B.U.I.L.D.

Building, Understanding, Informing, Leading, and Developing

Welcome

PVLD is committed to creating a racially equitable, diverse and inclusive environment for the Peninsula and PVLD staff. We invite you to be a part of our work by exploring our read, watch, and listen lists and invite you to join us in taking action in our community. Thank you to those BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ folx in this space and those allies creating community around action.

Want more? Attend an event, take our 21-day racial equity challenge, or visit our "Celebrate Our Stories" page for more recommendations on how to celebrate cultural heritage months.

B.U.I.L.D. Team

PVLD's B.U.I.L.D. Team fosters the District's shared values of service, public stewardship, and education to create an inclusive environment for staff and the community.  We do this through support, assessment, and facilitation to continue to ensure equity is built into all parts of PVLD. The B.U.I.L.D. team focuses on many aspects of equity and diversity including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and religion.

Cultivating Racial Equity and Inclusion in Libraries (CREI)

The Palos Verdes Library District is proud to be a part of the Cultivating Racial Equity and Inclusion in Libraries (CREI) 2019-2020 Cohort, a grant funded initiative from the California State Library. The public library cohort participated in an immersive process, designed specifically for government organizations. CREI provided coordinated training to advance the work of PVLD and its community through a race and equity lens.  For each jurisdiction, the work focused on skills building, support, collegial mentorship, and the development of a tailored Vision Statement and a Racial Equity Action Plan with strategies for implementation.  In addition, the grant also provided for the establishment of a statewide network to continue and advance the work so that all California libraries may benefit from resources developed focused on race, equity and inclusion, in a library context. The results from CREI at PVLD are ongoing by the BUILD Team and PVLD was invited to participate in Year 2 of this grant from 2021-2022.

A message from Library Director, Jennifer Addington

March 18, 2021

The Palos Verdes Library District condemns the continuing acts of violence against members of our Asian and Pacific Islander communities across the country, from New York to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. We stand in solidarity with the survivors, victims, and their families during this challenging time, when the threat of violence accompanies even the most basic daily experiences. All people deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods and places of business.

The recent assault in Atlanta, GA comes on the heels of over 2,800 reported acts of documented anti-Asian hate incidents between March to December 2020, with chilling consequences for our community members who fear violence whenever they leave their homes. Only weeks ago, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association released a statement condemning the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, which have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. As with many crimes against people of color, there are many additional cases that are misclassified, ignored, or unreported.

Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and David Chiu (D-San Francisco) have introduced AB 557, a bill that will require the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a toll-free hotline as well as an online reporting system to report hate crimes and hate incidents. The Los Angeles City Council has also introduced motions to address violence and harassment against Asians and Pacific Islanders.

For more information, we encourage our community to refer to the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association’s 2021 COVID-19 anti-xenophobia and anti-racist information resources and COVID-19 Anti-Asian Racism Resources for K-12. We also encourage our community members to read, listen, and reflect on resources curated by our librarians available below and at the tabs on the left.

PVLD stands in solidarity with our Asian and Pacific Islander communities and urges our community to stand with us by publicly condemning anti-API racism through visible actions, which we encourage you to share through APALA’s Stand with APALA Against Anti-AAPI Racism. We call on our partner organizations and allies to join with us in battling xenophobia, discrimination, and white supremacy. To our Asian and Pacific Islander communities, please know that we see you and we stand together with you. We want you to feel safe and supported in your communities and at the library.

In solidarity.

Featured Resources Focusing on Asian Americans

As the rise in anti-Asian violence and hate crimes increases, we recognize the complexity of race in our society, how these acts intersect with anti-Blackness, and provide some resources highlighting ways to combat anti-Asian racism in America. Please visit the tabs on the left for more resources on how to combat anti-Black racism and how to work towards an anti-racist society. We are always open to suggestions to add to our resources as well.

