Monumental Tour
2022-02-12 - 2022-05-31
The Empowerment Congress is pleased to join with Kindred Arts, City of Los Angeles Council District 10 and LA Department of Cultural Affairs bring a group showing of sculptures across South Los Angeles & Downtown Los Angeles. The works will be on display February 12 – May 2022 at four locations.
Monumental Tour is a touring exhibition empowering social change through the arts.
Curator, Marsha Reid works with municipalities, institutions and agencies to navigate access to ‘public spaces’ & to build out those sites in a way that exemplifies how American public art can inspire equitable commemorative landscapes.  In these sites, inclined citizens may participate, be affirmed, and become informed,
With this monumental exhibit, we offer the public an opportunity to engage with questions of symbolism, history, and the genealogy of artifacts. We aim to confront issues and advance conversation around systemic inequities, police brutality and the questionable historical legacies that are cemented into the public sphere.
Learn more about Monumental Tour and find out where to see the works.

Public Safety & Justice Committee Meeting
2022-02-28 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join the EC Public Safety & Justice Committee to educate constituents about events and issues that impact the safety and well-being of the community and its residents. The committee is committed to addressing critical public safety and justice issues, providing leadership around mobilizing and educating the community.
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Empowered to Represent: A Forum Among Los Angeles City Attorney Candidates
2022-05-12 18:30 - 20:00
The Los Angeles City Attorney plays a significant role in leading our region’s efforts to enhance equity, improve public safety, meaningfully address homelessness, and moreover, to enforce and interpret the laws under which our government functions. Please join us for a forum to learn more about the candidates and their position on the issues that matter to you and your community.

Here Comes the Judge: Candidate Forum
2022-10-16 14:00 - 16:00 | McCarty Memorial Christian Church, 4101 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90018, United States
Join the Out of Many, One Coalition for a judicial candidate forum. Now, more than ever, who sits on the bench is crucial to justice aand equity for ALL of US, not just some of us.
Angela Reddock-Wright, Esq. will moderate a forum with judicial candidates on the November ballot, including:

Anna Slotky Reitano, Office #60
Fernanda Maria Barreto, Office #67
Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes, Office #67
Holly Hancock, Office #70
Melissa Lyons, Office #90
Carolyn “Jiyoung” Park, Office #118
Melissa Hammond, Office #118
Patrick Hare, Office #151

Come learn about these candidates for the bench! Light lunch will be served.

Community Dialogue on Racism, Gun Violence, and Policing
2022-10-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
Let your voice be heard. Join Our Weekly and the Institute for Nonviolence Los Angeles, A Partnership with the California Wellness Foundation, on October 18th via Zoom for a day of dialogue discussing racism, gun violence and policing. Sign up for more information and to attend.
This event is part of a series of Our Weekly’s #StopTheHate campaign and is supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library. #NoPlaceForHateCA, #StopAAPIHate, #CaliforniaForAll

Agenda for California: An African American Perspective
2022-11-03 19:00 - 21:00 | KBLA Talk 1580
KBLA Talk 1580 continues their series of important conversations with dynamic panelists on Thursday, November 3 from 7 – 9pm PDT. Moderator Nii-Quartelai Quartey leads Agenda for California: An African American Perspective, featuring panelists:

Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State
Holly Mitchell, Chair, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Isaac Bryan, 54th District, California State Assembly
Laphonza Butler, President, EMILY’s List
Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Paul Henderson, Director, San Francisco Department of Police Accountability

Head to KBLA on their various platforms to tune in to the conversation, which will be broadcase live, both on KBLA 1580 and on YouTube .

2023 Juneteenth Livestream: State of the Freed
2023-06-10 09:30 - 11:00
The Empowerment Congress, in partnership with The Gathering Spot LA, KBLA TALK 1580, the Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles and Days of Dialogue, presents a Juneteenth Dialogue & Celebration, featuring award-winning broadcaster and author Tavis Smiley.
Join us as we air an engaging conversation between civil rights attorney Areva Martin, Esq. and Senator Steven Bradford, moderated by producer/host/activist Dominique Di Prima, about local and statewide efforts and recommendations to address systemic inequity through reparations, .

Charter Reform Advocacy Conversation
2023-08-08 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
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Civic Engagement Working Group Meeting
2023-08-22 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom

EC Bridge Street Engagement Homeless Outreach Model Facilitator Dialogue
2023-09-08 17:00 - 20:00 | Provided upon RSVP

Financial Empowerment Working Group
2023-11-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom

SPA 6 Homeless Coalition Virtual Vigil: National Memorial Day Remembering Unhoused Neighbors
2023-12-21 15:00 | Zoom
Join the SPA 6 Homeless Coalition for a virtual vigil to recognize National Memorial Day Remembering Unhoused Neighbors. Let’s honor our fallen brothers & sisters in dialogue on solutions to this crisis.
Please register for access information.

Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
2024-01-25 20:00 - 2024-01-26 01:00 | Fire Station 54, 5730 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, 90008, United States
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is a joint powers authority of the city and county of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages programs providing shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness. Since 2005, LAHSA has coordinated the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count to help the thousands of men, women, and families that are sleeping without a permanent home across Los Angeles County every night.
The data collected is an essential component in understanding the scope and nature of homelessness in Los Angeles County and helps LAHSA and its partners deliver services where they are needed most.
Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis that takes the support of our entire community to end.
Join us as we participate in the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count on Thursday, January 25, at 8pm, convening at Fire Station 54.
Not able to join us? Register for a different date and/or site on the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count website.

Charter Reform Working Group
2024-02-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
The Empowerment Congress Charter Reform Working Group was established to articulate and channel the perspective of the EC on issues associated with City of Los Angeles Charter reform efforts. Among these is promoting broad public participation in the deliberations pertaining to reform, particularly on those matters that relate to Council District 10’s experience with representation, community empowerment, voting rights and public participation in the decision-making process.
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LA County District Attorney Candidate Forum
2024-02-12 16:00 - 17:30 | Los Angeles City College, 855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90029, United States
Los Angeles City College (LACC), the District Attorney Accountability Coalition (DAAC), the Leagues of Women Voters of LA County and Greater Los Angeles, ACLU-SoCal, NAMI Greater Los Angeles and NAMI Urban LA will host a Los Angeles County District Attorney Candidate Forum.

Get tickets for the in-person event
Register to attend virtually
Submit questions for candidates

Joy-Ann Reid: “Medgar & Myrlie” Book Tour
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College, 450 N. College Way, Claremont, CA, 91711, United States
Join Pomona College for an evening with Joy-Ann Reid as she discusses her forthcoming book, Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America, with film and media scholar Kevin Wynter, Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Pomona College.
Reid is the host of MSNBC’s The ReidOut. Her books include Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons and the Racial Divide and the New York Times bestseller The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story. Reid previously hosted the weekend MSNBC show AM Joy. The former managing editor of The Grio, Reid has had columns appearing in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Miami Herald, New York, and The Daily Beast. She lives in Maryland and Brooklyn.
In Medgar & Myrlie, Reid traces the extraordinary lives and legacy of civil rights icons Medgar and Myrlie Evers, situating Medgar Evers’s assassination as a catalyzing moment in American history.
Myrlie Louise Beasley met Medgar Evers on her first day of college. They fell in love at first sight, married just one year later, and Myrlie left school to focus on their growing family.
Medgar became the field secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP, charged with beating back the most intractable and violent resistance to black voting rights in the country. Myrlie served as Medgar’s secretary and confidant, working hand in hand with him as they struggled against public accommodations and school segregation, lynching, violence, and sheer despair within their state’s “black belt.” They fought to desegregate the intractable University of Mississippi, organized picket lines and boycotts, despite repeated terroristic threats, including the 1962 firebombing of their home, where they lived with their three young children.
On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers became the highest profile victim of Klan-related assassination of a black civil rights leader at that time; gunned down in the couple’s driveway in Jackson. In the wake of his tragic death, Myrlie carried on their civil rights legacy; writing a book about Medgar’s fight, trying to win a congressional seat, and becoming a leader of the NAACP in her own right.
In this groundbreaking and thrilling account of two heroes of the civil rights movement, Joy-Ann Reid uses Medgar and Myrlie’s relationship as a lens through which to explore the on-the-ground work that went into winning basic rights for Black Americans, and the repercussions that still resonate today.

Pursuing Justice through Participatory Democracy by Casting an Informed Ballot
2024-02-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom

Proposition 1 Town Hall - Presented by NAMI Greater Los Angeles County
2024-02-22 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom
California Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure, is on the ballot in California on March 5, 2024. It includes funding for treatment facilities, housing support, and changes to the Mental Health Services Act. We invite you to our Town Hall to learn more about Proposition 1 and ask questions about how it will affect you. Hear from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, and LA County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Please register for Zoom access information.
Please note that this is not an Empowerment Congress event and this town hall is in support of Proposition 1. It is being shared as an opportunity for voters to learn about the proposition. Voters are encouraged to perform independent research on the measure to develop a stance.

Pursuing Justice through Participatory Democracy: Analyzing the Primary
2024-04-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom

2024 Juneteenth Dialogue & Celebration | Facing the Rising Sun: Pursuing Climate Justice through Community Participation
2024-06-22 09:00 - 13:00 | Holman United Methodist Church, 3320 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90018, United States

Presidential Debate Watch Party
2024-09-10 18:00 - 21:00

National Voter Registration Day
2024-09-17
Make sure that you can cast your ballot in the November election! Check your voter registration status to confirm that all of your information is up to date or register to vote for the first time!
Don’t forget to spread the word and make sure your friends and family are registered as well!

Vice Presidential Debate Watch Party
2024-10-01 18:00 - 20:00

Holman United Methodist Church Ballot Education Forum
2024-10-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Holman United Methodist Church, 3320 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90018, United States
Join Holman United Women In Faith, Holman United Methodist Men, LA County Federation of Labor, and LA Voice for a church and community ballot education forum that will educate participants on the pros and cons of select measures and propositions that will be on the 2024 ballot.

