three times as many people in San Diego county who chose other. So that definitely raises questions of, you know, who are those people? How do they identify and what their experiences are? Yeah.

Speaker 1: (12:27)

How do the standard categories that we find on the census form like white, black, or Asian, how do they pose problems for people of different ethnic backgrounds? So

Speaker 3: (12:37)

There are a lot of issues that several communities have raised about the census categories. For example, people who identify as Latino, there's the Hispanic non-Hispanic category, but when you get down to the racial groups, there's no Latino or Hispanic category. They, and so, you know, some of them end up selecting white, or they may identify as indigenous, or they may end up selecting other, in addition, many people who are, you know, Arab Americans or, um, middle Eastern or north African descent tend to be identified as white on the census. And there is no separate category for them. And I think that's been something that they have been trying to change and advocate for, um, to have a separate census category for many, many years now.

Speaker 1: (13:21)

Okay. So if someone of Arab American or north African descent identified as white on a census form, how does that obscure the growth of these communities in San Diego?

Speaker 3: (13:33)

Well, I mean, first we can't really separate it from the growth of the white community or any changes in the population of the white community. And I think that in addition to just being able to see numbers, it also makes many people in those communities not feel seen or acknowledged because they feel their experiences are very different than white people. But, you know, when it comes to the way data's club, it's really hard for those experiences to come out in reports or be acknowledged by governments. You know, the sense of shapes, how so many other institutions collect data. So we also don't really have great public health data or educational outcome data specific to those communities. And we can't see what their experiences are, whether they're struggling in certain regards and, and whether they need more resources and support. Tell us

Speaker 1: (14:18)

About a little bit more about the practical consequences for communities that feel their identities are hidden in these generic labels like funding, for instance, from state government and from the federal government. One example

Speaker 3: (14:31)

That I reported on recently, uh, has to do with the way Asians and Asian are a, are classified on census and in many other, um, ways data is collected around the country. So Asians are all grouped together, regardless of whether they're from India, the Philippines, China, or whether they were born here. And that can kind of hide again, some of the experiences of some groups. So for example, COVID data in San Diego county, hasn't been broken down in a way that would show you how the Filipino community is experiencing it versus how like the Indian community is experiencing it. And, uh, we recently did an invest investigation where we went through all of the death certificates in the county from the first year of COVID. And we actually found that Filipinos were the second highest impacted group of all groups in the county. And they had really high death rates.

Speaker 3: (15:25)

And this is likely in part due to their prevalence in healthcare fields and caregiving fields, but of what advocates in the community told us was that, you know, they saw people in their communities getting sick and dying, and they knew it was happening more than in some other communities, but organizations that specifically serve the Filipino community that could give them information in a way that's culturally nuanced and relevant to the specific experiences they're having that make them more at, for COVID. Um, those organizations weren't able to get as much funding to do outreach for vaccine knowledge or even, you know, awareness of how to isolate and keep yourself safe in the same way that some organizations that serve other groups were able to, because the Filipino impact of COVID 19 wasn't out there, you know, it wasn't being tracked by the government agencies that were providing this funding.

Speaker 1: (16:16)

You know, my, it seems that with the technology and software that's available, the census could have, I mean, a couple of hundred ethnic categories to choose from. Do we know why that hasn't happened?

Speaker 3: (16:27)

I mean, I don't think we know why for sure. Um, I'm sure lots of people have different theory or different reasons as to why that might happen. I know I've certainly talked to some advocates who believe that it is, you know, an intentional effort to kind of bury some of the experiences of certain communities. It might just also be in aversion to change that comes with big bureaucratic federal governments, but there's probably lots of different things that are playing into why hasn't been more shifts in how the census tracks racial and ethnic categories,

Speaker 1: (16:57)

But there is an effort to make changes in the next census. Tell us about that.

Speaker 3: (17:01)

There were campaigns in 2010 and 2020 in particular for people who identified as Mina, which means middle Eastern and north African, so that they could have their own category. And, um, there were discussion about that actually, um, at the us census bureau, it didn't end up happening. And then there was also a grassroot campaign to kind of write in, um, after they selected other write in that they are in the MUN category. Those efforts didn't really end up working when it came, when the data came out. But I'm sure that they're going to be similar efforts underway before 2030.