• All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung (Book, Audiobook on CD, Hoopla Audiobook) 
• Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong (Book)
• The Leavers by Lisa Ko (Book, Hoopla eBook, Hoopla Audiobook, Overdrive eBook, Overdrive Audiobook)
• The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee (Book, Hoopla Audiobook) 
• The Unpassing by Chia-Chia Lin (Book, Hoopla Audiobook)
• No-No Boy by John Okada (Hoopla Audiobook)
• They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (Book, Hoopla eBook, Hoopla eBook - Expanded Version, Hoopla eBook - Espanol)
• I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita (Book, Hoopla eBook, Hoopla Audiobook)
• Gook (DVD, Hoopla Movie) 

A message from Library Director, Jennifer Addington

June 3, 2020

The Palos Verdes libraries support our Black community and acknowledge the conflict, pain and injustice suffered by Black people across our nation. Our libraries strive to create a welcoming space for all, where differing points of view are encouraged and respected, and where learning and discussion can take place promoting a world free of racism. We recognize that institutions such as ours must constantly work towards dismantling racist structures to create a truly inclusive community. This includes a thorough review of our own policies and practices. The PV libraries remain strongly supportive of and committed to serving the needs of our entire diverse community, regardless of race, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, or age.

We share a profound sense of pain and loss from the recent as well as historic violence inflicted on Black lives. We also acknowledge and are disturbed by the xenophobia and racism those in our Asian American community are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are deeply committed to being there for the Palos Verdes Peninsula as a community space, physical and virtual, where all can come together and learn from each other.

We fully endorse and bring attention to recent statements by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), REFORMA, and the American Library Association. I have signed APALA’s pledge to make a commitment against xenophobia and racism against Asians and Asian/Pacific Americans due to COVID-19. We extend that pledge to all of our communities of color, especially our Black community. When we see instances of racism in our families, community, state, or nation, we vow to take a bold stance to condemn any language, attitudes, and behaviors that take us further from our goal of being an inclusive and equitable society.

It is with this commitment that we encourage our community members to join us in taking action and educating ourselves on racism by considering the links on the left curated by our librarians containing inspiring books, websites and podcasts. We recognize that this work to eliminate discrimination of all kinds is ongoing and that there are many more resources out there to be shared. Want more recommendations? Ask one of our librarians. We’re here for you all.

Upcoming Programs

Past Programs

Join Professor Carlos Royal for an interactive, introductory 2-hour workshop on understanding gender, its history, and what role it plays in today's society. 

Carlos Royal, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been teaching at Marymount California University for over 15 years. His courses include Race, Class, and Gender, Research Methods, Statistics, Introduction to Sociology, and Global City: Los Angeles. As the last class implies, he loves L.A. The City of Los Angeles is the focus of his research interest (with special emphasis in race and gender). He uses Los Angeles as the foundation in many of his courses and leads a tour of L.A. for students every semester. Carlos is a devoted traveler and has traveled with students to London and Cuba. He has been voted Faculty Member of the Year five times by the student body and Educator of the Year by his faculty colleagues.

Conversation Starter: "March. Book One" by John Lewis

Wednesday, May 11 | 6:30-7:30 PM

Peninsula Center Library Purcell Room

Join PVLD staff for an in person book discussion of John Lewis' graphic novel "March Book 1". Please come to the meeting having read the book. Copies are available in print, on Hoopla, and as an eBook from PVLD. 

About the book:

The late Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon and key figure of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence took him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African-American president.

March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.

Book One spans John Lewis' youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.

Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1958 comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story." Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.

Winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award - Special Recognition
#1 Washington Post Bestseller
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
One of YALSA's Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens
One of YALSA's Top 10 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
One of YALSA's Outstanding Books for the College Bound
One of Reader's Digest's Graphic Novels Every Grown-Up Should Read
Endorsed by NYC Public Schools' "NYC Reads 365" program
Selected for first-year reading programs by Michigan State University, Marquette University, and Georgia State University
Nominated for three Will Eisner Awards
Nominated for the Glyph Award
Named one of the best books of 2013 by USA Today,The Washington Post,Publishers Weekly,Library Journal,School Library Journal,Booklist,Kirkus Reviews,The Horn Book, Paste,Slate,ComicsAlliance, Amazon, and Apple iBooks.

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Conversation Starter: "We Should All Be Feminists" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Wednesday, April 27 | 6:30-7:30 PM

Peninsula Center Library Purcell Room

Join PVLD staff for a book discussion of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's book "We Should All Be Feminists". Please come to the meeting having read the book. Copies are available in print from PVLD. 