ENGAGE
2024-10-26 10:00 - 13:00 | Sip & Sonder, 300 S. Market St., Inglewood, CA, 90031, United States
Join the Empowerment Congress at ENGAGE!, a day of connection and civic action, presented by Sonder Impact and Sip & Sonder!
With the November election fast approaching, we want you to be empowered, take care of yourself, and make your voice heard…
Understanding Your Ballot
The Empowerment Congress will be on site to explain the ballot, offer resources to understand what and who is on your ballot, and share tips on how to fill it out.
Write Letters to Fellow Voters
Sonder Impact will facilitate writing personalized, handwritten letters to voters to help increase voter turnout where it can make the biggest impact.
Call Voters & Promote Democracy
Sign up at the event to attend a phone banking session, where you can have real conversations to to help drive voter turnout in your community.
Candidate Meet & Greet
Meet Leslie Jones, a local candidate running for Inglewood City Council, who will be on-site sharing her vision for District 4, answering questions, and engaging with the community.
Take Care of Yourself
A meditation moment, because the constant barrage of divisive rhetoric, policy debates, and discriminatory undertones during this election season can take a toll on our mental and emotional well-being, in ways seen and unseen. While civic engagement is critical to shaping our futures, it’s equally important to take care of ourselves in the process.
Hope to see you there!

33rd Annual Empowerment Congress Summit
2025-01-25 08:00 - 13:30 | Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1731 E. 120th St., Los Angeles, CA, 90059, United States
Online registration for the 33rd Annual Summit has ended. Limited on-site registration may be available.
Please check our website for additional event information, which will be updated prior to the event.

ICYOLA Harmony 4 Hope Benefit Concert
2025-02-02 16:00 - 18:00 | First United Methodist Church, 500 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Harmony 4 Hope Benefit Concert
Sunday, February 2, 2025, 4pm
First United Methodist Church
500 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Admission is free. RSVP to attend.
Join the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA) for a concert to benefit those who have sustained losses from the recent Los Angeles Wildfires. All contributions should be made payable to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Community Fund.
This concert is sponsored by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, SCLC, KBLA Talk 1580, the Empowerment Congress, KTLA 5, and LA Focus on the Word.

2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
2025-02-20 20:00 - 22:00 | Holman United Methodist Church, 3320 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90018, United States
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) is a joint powers authority of the city and county of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages programs providing shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness. Since 2005, LAHSA has coordinated the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count to help the thousands of men, women, and families that are sleeping without a permanent home across Los Angeles County every night.
The data collected is an essential component in understanding the scope and nature of homelessness in Los Angeles County and helps LAHSA and its partners deliver services where they are needed most.
Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis that takes the support of our entire community to end.
Join us as we participate in the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count on Thursday, February 20, at 8pm, convening at Holman United Methodist Church.
Not able to join us? Register for a different date and/or site on the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count website.

KBLA Talk 1580 Town Hall | The Altadena/Eaton Fire: 100 Days and Counting
2025-04-16 16:00 - 18:00 | Robinson Park Recreation Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA, United States
The first 100 attendees in-person attendees will receive a complimentary air purifier! Plus, KBLA Talk 1580 is giving away one hundred $100 gift cards (Safeway, Albertsons, Pavilions and Vons).
Before the fire, Altadena was a real-life Wakanda—a thriving Black oasis just 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles. 80% of Black residents were homeowners, building intergenerational wealth against the odds. It was a hub of Black-owned businesses, churches, and cultural institutions. It stood as a symbol of Black resilience and economic independence.
Then, in a matter of hours, it was gone.
The fire tore through homes, swallowed businesses, and left behind a painful void. But was it just an unstoppable act of nature—or was negligence involved? Did officials ignore early warning signs? Were the response efforts delayed or insufficient? What role, if any, did corporate or government failures play? Survivors are demanding answers.
Don’t miss our KBLA Talk 1580 Town Hall, “The Altadena/Eaton Fire: 100 Days and Counting” on Wednesday, April 16th, 4-6pm, at the Robinson Park Recreation Center, 1081 North Fair Oaks in Pasadena.
Admission is free but sign up is required at KBLA1580.com

Educate, Engage, Empower: Resilience in the Face of Chaos | 2025 Juneteenth Dialogue and Celebration
2025-06-21 09:00 - 14:00
Join the Empowerment Congress, along with partners KBLA Talk 1580 and the Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles (INVLA) for the EC’s 2025 Juneteenth Dialogue & Celebration!
The 2025 Empowerment Congress Juneteenth Observance will focus on the legacy of resilience resulting from emancipation and freedom from enslavement. It will take advantage of the motivation and anxiety produced by efforts to restructure the federal government and impose unpopular social austerity measures. The event seeks to harness the emancipatory spirit of Juneteenth and apply it to the Empowerment Congress’s unique brand and role as a practitioner of civic engagement through its mission to “educate, engage and empower.” It will utilize the dialogic process to encourage open discussion among civil society leadership about current events and the role of community leaders and activists in response to the unsettling events of the past few months.
If you encounter difficulty completing the form below, please click this link.
