In the face of unrelenting public health, economic and civic crises, 2020 has pushed us all to rethink what civic engagement can and should look like. The plenary session for this year’s Empowerment Congress Summit will provide an opportunity to reflect on the past year and renew our focus on the civic priorities most important to our communities for 2021.

The plenary will be filled with entertainment, reflections from special guests, and intimate portraits of 10th District constituents. Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas will also provide his State of the 10th District Address.

This breakout session will feature a case study of the ongoing “Street to Home effort” to assist the residents of an encampment on Venice Blvd under the 10 freeway. As a pilot effort, the Councilman’s Office funded dedicated social workers to provide outreach and engagement through the nonprofit, The People Concern. As of December 2020, 28 individuals have been successfully rehoused and are being provided with ongoing support services. Come discuss lessons learned from this pilot effort as part of an effort to expand and expedite the response to street homelessness across Los Angeles.

MODERATOR: 
Dr. Jack Barbour, Chief Executive Officer, Southern California Health & Rehabilitation Program (SCHARP)

PANELISTS:
John Maceri, Chief Executive Officer, The People Concern
Jose Torres, Team Lead & Substance Use Specialist E6 Street Outreach, The People Concern
Elizabeth (Libby) Boyce, Director of Access, Referrals & Engagement, Housing for Health Division LA County Department of Health Services
Almadelia (Alma) Carmona, Pre-taped video

Vaccines represent a promising solution to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet their widespread acceptance is still unclear. After too many cases of grievous experimentation on people of color without consent, including the Holmesburg Prison Experiment, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and on Henrietta Lacks, health officials must figure out how to earn the confidence and cooperation of communities of color, who are justifiably wary, if a national vaccine campaign is to succeed.

This breakout session is designed to bring public health experts and community stakeholders to the virtual table to answer questions about the coronavirus vaccine and to ignite a powerful conversation on how we can ensure equitable access to vaccinations amidst America’s long history of racial disparities and medical mistreatment.

MODERATOR:   
Sonya Vasquez, Chief Compliance and Operations Officer, Community Health Councils

PANELISTS:
Dr. Brad Spellberg, Chief Medical Officer, LAC+USC Medical Center
Dr. Katya Corado, Infectious Disease Specialist, Division of HIV Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Dr. Roberto Vargas, Associate Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, Charles R.  Drew University of Medicine and Science

The COVID-19 crisis has forced schools in Los Angeles and across the world to shut down for in-person instruction. While school districts have made considerable efforts to close the digital divide, low-income students have experienced the greatest difficulty distance learning.

With the hope of a vaccine underway, several questions remain unanswered in the debate to reopen schools: What impact will school closures have on our most vulnerable, low-income students? What strategies can we implement to address learning loss and support children and families during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond? This breakout session will engage educators, parents, and school administrators in a conversation about the challenges and opportunities inherent in distance learning and the best ways communities can support students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MODERATOR:
Dr. Shani Byard, Founder, @AfroMediaLit

PANELISTS:
Dr. Tyrone Howard, Professor of Education, Associate Dean for Equity & Inclusion, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California, Los  Angeles
Mia Young-Adeyeba, English Teacher, Alexander Hamilton Senior High School
Dr. AmberMarie Irving, Parent and PTA Member, Baldwin Hills Elementary School

Following massive protests over the tragic deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and countless victims of color across the nation, the Los Angeles City Council committed to cut police spending and reinvest in disenfranchised communities.

A new study conducted by Loyola Marymount University’s Center for the Study of Los Angeles and commissioned by the Los Angeles Police Department highlights the City’s growing appetite for change – but what should that change look like and how far should it go?

This breakout session will explore these pivotal survey findings and how we can work together to reimagine public safety in an Antiracist Los Angeles.

MODERATOR:
Arna Fulcher, Chair EEDC, Empowerment Congress 

PANELISTS:
Dr. Fernando Guerra, Professor of Political Science and International Relations and Chicana/o Latina/o Studies and Director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University
Miguel A. Santana, Chair, Committee for Greater Los Angeles

The coronavirus pandemic, the death of George Floyd and a divisive presidential election created a surging movement of activism and engagement in Los Angeles.  Angelenos across generational, ethnic and geographic lines marched in the streets of Los Angeles, mobilized public opinion and enacted a series of initiatives that made the promise of change a reality. Across the City, activism has become a part of people’s everyday lives. Mutual aid movements provided groceries and protective supplies to communities in need, organizers pushed for legislation to cancel rents and mortgages and neighborhood councils brought renewed attention to the housing crisis.

While some residents went to the streets, many others took to social media. Memes, tweets and TikTok inspired collective discourse, fueling social movements for a better tomorrow. What lessons can we draw from 2020? How do we sustain this unified, diverse movement for change? How do we strengthen Los Angeles’ infrastructure for political participation? And, what role can neighborhood councils and community groups play in this new moment of civic engagement?

Join us for an interactive discussion with Neighborhood Councils, community partners and experts on the future of civic engagement in Los Angeles and the unique opportunities available for residents to reimagine and empower their communities.

MODERATOR: 
Rhea Mac, Social Equity Consultant, Rhea K. Mac Consulting

PANELISTS:
Raquel Beltrán, General Manager, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, City of Los Angeles
Councilmember Nithya Raman, Los Angeles City Council, District 4
Raphael J. Sonenshein, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles
Sherin Varghese, Organizer, Ktown for All