About the book:

In this personal, eloquently-argued essay--adapted from the much-admired TEDx talk of the same name--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author's exploration of what it means to be a woman now--and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists

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February 27 @ 2:00pm | 12th Annual Living History Museum of African American Heroes

Every February join us for the Living History Museum of African American heroes! Participants gain excellent presentation and research skills, learn the importance of history, become civically engaged, work with community mentors, and of course, have fun while being creative and learning about African American heroes who helped change the world.

Students of all backgrounds in grades K-8 from all school districts may participate.

For more information on how to participate, visit our Black History Month Page

Join PVLD staff for a book discussion of Jason Reynold's book "Stamped : racism, antiracism, and you". This discussion will take place in person. Due to LA County protocols, masks are required to be worn at all times. Registration is requested but not required.

In this important and compelling adaptation of his National Book Award-winning title, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, writing with award-winning author Jason Reynolds, chronicles the story of anti-black, racist ideas over the course of American history.

Racist ideas in our country did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were developed by some of the most brilliant minds in history to justify and rationalise the nation's deeply entrenched discriminatory policies. But while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited. In shedding light on the history of racist ideas in America, this adaptation offers young readers the tools they need to combat these ideas - and, in the process, gives society a reason to hope.

Through a gripping and fast-paced narrative that speaks to young readers on their level, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas - and on ways anti-racists can be empowered to combat racism in their daily lives.

Please come to the meeting having read the book. Copies are available in Book, eBook, and eAudiobook from PVLD.

We're all a piece of the jigsaw puzzle of society and this 2-hour dialogue with Marymount California University Professor Carlos Royal will highlight concepts and ways we can work together to move forward in reducing prejudice and bias to complete our puzzle.

July 13 @ 6:00pm | Conversation Starter: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Join PVLD staff for a book discussion of Octavia Butler's book "Parable of the Sower." 

Published in 1993, the novel takes place in the LA area during the 2020s.  Opening in 2024, the novel shows a climatically and socially chaotic U.S. in constant upheaval. "There’s no major event that wracks the United States, just an accumulation of serious problems (climate change, inequality), and second-order crises (hunger, war, an epidemic of abuse of dangerous designer drugs)." [Slate.com]

Within this apocalyptic environment, protagonist Lauren, takes to the road, building a community based on the tenets of a new belief system she calls Earthseed - All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is Change.

Please come to the meeting having read one of the many copies of "Parable of the Sower" the library has -- graphic novel, paperback book, Hoopla ebook, eaudiobook, egraphic novel.
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Additional fun available with a "Parable of the Sower graphic novel" program offered by Los Angeles Public Library:

Saturday, June 26th 4PM - Parable of the Sower Graphic Novel Creators Presentation
Come meet the adaptation team for the Parable of the Sower graphic novel, John Jennings and Damian Duffy. The graphic novel has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story for 2021. The team is currently working on Parable of the Talents. They will be showing how a graphic novel is made.  More information: https://bit.ly/3tWxcdS

The Peninsula Center Library's BUILD team is pleased to host Dapplegray Elementary's Legacy Project, an outdoor exhibit featuring the families and stories of Dapplegray Elementary families. This exhibit was created by the Dapplegray Elementary Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. This exhibit can be viewed off of the Peninsula Center Library's Deep Valley Drive entrance.

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The Dapplegray Elementary Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee believes that diverse life experiences and perspectives enrich our school and community. In this spirit, the Dapplegray DEI Legacy Project seeks to facilitate an understanding of these experiences and perspectives, while also encouraging community reflection on diversity and inclusion, and individual and community heritage, legacy, and inspiration.

Dapplegray families were asked to share who in their family’s history was an inspiration and describe their legacy.  On display in front of the school, we have the submissions of those who shared.  Please take the time to drive, walk or ride by our school to enjoy the pictures and stories of our Dapplegray submissions. 

