By Johnathan Silverman, 2025 CLA Intern
The first community event I attended was a Community Care + Decompression event at the Midnight Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles. I was there along with many of the other members of the cohort, as the event occurred after our work hours during the first week of CLA. In the aftermath and midst of the ICE raids and “No Kings” protests, the theme of the event was healing and coming together during a tough time for the city. Many of the other attendees were active protestors who were exhausted and distraught from the balance between fighting against unjust systems of oppression and incarceration and carrying on with their everyday lives and responsibilities.
Together, we meditated, took deep breaths, and reflected on our own experiences with activism. The meditation was guided by a woman who structured the practice through various “homecomings.” The fourth homecoming was to our ancestors and lineage. Later, when it became time to speak to the group, I shared how the fourth homecoming particularly resonated with, especially given the importance of respecting one’s ancestors in Asian culture and being at the event representing CAUSE. The meditation guide also stressed the importance of acknowledging that someday we will be ancestors and elders to our own children, grandchildren, and young members of our community in general. During the discussion portion, it was fascinating to hear the experiences of activists who had spent days at the protests and encountering police. Afterwards, we moved on to playing games and making cards. Our cohort played Heads Up: It was fun.
The next community event I attended was San Fernando Valley Pride. I tabled for Supervisor Horvath and shared different resources the County offers to various constituents. In addition, the other intern, Renee, and I did reconnaissance for the field team by going around to the different tables and booths and discerning if there were any opportunities for collaboration. Some of the organizations included UCLA Health, the field office of Mayor Karen Bass, Omni Health Services, the LA Metro, and an animal hospital. As a queer person, it was especially fulfilling to represent my host office at the Pride event, enjoy the musical and drag performances, and learn more about the San Fernando Valley community.