As we inch closer to the November election, there are more and more events related to voting rights. This week we have a film screening and two discussions tackling different aspects of our elections, as well as non-election-related film screenings, concerts, and more!
Community & History
In a continuation of the Natural History Museum & Zocálo Public Square’s When Women Vote series, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, join Johns Hopkins University historian Martha S. Jones, author of Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All, C. Nicole Mason president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and California State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson, author of the California Fair Pay Act on September 16 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss “Why Don’t Women’s Votes Put More Women in Power?” The panelists will try to answer the questions, “Why do women remain much less likely than men to run for office, despite the fact that they win elections at comparable rates (and that in some cases, women have an edge)?” and “What would it take for women to achieve political power equal to that of men both locally and nationally?” The event is free, but you must register beforehand.
In a related theme, on Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m., take part in LACMA’s screening of the upcoming documentary All In: The Fight for Democracy, about voter suppression in the United States. The film features insight from Stacey Abrams as well as personal narratives and current activism. A post-screening discussion with directors Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés will follow. This screening will take place via Amazon Stream; RSVP here.
For more election content, on Thursday, September 17th at 6:00 p.m. watch author Dov Levin discuss his book Meddling in the Ballot Box: The Causes and Effects of Partisan Electoral Interventions, which analyzes the history of foreign interference in U.S. elections up to 2016. The event is hosted by the Los Angeles Public Library, Westwood Branch. To request a Zoom invitation, contact [email protected].
Another event this week from the Los Angeles Public Library and the Culinary Historians of Southern California is a discussion with author Anne Willan on her book Women In The Kitchen on Saturday , September 12th at 10:30 a.m. Willan tells the story of twelve women cookbook writers and “traces the development of home cooking in America from colonial days to the transformative books of Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, and then Alice Waters, whose adamant use of local produce takes us into the modern food revolution.” The event is free, but there is a cap on the number of attendees so RSVP as soon as possible.
Arts & Culture
For more book events, as always, check out the incredible selection from Larchmont’s own Chevalier’s. On Saturday, September 12th at 2:00 p.m., two children’s authors, Maryrose Wood and Steven Banks, will present their books Alice’s Farm: A Rabbit’s Tale and Middle School Bites: Tom Bites Back, Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 p.m., Lan Cao & Harlan Margaret Van Cao, a mother daughter duo, will discuss their joint memoir Family in Six Tones: A Refugee Mother, an American Daughter. And on Thursday, September 17th at 6:00 p.m., learn more about our city from Peter Lunenfeld, whose new book City at the Edge of Forever “constructs an urban portrait, layer by layer, from serendipitous affinities, historical anomalies, and uncanny correspondences” and “reimagines Los Angeles as simultaneously an exemplar and cautionary tale for the 21st century.”
Every Monday at 12:00 p.m. the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles hosts “Music Mondays” with the goal of bringing some cheer into our lives with virtual concerts. This Monday, September 14th, Hiroe Sekine (jazz piano) & Rumi Inoue (jazz flute) perform to start your week off on the right note. You can watch on Facebook LIVE (no Facebook account required to view).
Another musical event happening this week is LACMA’s Latin Sounds: Meet the Musicians Live! on Saturday, September 12th at 5:00 p.m. This would have been the 15th season of the live series at LACMA, but you can still be part of this virtual musical experience with the L.A. based band Buyepongo. Capacity is limited, though, so make sure you RSVP.
In the movie category, the 12th Annual Hola Mexico Film Festival started on Friday and runs through September 20th. It’s the largest Mexican film festival outside of Mexico and this year it’s all virtual. For $4.99, you can stream every single film, each of which is followed by a Q&A. View the entire lineup and purchase your pass here.
On Saturday, September 12th at 5:00 p.m., join American Cinematheque for a Q&A with Writer-Director Charlie Kaufman about his latest film I’m Thinking of Ending Things, which is on Netflix now. Kaufman is best known for Synecdoche, New York, Being John Malkovitch, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The discussion is free; register here.
Local Government
On Monday, September 14th at 6:30 p.m, both the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council and Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council are holding their respective September Board Meetings. Find the agendas on their websites.
Registration is also open now for the Los Angeles Congress of Neighborhoods which will be held on Saturday, September 26th. The event, which happens every year but will be virtual this year, “unites leaders from the city’s 99 Neighborhood Councils. Held annually, the goal for this event is to help Neighborhood Council leaders obtain the tools necessary and establish the relationships they need to build a prosperous future for their communities.” Speakers will include Los ANgeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, EmpowerLA General Manager Raquel Beltran, and LA City Clerk Holly Wolcott. Register here.
It’s also a great week to fill out your 2020 census if you haven’t already! The last day to take part is September 30th. You can complete the census online or by phone, and it only takes a few minutes! Learn more or fill out your census form here.