The responses are moving and inspiring. These stories reveal experiences of brave ancestors from various spots around the globe who paved the road for our students to be on our campus daily. The DEI committee hopes the series will encourage open dialogue, challenge preconceptions, and provide an experiential exploration of the culturally-varied population of our school. The aim is to ultimately help our community have a more meaningful understanding of each others’ backgrounds while also recognizing the common threads that knit us together.

We are Dapplegray. We represent stories of trial, hardship, strength, and success.

For more information, check out this article in the Daily Breeze!

April 24 @ 10:00am | Conversation Starter: Let's Talk About Race -- Moving Forward

We all represent a piece in the jigsaw puzzle of our society and this 2-hour dialogue with Marymount University Professor Carlos Royal will highlight concepts and look at ways we can work together to move forward in reducing prejudice and bias. Participants will have the option to join breakout rooms for small discussions and may opt out if they wish. Pre-readings will be sent to participants for background and discussion.

March 27 @ 11:00am | Conversation Starters: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Join us as we discuss the book Between the World and Me by Ta-nehisi Coates for a view into how America's past informs our lives in the present. Discussion questions from the American Library Association's Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Great Stories Book Club will be used to guide the conversation and are available for download below. In both documents, focus on the moments and questions related to Between the World and Me by Ta-nehisi Coates.

Discussion questions #1

Discussion questions #2

February 28 @ 2:00pm | 12th Annual Living History Museum of African American Heroes

Every February join us for the Living History Museum of African American heroes! Participants gain excellent presentation and research skills, learn the importance of history, become civically engaged, work with community mentors, and of course, have fun while being creative and learning about African American heroes who helped change the world.

Students of all backgrounds in grades K-8 from all school districts may participate.

For more information on how to participate, visit our Black History Month Page

December 12, 2020, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Conversation Starters: Let's Talk About Race

Join Professor Carlos Royal for an interactive, introductory 2-hour workshop on understanding race, its history, and what role it plays in today's society. Participants will have the option to join breakout rooms for small discussions and may opt out if they wish. Pre-readings will be sent to participants for background and discussion.

Carlos Royal, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been teaching at Marymount California University for almost 14 years. His current courses include Race, Class, and Gender, Research Methods, Statistics, Introduction to Sociology, and Global City: Los Angeles. As the last class implies, he loves L.A. The City of Los Angeles is the focus of his research interest (with special emphasis in race and gender). He uses Los Angeles as the foundation in many of his courses and leads a tour of L.A. for students every semester. Most recently, he took a group of students to Bruce’s Beach, a beach in Manhattan Beach that was Black owned and operated. Carlos is a devoted traveler and has traveled with students to London and Cuba. He has been voted Faculty Member of the Year four times by the student body and Educator of the Year by his faculty colleagues.

The below lists for Adults, Teens, and Kids have been curated by PVLD librarians as a starting point for exploring racial equity, race, and antiracist work. There are many methods and ways to approach racial equity and we will continue to update our lists as new materials are released.

Adults

• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (Book)

• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper (Book, Hoopla Audio Book)

• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (Book)

• How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones (Book)

• How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas In America by Ibram X. Kendi (Book)

• So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo (Book)

• The Color of Law : A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad (Book)

• Caste: The origins of our discontents by Isabel Wilkerson (Book, Large Print Book, eBook, Audiobook on CD, eAudiobook)

For more titles, click here

Watch

• 13th (2016) (Netflix via Youtube)

• Fruitvale Station (2014) (DVD)

• I Am Not Your Negro (2017) (DVD, Kanopy, Hoopla)

• Just Mercy (2019) (DVD, stream for free from Warner Bros.)

• Selma (2015) (DVD, Blu-ray)

• The Hate U Give (2018) (DVD)

• Whose Streets? (2017) (Hoopla, Kanopy)

For more DVD titles, click here

For more Kanopy titles on social and systemic injustice, click here

Teens

• Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds (Book, eBook, eAudiobook, stream on Spotify)

• Colorblind: A Story of Racism by Jonathan Harris (Book)

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson (Book)

• How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon (Book)

• Dear Martin by Nic Stone (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• March: Book One by John Lewis (Book, eBook)

• I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina (Book)

• Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Book, eAudiobook)

• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely (Book)

• Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles (Book)

