Morning Briefing: Unlearning Systemic Racism

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Good morning, L.A.

The moment we realize that our childhood heroes aren’t what we thought is a moment of reckoning; with ourselves, with our communities, and even with our families. For my colleague Brian Frank, that moment began when he learned that a friend had been brutalized by local police, and thought back to the cowboy archetypes that pervaded his youth.

In an essay, Brian writes:

The real villain in this scenario, in our world, the real world, is white supremacy — the insidious, systemic kind. The real villain is a society that not only has condoned oppression but has also trained its entire Hollywood myth-making apparatus on the cynical task of papering over the truth, elevating the white savior at the expense of everyone else, while those of us who identify as white gobble up the affirmation like so much popcorn.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.

– Jessica P. Ogilvie

The Past 24 Hours In LA

Policing The Police: Brian Frank writes about lessons learned about systemic racism after a friend's brutal encounter with police. The future of L.A.'s criminal justice system was presented in stark terms Thursday night by the candidates for Los Angeles District Attorney.

Coronavirus Updates: There's a massive COVID breakout at the Adelanto detention center, with 147 active cases – more than any other ICE facility in the country.

L.A. Kids: LAUSD and the teachers’ union have reached an agreement to allow teachers to provide one-on-one tutoring, assessments for special needs students, and adult education in-person.

Election 2020: Here’s what to do if you receive ballots for old roommates, or get multiple ballots in the mail. Our Voter Game Plan team has received several questions about poll watchers — so let's break down what they’re supposed to do on election day.

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Weekend Reads

There's a lot going on in the world right now, and it’s hard enough to keep up with our day-to-day lives, let alone to stay current on the news. But if you have some time this weekend, these articles provide some much-needed insight into the current moment in L.A., as well as some news you may have missed:

Legendary jazz drummer Viola Smith is 107 years old, and living in Orange County with a gang of outlaw Chrustian quilters. (The LAnd)

Black publicists speak out about what it’s like to work in Hollywood. (The Hollywood Reporter)

L.A.’s Gen Z Tik Tok roller skaters have a thing or two to learn from the 50-plus crowd. (Los Angeleno)

Painter Lyndell Brookhouse-Gil reflects on what it’s been like to paint scenes from Boyle Heights during a residency away from her native New York. (Boyle Heights Beat)

The untold story of two serial killers who terrorized Hollywood in the early 1980s. (L.A. Mag)

An investigation into the L.A. County department charged with overseeing nursing homes. (Capital & Main)

In L.A. County, Black people are stopped and arrested three times more than whites and Latina/os. (Daily Breeze)

Long Beach therapists are overwhelmed with people seeking help during the pandemic. (The 562)

College students are still finding ways to have sex during the pandemic, lest you were losing sleep over it. (Daily Trojan)

Indoor malls reopened this week – here’s how some of their employees feel about it. (KCRW)

This Indonesian woman is opening up a restaurant for the first time at age 75 – during a pandemic. (Eater L.A.)

Photo Of The Day

Activists protest from inside caged cells on the steps to Pershing Square in downtown L.A. during a demonstration against "the assault on immigrants and sanctuary cities" by the Trump and Pence administration.

(Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

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The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft, and check LAist.com for updates on these stories and more. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

This post has been updated to reflect changes in what's coming up for today.

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