Speaker 1: (17:34)

Okay. Then I've been speaking with voice of San Diego reporter Maya Shree, Christian Maya. Thank you very much. Thanks. This is K PBS midday edition. I'm Maureen Kavanaugh. Jade Heman has the day off some immunocompromised people will be eligible for additional COVID shots, but is that enough protection? The California reports saw Gonzalez talked to U C S F physician, Dr. Lindsay, Ryan about the issue and her support for more assistance for those with damaged immune systems.

Speaker 5: (18:16)

I've heard from a lot of immunocompromised people around the country over recent months plus, and there's a lot of confusion. There's a lot of a sense of abandonment and being forgotten. There's a lot of sense that they haven't been given the information. They need to take proper care of their health or the tools to do that. And that they don't really know where to look.

Speaker 6: (18:38)

So what specifically are the shortcomings that you see when it comes to the information that the immuno compromised are or are not receiving?

Speaker 5: (18:47)

I think individually people need to know what they is in terms of how sick they might get from COVID, you know, and obviously you can't predict that exactly. But as I said, the risk of someone who, for instance, just got a kidney transplant two months ago is different from someone who's on a very low dose of a immunosuppressant. That's not particularly high risk. They need to know that they need to have good information about vaccination and, and boosters when they should get those, why they should get those. And for people who might have a very poor response to vaccination, they need to have information about other options, which right now, in food potential monoclonal antibody therapy.

Speaker 6: (19:31)

And just to be clear, we're talking about laboratory produced molecules that could substitute or mimic antibodies that are found in the body.

Speaker 5: (19:39)

Exactly. So monoclonal antibodies, they're artificially produced in a lab and they basically bind to the spike protein on the coronavirus to inactivate the virus. And they do, you know, what the antibodies produced by one's own immune system would do, except some people can't produce adequate antibodies. Right now there's a preventative monoclonal antibody combination called eval. That's available for people who did not respond adequately to the coronavirus vaccinations series because of immunocompromise. As I said before, there's around a, an estimated 7 million immunocompromised people in the country of who many would benefit from a, she, the government initially purchased around 700,000 doses, actually just committed to another 500,000 doses, which, you know, still is likely to be far from enough. And the emails that I get in my inbox now are from people who are distraught, that they're literally being put into Lotes with other patients at their cancer centers, pitting them against each other, um, in hopes that they'll be the lucky one who gets the next dose of the monoclonal antibody. And I think this is an example of the fact that the lives of immunocompromised people during the pandemic have not been put on equal footing with the lives of non immunocompromised individuals. And there needs to be a serious look at the equity issues surrounding this. What more

Speaker 6: (21:09)

Should be done to address the particular concerns of the immunocompromised population.

Speaker 5: (21:15)

So I think right now we're at a point where it's becoming clear that coronavirus will become an endemic virus and that we're all going to have to adjust as individuals and a nation as to what this is gonna mean for our lives, our work, and in thinking about what that involves on a policy level nationally and locally, it needs to involve considering what the lives of immunocompromised people are going to look like. And also including their voices in that conversation and for the people, for whom the vaccine, they're not enough, they should be given the full tools to protect themselves too equitably with other Americans. And that means good access to preventive monoclonal antibodies. And those have been in extraordinarily short supply.

Speaker 1: (22:01)

That was U C S F Dr. Lindsay Ryan talking with the California reports, Saul Gonzalez

Speaker 1: (22:16)

High above the humdrum hustle and bustle of urban Los Angeles lies the Mount Wilson observatory inside two giant white doms. Visitors will find two aging, yet massive telescopes that are deep. The important to the history of astronomy. Some of the biggest names in the field of Astro science have looked through these, including Edwin Hubble, George eery Hale, and even Albert Einstein. And now visitors can look through these famous telescopes too, for a price it's not cheap, but it does come with free snacks and an astronomer to God, your trip to the outer reaches of the sky, the California report magazines, Peter Gilstrap made the trip up to Mount Wilson to see what happens when the stars come out.