• Black Boy/White School by Brian F. Walker (Book)

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (Book, eBook, eAudiobook)

• X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz (Book)

• Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Beals (Book)

Kids

• Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester (Book)

• The Day you Begin by Jacqueline Woodson (Book)

• Sit-in : How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Book)

• Let it shine : Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Book)

• Malcolm Little : The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz (Book)

• Not My Idea : A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham (Book, Hoopla eBook)

• Gordon Parks : how the photographer captured black and white America by Carole Boston Weatherford (Book, Hoopla eBook)

• Voice of freedom : Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford (Book, Hoopla Movie with Read Along, Hoopla eAudiobook)

• The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander (Book)

• A good kind of trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée  (Book, Hoopla eAudiobook)

• Blended by Sharon M. Draper (Book, eBook)

• The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson (Book, eBook, eAudiobook, Hoopla eAudiobook)

• Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Book)

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (Book, CD Audiobook, eBook, eAudiobook)

For more titles, click here

The below podcasts, TedTalks, and websites have been curated by PVLD librarians as a starting point for exploring racial equity, race, and antiracist work with adults. There are many methods and ways to approach racial equity and we will continue to update our lists as new materials are released and community interest and questions inspire.

Podcasts 

1619, an audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling from the New York Times.

Code Sw!tch, an audio series from a multi-racial, multi-generational team of NPR journalists who cover race and identity. 

Floodlines, from The Atlantic, an audio documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Floodlines is told from the perspective of four New Orleanians still living with the consequences of governmental neglect.

Intersectionality Matters!, hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a leading critical race theorist who coined the term "intersectionality," this podcast brings the academic term to life. 

Life Kit: How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race (Episode of Life Kit podcast), NPR's Michel Martin talks with Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America, about how to talk with white kids about racially charged events — and how to keep the conversation going.

Ted Talks 

Implicit Bias -- How it Affects Us and How We Push Through by Melanie Funchess (16:12)

How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly to Them by Vernā Myers (17:49)

How to Recognize Your White Privilege - and Use it to Fight Ineqality by Peggy McIntosh (18:26)

The Path to Ending Systemic Racism in the U.S. - a panel with Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Rashad Robinson, Dr. Bernice King and Anthony D. Romero (1:06:23)

We Need to Talk About an Injustice by Bryan Stevenson (23:26)

Compilation of Ted Talks about race

Websites

Black Lives Matter

"#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes."

Racial Equity Tools

"Racial Equity Tools is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large." A common starting point for people exploring race, privilege, and power for the first time include Peggy McIntosh's article, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack"

Talking About Race: Being Antiracist

The National Museum of African American History & Culture provides definitions, resources, and ways to talk about race and be antiracist.

United Nations: Let’s Fight Racism!

Tools, resources, and tips to help people fight racism across the globe. 

10 Things You Can Do To Be an Ally by the YWCA: PDF Tip Sheet with 10 concrete actions you can take to be an ally.

In order to create an inclusive environment which fosters inspiration and learning and to share the unique history of the Peninsula and it’s residents, the Palos Verdes Library District is dedicating itself to providing ongoing cultural experiences through small and large scale programs and celebrations. PVLD hopes that this initiative will create bridges between cultures in our community, ensure all members of our diverse community feel welcome and appreciated, and provide enriching and engaging experiences for all. We hope you celebrate not only during these months, but all year long.

Each celebration page below includes information about the history of our stories and cultures on the Peninsula, booklists, and more. Please note that we are always in the process of updating these pages so check back often for more and new recommendations.

February	March	May	May
June	Sep-Oct	Oct	Nov

There are many actions you can take to bring awareness to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Below are just a few examples curated by PVLD's B.U.I.L.D. Team. We encourage you to share the ways you’re working for these principles by tagging PVLD's social media handles, commenting on our posts, or by filling out our "Contact Us" form on the PVLD homepage. For more information on BUILD, visit the first tab on the left, B.U.I.L.D.

