Over 250 attendees joined APA Los Angeles for When Everything Breaks on May 20 with Tamika Butler, Ascala Sisk, Vedette Gavin, and Odetta MacLeish-White.  Many of you have reached out to share how deeply the program impacted you and to let us know you are eagerly awaiting the video, slides, and handout. We’ve got those here for you!

Here’s a quick recap of what I learned May 20 ICYMI: Unexamined and unchallenged norms of power and privilege limit everyone’s ability to reduce inequities. Our profession has a direct impact on individual quality of life. Planners should carefully examine the roles and the functions we play in creating choices for decision-makers and creating opportunity. Failing to speak about and challenge unspoken norms leads us to erect and reinforce structures that keep people of color and other marginalized groups from contributing to, and benefiting from, public policy. How we practice our practice, through our exercise of individual and collective power, determines whether resources do, or do not, flow into communities.

You are not alone in this journey of personal transformation to move beyond caring about equity towards achieving equity. We look forward to being brave together as we self-examine and challenge unspoken norms. If you missed the talk, AICP members can earn 1 CE credit by watching the video at your convenience.

Warm regards,

Sarah Syed
Chair, COVID-19 Response
Director, Sponsorship and Marketing
APA Los Angeles