Reckoning: Racism & Resistance in Glendale
Glendale Library, Arts & Culture is pleased to announce our Brand Library & Art Center and the ReflectSpace Gallery’s newest virtual exhibit, “Reckoning: Racism & Resistance in Glendale.” The exhibit explores Glendale’s racist history of anti-Blackness and the resistance to that racism through rarely accessed archival photos and documents from the Glendale Central Library’s archives. Due to a scarcity of Black voices and content in the archives, “Reckoning” includes interviews with contemporary scholars and local activists who contextualize and connect the historical material to the present-day. Rather than providing a comprehensive history of systemic racism and anti-Blackness, “Reckoning” is designed to be a tool for discovery and further research in the work towards an anti-racist future.
In 2020, in response to the nationwide dialogue on race and equity, and as part of a long-term effort to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion, the City of Glendale took a historic step of reckoning. It became the first city in California and the third in the nation, to pass a sundown town resolution based on a review and report of available historic documents to identify and understand Glendale’s history. Sundown towns kept African Americans and other people of color from living in certain communities through formal and informal methods in a purposeful effort to maintain a white population. The resolution acknowledges and apologizes for Glendale’s racist past and pledges to work towards an anti-racist future. Additionally, the resolution acknowledges the local history of the Ku Klux Klan, the American Nazi party, and other white supremacist groups and recognizes that redlining, a process that restricted access to African Americans and minorities to certain neighborhoods, was prevalent in the City for decades. The resolution was a historic moment of reckoning for the City of Glendale. This exhibition provides a historical and contemporary narrative to accompany this critical moment.
“Reckoning” unfolds through six weekly interactive episodes. Each episode can be accessed on a map of present-day Glendale through a digital portal image of a location that is related to the city’s racist history.
“Episode 1: All-American City” focuses on building Glendale, race restrictions, and the fight for fair housing.
“Episode 2: Ku Klux Klan in Glendale” explores the Klan’s arrival in Glendale, the California Klan, and the fall of Robert Fowler.
“Episode 3: Nazis in Glendale” (coming February 15) addresses the American Nazi Party’s local history.
“Episode 4: Modern White Supremacy” (coming February 22) is about rebranding hate and making it political while exploring how you can take a stand.
“Episode 5: Get Out of Town” (coming March 1) explores individual acts of terror, vandalism, cross-burnings, racial slurs, and epithets.
“Episode 6: Be the Change” (coming March 8) addresses the Sundown Town Resolution, Black Lives Matter, and Glendale today.
The exhibition will also grow and evolve over several months to include:
A city-wide public art installation by local artist and educator April Bey. This installation will bring the issues of racism to a larger audience. Bey’s interdisciplinary artwork is an introspective and social critique of American and Bahamian culture, contemporary pop culture, feminism, generational theory, social media, AfroFuturism, AfroSurrealism, post-colonialism, and constructs of race within supremacist systems.
A collaboration with Glendale Unified School District engaging high school students as viewers and contributors.
A virtual exhibition of contemporary works by Black artists.
A celebration of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Reckoning” is envisioned and designed to remain online and accessible to local, national, and global audiences into the future. It presents a dark and often violent history of hatred and racial exclusion in Glendale based on historical record. But, more importantly, the exhibition speaks to the critical moment of collective reckoning that we are experiencing as a nation. The exhibit is part of the Be the Change initiative which focuses on inclusion, diversity, equity, and antiracism. View the exhibition here.
Credits:
Produced by: Brand Library & Art Center and ReflectSpace Gallery
Curated by: Shannon Currie Holmes, Ara Oshagan, Anahid Oshagan
Archival Research: Holli Teltoe
Exhibition Production: Erin Stone, Trent Sneed, Gegham Sargsyan, Anastasia Denos
Video Production: Anahid Oshagan, Anna Wittenberg, Erin Stone
Citation, Editing, and Writing Assistance: Shannon Brogan, Greg Gonzalez, Erin Herzog
Special thanks for the guidance and contributions provided by: Tara Peterson, Gary Keyes, Dr. Christopher D. West, Tanita Harris-Ligons, Tasha Morgan Jenkins, the Anderson Family (Nabulunji, Shahid, Shabaz, and Garvey), Azzie Mekhitarian, and Gabrielle Scott.
“Reckoning: Racism & Resistance in Glendale” is presented by Glendale Library, Arts & Culture, with support from the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission, the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Trust, and the Brand Associates.