Speaker 7: (23:07)

That's the hundred ton dome turning accommodate the view of the 60 inch telescope. A move it's been making since things began here so long ago

Speaker 8: (23:16)

In 1908, it was the largest telescope in

Speaker 7: (23:18)

The world. That's telescope operator, Tom Mason. He's one of a devoted cadre of amateur astronomers and retired engineers who keep things going at top Mount Wilson. He's been volunteering at the observatory for 17 years.

Speaker 8: (23:32)

It was the first telescope placed on a mouth in this size. It was the first real enactment of the mirror, reflecting type telescope. So you have a lot of history here.

Speaker 7: (23:44)

The telescope itself is an industrial lattice work of tubular steel angled toward a crack in the dome, like a cannon. It's about the size of a crouching Tyrannosaurus Rex, and it's painted baby blue. The tube got here 113 years ago on the back of a truck that barely made it up. The winding dirt road from Pasadena, the unbelievably delicate 60 inch mirror. That's the reflecting heart of the telescope arrived by a team of PAC mules. Since the machine opened its enormous eye on the skies, it's lived to become the granddaddy of virtually every modern scope in existence. And while down below Los Angeles constantly grows in new U Tates upon itself, demolishing and building again and again, year after year up on Mount Wilson, things barely change. Now,

Speaker 8: (24:33)

Do we have the technology to hook this up to a computer and guide it? Yes. Mount Wilson is not willing to trust this to a computer and that's why we still operate it by hand.

Speaker 7: (24:43)

They don't trust it to a computer. It's a notion that's absolutely breathtaking. And don't even think about cell reception up here. You can look down the I piece at an ancient long dead star, still beaming its ghost light toward earth, but you can't text anyone about it. The

Speaker 9: (24:59)

Telescope and the whole tower itself pay the slightest touch at the control button at the top. Another astronomer gets ready to photograph the heavens through the scientists, the pars and worlds of this small earth must see mighty penny as he penetrates celestial mysteries, such as these

Speaker 7: (25:17)

Many of those celestial mysteries were solved at the observatory scientist Harlow. Shapley worked at Mount Wilson from 19 14, 19 21. He used the telescopes to determine the size of the Milky way galaxy. Yes, the size of the galaxy. This guy you've never heard of did that. He also found the earth was not the center of that galaxy.

Speaker 8: (25:41)

So what did that do that moved us off out here off one of the arms of the galaxy. Great. This right here with the 60 inch, uh, telescope.

Speaker 7: (25:50)

Yeah. And a blow to the ego of, uh, those who thought we were

Speaker 8: (25:55)

Running the show. Yes. Well, I, uh, our ego has been blowing a couple times up here cuz we thought we was the only galaxy there and then Hubble came along and discovered that yes, there is another galaxy out there. And now in the billions of galaxies type thing,

Speaker 7: (26:10)

Does it make you feel very, very tiny when you think about that?

Speaker 8: (26:14)

Uh, yes it does because of how big this is. But also, uh, as a Christian, it also brings my attention to something the scripture says, oh Lord or Lord, what, what is man that you are mindful of him compared to this great universe you made in this little dust spot the earth. And then I'm a dust spot on that earth.

Speaker 7: (26:43)

Astronomy loves darkness. And by the late 1990s, Los Angeles had become ground zero for light pollution. A scientific research was moving from Mount Wilson to low wattage. Places like Chile, the decision was made to open the facility to the public. This rare opportunity

Speaker 10: (26:59)

Has drawn all kinds of people up the mountain sunshine day came from long beach with an open mind and no real idea of what she would experience. A friend gave her a ticket. Now, as she steps away from gazing through the telescope, she looks stunned even above her mask. This is my very first time here. So

Speaker 7: (27:19)

Tell me what just happened.

Speaker 10: (27:22)

Wow. Um, I'm looking at these what appears to be like dots, but they're actually the planets and as I fine tune the, the I piece, I can actually see how different the, the two planets are. It's amazing to be able to see that far.

Speaker 7: (27:39)

It's gotta be hundreds of miles. Oh yeah.

Speaker 10: (27:41)

At least

Speaker 7: (27:45)

So looking through this mountaintop window into the distant reaches of space, what does she think about?

Speaker 10: (27:52)

I think about what's happening out there in the sky is actually also happening inside of me. Like all my cells and cap my organs, how things are just kind of orbiting and rotating, how lungs filled were there. And you know, there's just like this divine order to things. And um, I don't know much about the stars and those planets and what's out there. But I imagine that that macrocosm is sort of like the microcosm within my body. You know, I don't know. I just . Those are the things that I get to think about when I come to places like this, like having it to, to rent out and just to be able to come and see, this is absolutely

Speaker 7: (28:35)

Awesome. And so the night goes on and once again, the howling aria from the aging gears begins the dome and the telescope slowly turned to chase the shifting stars and galaxies across the sky. And once again, these humble people of earth with their coffee and their fascination, wait to approach the telescope, look in and see the next strange and beautiful wonder.

Speaker 1: (29:05)

That was the California report. Magazine's Peter Gilstrap. The aftermath of decades of war provides stark inspiration for a new exhibition at art produce in north park. The work viewable from the sidewalk features Doug MC mini's photography of a dance piece by choreographer, Camela, SOPA, K PBS arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans explains the story behind the images.

Speaker 11: (29:41)

It's dusk outside art produce gallery on university avenue in north park from the sidewalk against the rapidly diming light of the sky, the galleries, Florida ceiling windows practically glow inside larger than life photographs, adorn all the walls. Even the floor in them, a single dancer, twists, reaches and crouches in movement. The photographer is Doug McIn. The dancer is Lauren Christie at the heart of it is San Diego choreographer, calmly Somon and her recent work purposely accidental was born in Laos, a country that holds the chilling statistic of being the most bombed nation per capita in the world. During the pandemic, she wanted to make a work to tell that story.

Speaker 12: (30:33)

Former president Trump was our president at the time. And one of the first things that he did when he came into term was to remove the initiatives that president Obama had instilled with the country of Laos. And one of them, they, he gave them, I think, was like 90 million to help remove the bombs and beautiful initiative to bring more education into the country. And especially for women and former president Trump took that away. So that was heavy on me. And it had also been heavy because I wasn't able to see my parents. I was worried about them

Speaker 11: (31:10)

In the 1960s and 1970s during a CIA mission in Laos. Amids the Vietnam war. Some 2 million tons of explosives were dropped on the small nation. Just 1% of these bond were detonated and 80 million bombs remain UN detonated, effectively. Landmines scattered across the land. Son said that the bombs are undeniable and a part of everyday life in Laos, both in their omnipresence, in the landscape, but also in their continuing tragedies in the gallery. In addition to the oversized pictures on the walls, eight of the images are printed on durable adhesive, backed final and installed on the floor photographer. Doug McIn said their positioning in a grid is important. That

Speaker 12: (31:58)

Grid on the floor is a, you know, distant illusion to a grid you would make in a field when you're are trying to clear it from, from minds.

Speaker 11: (32:06)

The images also afford a perspective that audiences may otherwise never get during a performance, both profoundly up close and from

Speaker 12: (32:15)

Above. And so by placing the photos on the floor, I wanted to give us just the faintest of faintest echoes of that anxiety as well. And, uh, that you are suddenly very aware of where you're stepping. When

Speaker 11: (32:30)

McIn first saw this performance, he found Sammon's choreography incredibly meaningful, but also more than any other dance he'd photographed as a professional photographer. This piece lends itself particularly well to this medium,

Speaker 12: (32:45)

There was something about the very strong gestural material in the dance that, that ENS slates so well into a still image. And that's really critical because, uh, someday I like for example, pirouettes, I've photographed a lot of pirouettes. I rarely find them very compelling as a still image. They're very compelling as movement. So you have to find those things that translate into still photograph

Speaker 11: (33:10)

McIn first shot the performance last spring, then collaborated with dancer, Lauren Christy, and Somon on a separate shoot specifically of this project with the gallery walls and floor in mind, a choreographer is no stranger to handing off a personal creative product to another artist. In fact, the relationship between choreographer and dancer is essentially transactional. Already audiences add additional possibilities of interpret. In this case, the photographer adds one more. Each image, the photographer chose to shoot each decision about which ones to print, even the order by which the pictures are arranged in the gallery. These are new layers of meaning added to the work. And Somon said, these exchanges are essential and art