Read, Watch, Listen, & Learn

DEI work begins with you and a willingness to grow, learn, and share your knowledge with others. We’ve put together a few lists of resources to help you get started in this work, but know that there’s a lot more out there. If you've already started this work and have suggestions, please let us know! Our lists on the left focus on race and social justice, which are just two components of DEI work. Our Celebrate Pages list even more resources covering ethnicity, sexuality, and religion. All of these resources are always growing and evolving, just like DEI work.

Amplify Voices

Do you know of great work being done by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) colleagues, friends, or people you follow online? Share and promote their work far and wide, making sure you give credit where it’s due.

Explore Our Community’s History

Systemic racism intentionally and unintentionally informed many of the ways our society nationwide and locally has developed. We'll have a timeline available soon on this page showing a few examples of how our community was shaped by institutionalized racism and how it has changed to become more equal and equitable. We also invite you to think of ways you can help make change. Want more? Our Local History Center can help.

Share your story with YSPS

Our community is an increasingly diverse one, and we invite you to share your story with our Local History Center. Find out more on how to participate with this letter from our archivist and local history librarian, Monique Sugimoto.

Volunteer your time

Below are just a few local groups that may welcome an extra hand in their fight for social justice and racial equity. There’s a lot more out there, including Facebook and Meetup groups. This is just to get you started.

Black Heritage Association of Palos Verdes

City of Lights Gateway Foundation

Palos Verdes Chapter of the Links, Inc.

Rolling Hills/Palos Verdes Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

South Los Angeles Chapter of Jack and Jill American, Inc.

L.A. Works: This list from the non-profit volunteer action center includes Black-led nonprofits and businesses in the greater Los Angeles area.

Speak Out and Speak Up

Conversations about racist things you see in society are difficult to have but are necessary for change. We have to be able to speak out and name the inequities to dismantle them. To get you started, check out the “Questioning Frame of Mind” below from the National Museum of African American Culture and History. You may also want to check out the Racial Equity Tools website for more tips and definitions of terms used when discussing race.

A Questioning Frame of Mind

A commitment to being antiracist manifests in our choices. When we encounter interpersonal racism, whether obvious or covert, there are ways to respond and interrupt it. Asking questions is a powerful tool to seek clarity or offer a new perspective. Below are some suggestions to use in conversations when racist behavior occurs:

• Seek clarity: “Tell me more about __________.”

• Offer an alternative perspective: “Have you ever considered __________.”

• Speak your truth: “I don’t see it the way you do. I see it as __________.”

• Find common ground: “We don’t agree on __________ but we can agree on __________.”

• Give yourself the time and space you need: “Could we revisit the conversation about __________ tomorrow.”

• Set boundaries. “Please do not say __________ again to me or around me.

Vote

Inequity can only change by changing the systems upholding it. Make sure if you’re 18 or older you are registered to vote and vote for those who will commit to and be accountable for making the change you want to see. Teens ages 16 and up can pre-register to vote. Register today: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/

Don’t Stop!

Taking action is work that many disenfranchised communities and allies have been doing for generations. For those just joining and learning about ways to stop inequity, this work is the first step on a long journey towards joining those generations. No matter which end of the spectrum you're on, we're happy to have you here. This work won’t end anytime soon. Reading, thinking, and discussing can help point you in the right direction on the road to changing our world.

Studies show that habits take twenty-one days to form and we’re here to help you develop equity based habits by incorporating different activities into your everyday life. While this challenge is intended to take place over twenty-one days, take it at your own pace. There are many other challenges like this out there with different resources and different approaches that you may want to explore next. Check back as we continue to create new challenges to engage our community.

21 Day Pride Challenge explores the LGBTQ+ community's history, challenges, and ways allies can be supportive. Resources for completing the challenge can be found on our PVLD Celebrate Pride Page

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21 Day Pride Challenge

Day 1: Familiarize yourself with who makes up the LGBTQ+ community.

Day 2: Learn about the different pronouns people use. Normalize the conversation by including them in how you mention individuals.

Day 3: Celebrate! Learn what Pride Month is and why it is celebrated.

Day 4: Interweave Pride into your everyday. Read a book by an author from the LGBTQ+ community.

Day 5: Listen to a member of the LGBTQ+ community talk about what pride means to them.

Day 6: Discuss! Share the challenge with a friend.

