Dear Westwood Family,

This past Saturday, a group from our church embarked on a one-day pilgrimage to La Plaza and the surrounding area, exploring sites of historical significance in order to gain a better understanding of our city and the current moment we are in. 

La Plaza is “the birthplace of Los Angeles,” a site of great cultural and communal significance from before California was a part of the United States. It also happens to be directly across the 101 from the Los Angeles Federal Building and Detention Center, where people who have been detained by ICE are being held in subhuman conditions after being forcibly removed from their families and communities. Pastor Molly and I began planning the trip before the mass escalation of ICE raids and the federal government’s mobilization of military forces in Los Angeles. 

Following the weekend when both the National Guard and the Marines were sent to our city, we worked to reframe the day so that it would be more directly in conversation with the moment we were in. Though, to be fair, it didn’t take much work- it is an area whose history has always been abundant with stories of immigration, state-sanctioned violence, xenophobia, and protest. 

On the day of our pilgrimage, we walked through the courtyard of the Federal Building, with the building on our left and the detention center on our right. As we looked around, three agents approached our group and asked us to exit to the street. We walked onto the sidewalk and found ourselves among a small crowd gathered to protest the detainment of their professor and colleague, CSU Channel Islands professor Jonathan Anthony Caravello. 

One of the protesters asked who we were, and upon hearing that we were doing a pilgrimage to historical sites around the area, he said “That’s fine, knowing history is important, but, you know, history is also happening here, right now.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that his comment, though meant as a critique of what we were doing, in fact only emphasized the importance of the day. 

In times of misinformation and fear, historical literacy is more important than ever, not only in a national sense, but in our own neighborhoods and cities. What shapes has injustice taken for past generations? How have people come together to face it? Looking to those whose legacy we step into allows us to better understand and face what we are currently up against. 

I have been finding some solace in reading stories and accounts from people throughout history who have also faced empire and mass injustice and instability. It helps me to remember that we are not the first to go up against disappearances, kidnappings, and disregard for human life and community. And wherever there were violations of life and humanity, there were people doing what they could to protect their neighbors and communities, to stand up for the oppressed and targeted, to do what they saw to be right. 

Walking around La Plaza, we learned stories of disenfranchisement, violence, and destruction, and we also heard stories of protest, resistance, and hope. These are not just stories from the past, they are stories for right now. They are stories we continue to write as we take our turn as advocates and resistors. 

As the summer continues, I pray that we are intentional about listening not only to the present moment, but also to the past and all it has to teach us. If you are interested in the histories and places we visited on Saturday, the pilgrimage journal and guidebook is available here. 

Keep the faith, 
Everest