Speaker 12: (34:01)

In the creative process, we have to trust what and how things come out and we can have an approach, but that's part of what we do. And cuz art is alive

Speaker 11: (34:13)

While the photography is all viewable from the sidewalk, especially at night, you can also make an appointment. See the work indoors inside visitors can hear the dances, soundtrack and audio of a speech to the people of Laos by president Obama in 20 16, 6

Speaker 13: (34:31)

Decades ago, this country fell into civil war. And as the fighting rage next door in Vietnam, your neighbors and foreign powers, including the United States, it's intervened here as a result of that conflict and it's aftermath, many people fled or were driven from their homes at the time. The us government did not acknowledge America's role. It was a secret war

Speaker 11: (34:56)

Indoors. You can step amidst the floor photography and get up close in a, not otherwise possible with dance either from the layout of a performance hall or the current COVID surge and the resultant event cancellations. This choreography debuted with San Diego dance theater in a virtual protection in November, 2020. And it was also performed in person in an outdoor Liberty showcase. Last spring, the virtual performance is no longer viewable online. So for now until future performances are scheduled, a collection of photographs in a small art gallery is the only way to experience the work. The exhibition dis remember will be on view at art produce through January 29th.

Speaker 1: (35:54)

This is KPBS midday edition. I'm Maureen Kavanaugh in honor of Martin Luther king Jr. Turner classic movies has created a program of documentary shorts and features looking at the civil rights movement of the 1960s KPBS film critic. Beth Amando has this preview of tonight's lineup that begins at 5:00 PM

Speaker 14: (36:16)

To celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther king Jr. Turner classic movies has partnered with the Chicago film archives to broadcast eight films from the film group collection. The program was curated by TCM host and film scholar, Jacqueline Stewart, the rarely screen documentaries offer a window onto the civil rights movement of the 1960s with a specific focus on the unres took place in Chicago during the 1968 democratic national convention. Most delegates

Speaker 15: (36:44)

To this convention do not know that thousands of young people are being beaten in the states of Chicago.

Speaker 14: (36:51)

The film group was initially formed to make commercials and industrial films, but turned its attention to social documentaries after its commercial film crew witness police violence. During the 1968 protests, the crew then started filming the events unfolding before them. And that eventually led to an educational series called the urban crisis and the new militants,

Speaker 16: (37:12)

The ideology of the black Panther party, you know, is, uh, pretty much the ideology of, of the masses, the black people, you know, we only offer forth what black people want, you know, and what they've been crying for for a long time. And, uh, that is to have complete freedom, you know, and that means in every facet of life we want freedom. And we all realize that right now we are living in a pseudo type of freedom. We haven't got the old slave on us anymore, but we live in a society where our mans are shackled.

Speaker 14: (37:44)

The film group's founder, bill coddle has described the films as designed to teach by raising questions rather than by attempting to answer them. And by showing real events with real people, acting spontaneously in this film called black moderates and black militants members of the black Panther party, sit down with a black principal to better understand each other. I

Speaker 16: (38:05)

Have my doubts. I understand what you mean, but as long as you work within a framework of what is existing now, I think you'll always run into a hangup because you see the thing is we are about changing what exists now, you know, by whatever means necessary, including revolution. You know,

Speaker 14: (38:20)

In addition to the shorter works are two outstanding feature length documentaries, American revolution, two, and the murder of Fred Hampton. Gentlemen,

Speaker 9: (38:28)

Fred is gone, gone from the streets where his heart and his people are, but not for long for the people's love for Fred Hampton is lovely and lovely.

Speaker 14: (38:38)

Just recently the national film preservation board selected the murder of Fred Hampton for the national film registry at the library of Congress, films are selected for their cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. The murder of Fred Hampton looks to the charismatic 21 year old leader of the Illinois black Panther party.

Speaker 9: (38:57)

So we say, we always said the black Panther party that they can do if they want to, to us, we might not be back. I might be in jail. I might be anywhere, but when I leave, you can remember I said with the last words on my list that I, or revolutionary, and you gonna have to keep on saying

Speaker 14: (39:14)

That David, if Walker has written a graphic novel about the black Panther party, I

Speaker 17: (39:18)

I've known about the Panther since I was a, you know, a teenager. You know, that's when I first read Bobby seal's book, I first became familiar with who Fred Hampton was in my early twenties and, and really became obsessed with him and his life and his murder. I, I have this firm belief that the day that the civil rights movement officially ended was the day that he was murdered. I, and I still hold to that belief in a lot of ways. And so this is a story I always wanted to put out because I felt like everybody needs to know the story of Fred Hampton. Everybody needs to know. And, and I remember a time when there was no books about him and, and the only people that seemed to know who he was was, you know, people in sort of the radical political movement or, or people from Chicago

Speaker 14: (39:58)

Hampton was killed in his sleep in 1969 during a police raid. But his murder garnered, little mainstream attention, the film group's 1971 documentary looked to Hampton and his tragic death Walker explains the details.

Speaker 17: (40:12)

The FBI worked in conjunction with the Chicago police department to, to murder Fred Hampton in 1969. And, and that's not an exaggeration that's, that's documented proof. And I think that what the most valuable lesson we have to learn is that we can't underestimate the forces that were up against and their desire to stop the, the people from, from getting out from under their oppressive stance. Uh, and I think that the other thing that, that we need to learn from the Panthers and, and this is something that, that really was not, is not talked about is the idea of solidarity. They became their most dangerous in the eyes of the government when they started reaching out to other organizations and Fred Hampton specifically, and the, the, uh, the Chicago branch of the Illinois chapter of the party was, was more successful at that than anybody else. And he had built this coalition of youth street gangs in Chicago and white radicals and, and Hispanic LA radicals. And, and he was talked about building almost like a people's army of the poor and disenfranchised. But if you study Fred Hampton and you study what was going on in Illinois, you see this, this blueprint for a, a grassroots movement of solidarity, the

Speaker 14: (41:33)

Documentaries highlighted on TCM tonight, allow us to see and hear members of the black Panther party in an unfiltered way. But Walker says you won't find many films fiction or nonfiction that focus on the black Panther party.

Speaker 17: (41:46)

I think the reason there hasn't been that many films dealing with the black Panthers, it's, it's pretty complex. I think part of it is, is that a lot of people still see them as being very controversial. And, and I think that, that it's more, that they're misunderstood than controversial. And I think that it, it comes down to the fact that if you were to write a story, if you're writing, uh, uh, I guess you, for lack of a better term of traditional narrative of the, uh, the black Panther, a party that cast them in the role of the good guys, well, then the bad guys are the United States government. The bad guys are definitely Jay Edgar Hoover in the FBI, but it's the Chicago police department. And so I think that when we're, and, and it's, and we're talking about a level of corruption on a governmental level, both federal state municipal, that it's kind of mind boggling when you really think about it.

Speaker 17: (42:36)

And now it's not as mind boggling now because we're seeing some of these things play out on the, on the news on a daily basis, the, the acts of police brutality, the coverups that are going on, the, the lack of transparency, all this was going on in, you know, in the sixties. And, and before that. And since then, but I think that in terms of popular entertainment, it's difficult for a lot of people to get down with. How do we show that? I think that part of the, the problem dealing with things like systemic racism is that it, it forces people to take a look at their own Culp. It's not just systemic racism. It's also, uh, sexism and homophobia and all the other forms of repression. Once you acknowledge it, you have to look at your own culpability. And, and sometimes that culpability is, is merely inaction or apathy. And, and nobody wants to . Nobody wants to face that

Speaker 14: (43:33)

Tonight, TCM serve up a collection of documentaries that provide a vital and fascinating historical context to more recent social and political unrest. It's a history lesson that resonates loudly today and provides a great way to remember Martin Luther king, Jr.

Speaker 1: (43:50)

That was Beth Amando with excerpts from her 2020 and 2021 interviews with author David F. Walker Walker's graphic novel is called the black Panther party. The film group documentaries screened tonight on Turner classic movies starting at five

Speaker 18: (44:24)

Paul and Tylers found in jail had no money for the go their bail, your eyes on the prize. Hold on, hold on on, hold on, hold on, eyes on the prize. Hold on, hold on, hold on. On.