Day 7: 1st week reflection: What is one thing you have taken awar from this challenge so far?

Day 8: Identify past challenges. Choose a historical figure in the LGBTQ+ community and learn about their contributions and the obstacles set before them.

Day 9: Black transgender lives matter. Learn more about the movement and the challenges facing the Black transgender community.

Day 10: Discover the contributions the Latinx LGBTQ+ community has made to Los Angeles and the Unites States.

Day 11: Identify ways the definition of gender has changed and expanded.

Day 12: Challenge your perspective. Identify challenges for the LGTBQ+ community in the workplace.

Day 13: Listen to a podcast that explores the LGBTQIA+ experience in the United States.

Day 14: Week 2 reflection: Unwind with a film focused on LGBTQ+ stories

Day 15: Learn more about local LGBTQ+ organizations and how they're making a difference.

Day 16: Explore musicians int he LGBTQ+ community and how they have advocated for change.

Day 17: Using some of the deepening work you have done so far, what challenges does the LGBTQ+ community still face?

Day 18: Investigate: Is there LGBTQ+ representation in your local school system? How can it be improved?

Day 19: Safe space observation. Where in your own experiences have you witnessed inequity for the LGBTQ+ community?

Day 20: Make a plan: How will you advocate as an ally? Explore ways you could make positive changes with the LGBTQ+ community.

Day 21: You made it! Which challenges make you want to explore and learn more?

Our first challenge, offered in January 2021 explores how we can all examine our relationship to race and racial equity.

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21 Day Racial Equity Challenge

Day 1: Reflect on the question: What does racial equity mean to you? Check out our Racial Equity page to familiarize yourself with our mission statement, community timeline, and more!

Day 2: Learn more about who has and is doing equity work in our community. Not sure where to start? Visit the “Take Action” tab of the PVLD racial equity page and explore the groups under “Volunteer Your Time”. 

Day 3: Listen to another perspective by checking out a Podcast on our Racial Equity page under the “Listen and Learn” tab. 

Day 4: Watch a documentary or film on our Racial Equity page under the “Read and Watch” tab to see life from another perspective.

Day 5:  Reflect on the question: How would you advocate for racial equity? Start your day by taking ten minutes to think about how you would make your community more equitable.

Day 6:  Learn how to have conversations about race. What’s vocabulary can you use? Want tips on having hard conversations? Visit the “Take Action” tab on our Racial Equity page under and explore tips on having difficult conversations under “Speak Out and Speak Up”.  

Day 7: Reflect on Week 1

Day 8: Amplify Voices. Do you know of great work being done by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) colleagues, friends, or people you follow online? Share and promote their work far and wide. Not sure of any? Explore social media and see who you can discover.

Day 9:  Practice the conversation tips you learned last week on a close family member or friend.

Day 10: Read from another perspective. We’ve got books and articles available on the “Read and Watch” tab of our Racial Equity page. 

Day 11: Watch an equity centered Ted Talk. We’ve got recommendations for you on the “Listen and Learn” tab of our Racial Equity page. 

Day 12: Reflect by comparing & contrasting. What causes do you support and who benefits from them?

Day 13: Learn about implicit bias.  What is it, how to recognize it, and how can you decentralize it? Never heard the term before? Start with this Ted Talk: “Implicit Bias – how it effects us and how we push through it” by Melanie Funchess

Day 14: Reflect on Week 2.

Day 15: Reflect on the question: In what ways could supporting representation combat institutionalized racism?

Day 16: Learn about the history of redlining. How has it affected the development of your own community? Not familiar with redlining? Check out this episode of NPR’s Fresh Air: “A ‘Forgotten History’ of How the U.S. Government Segregated America”

Day 17: Talk with those close to you to explore how your childhood may have shaped your present views on race, politics, and more.

Day 18:  Explore what PVLD is doing in support of racial equity on our Racial Equity page.

Day 19: Continue expanding your vocabulary. Visit www.racialequitytools.org for a great list of words and definitions.

Day 20: Reflect on the question: What actions can you take next to learn more about or improve racial equity?

Day 21: You’ve reached Day 21! Share the challenge, share your thoughts, share the discussion!