Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues

Dick Myers called the meeting to order and discussed the process of gathering feedback that was used to change the group's name. While the group initially met when the "1619 Project" had been published, the presentations and discussions do not focus on the 1619 document any longer. Therefore, feedback was sought on what might best characterize the group in the present time. It was agreed that the group will be known as "1619, The Lingering Imprint". This better characterizes the focus of the group in examining the local and national effects of systems of exclusion and inequity in the present day.

The group then discussed briefly "The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory" by Tim Alberta. The movement of the evangelical Protestant churches into politics was the focus of the discussion. The author has been appearing in interviews promoting the book, and one of the interesting points that he brought up in interviews is that there is dissention within the evangelical movement that is not being expressed due to the intimidation that the dissenters fear. The author describes the effect that people, such as himself, are having by giving voice to the dissent.

The next topic discussed was the film "Origins" which is based on the book "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. The writer and director of the film, Ava Duvernay, has been interviewed and describes the film as 40% the book and 60% the struggles that Isabel Wilkerson had in getting the book completed. It is very much a personal story and Duvernay was insistent on releasing the movie in 2024 to achieve the maximum awareness in the public during this particularly critical year. Several noted the challenges in understanding the primary concept of exclusion being more than racially based, but, economic and familial. Several participants shared experiences in India with the Dalit.

The group then discussed the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jets. One of the participants worked for Boeing in the past and explained how the commercial and defense functions of manufacturing were maintained separately. There was a brief discussion about the wisdom of allowing sub contactors to provide oversight functions in the manufacturing process.

This led to a discussion of the need and purpose of regulatory agencies. Concerns were expressed about an upcoming case before the Supreme Court regarding the long held precedent that the agency prevails in matters of oversight.

Finally, the group discussed AI in terms of equity in medicine.

The next meeting will be Feb. 2nd at 10:00AM PST. Larry Duplechan will discuss his book, "Movies That Made Me Gay". Mr. Duplechan is an African American author and critic.

On the third Friday of February at noon, we will hear from Ricky Pickens who is working locally to reduce, or prevent, gang violence in the Pasadena/Altadena area. On the first Friday in March, Helane Rheingold will return with another of her "Conversations with Art". Her presentation this time will be titled "Blacks Portrayed by European Artists Through the Centuries".

These three presentations represent a good acknowledgement of Black History Month in February and promise to be both engaging and informative. As always, this discussion group welcomes guests, so feel free to invite your friends and neighbors who might be interested. More information and access information can be obtained by communicating with our office at 626-765-6037 or info@pasadenavillage.org.

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Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues