Free

As part of the NEA Big Read: Los Angeles initiative McGroarty Arts Center invites you to celebrate The House on Mango Street  by Sandra Cisneros in this two day event through art making that explores the themes of the self-identity and sense of belonging.

Activities Include:
Saturday, March 29,

• Poetry / Creative Writing Workshop, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Participants are welcome to express their feelings about home, community, and personal identity, themes that reflect this years 2024/25 NEA Big Read: Los Angeles book selection, “The House On Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros.

Sunday, March 30

• Personal Collage Art Activity, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  and again from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
  Bring photos and personal memorabilia to create a collage based on a fun guided discussion about personal identity!
• Improvisation Workshop, 1:30 to 2:00 p.m.

Join in or just enjoy watching and laughing along.

• Memory Mosaic Art Activity, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  and again from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Bring personal and found objects to create mosaic that celebrates your unique personality.

All materials will be provided to arts workshop participants, while supplies last.

Free RSVP available at mcgroartyartscenter.org/big-read-2025.

For more information, visit www.mcgroartyartscenter.org, or email, info@mcgroartyartscenter.org

The McGroarty home was acquired by the City of Los Angeles in 1953. The house was declared a City of Los Angeles historic-cultural monument (#63) in 1970.

John Steven McGroarty wrote several poems and plays, most notably the Mission Play, which was a three-hour pageant portraying the history of the California missions. The play ran for twenty years and was seen by over two million people. In 1933, Mr. McGroarty was appointed Poet Laureate of California, a position which he held until he died in 1944, at the age of 82.
McGroarty Arts Center’s mission is to provide access to the arts, community and history by offering affordable or free in-depth arts instruction, and a wide range of creative experiences and events, to people of all ages, for many years to come. The Center provides a historic and cultural venue for artists to present their work in all forms, while preserving the legacy of John Steven McGroarty and his truly historic home. A home that is dearly treasured by so many members of our wonderful and supportive community.

This public event brings three historians of slavery together—one focused on the importance of slavery to colonial empires, one focused on captive experiences and health in the slave trade, and one focused on the introduction of African maritime culture into the Americas—to wrestle with the question: What actually happened in 1619?

The Intra-American Slave Trade Database is a resource for the study of the African diaspora in the Americas. Launched online in 2018, it documents more than 27,000 voyages that trafficked enslaved Africans and African-descended people from one part of the Americas to another from 1550 to 1860. This database strengthens research throughout the University of California system on the history and impact of the slave trade and slavery in the Americas by connecting scholarship on the Atlantic and Pacific Worlds.

America’s suburbs are undergoing significant transformation. The traditional view of suburbs as predominantly white, middle-class areas no longer reflects reality. Today, they encompass a diverse mix of residents—rich and poor, Black, Latino, Asian, immigrants, and the unhoused. This shift is especially evident in Los Angeles, where many suburbs have become majority-minority. The New Suburbia explores the experiences of Asian Americans, Black Americans, and Latinos who moved into formerly exclusive neighborhoods.

In 1759, the Diamond sailed to unspecified ports in the Americas, Jamaica, Panama, Colombia, and more unspecified destinations in what was then known as the Spanish Caribbean, embarking and disembarking human cargo as part of the slave trade. The Diamond serves as an entry point into a discussion of the movement of Africans and African-descended captives to the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea-bordered regions, the ocean memory of those human cargo lost to the voyages through the Americas, and how that loss reverberates into the present.

Stream films on Kanopy or Hoopla, both on-demand streaming film services. They both have an extensive library of African American cinema and documentaries that are free with your Los Angeles City or Los Angeles County library card.

kanopy.com/en/category/40898?frontend=kui

 hoopladigital.com

The Los Angeles Public Library and the Los Angeles County Library cards give you access to many resources, including two amazing online music collections. Freegal features unlimited songs, and Hoopla lets you check out full albums. These two databases have endless amounts of music from the African and African American diaspora to explore, from famous hits to underground sounds.

hoopladigital.com/search?q=African+American+music&scope=everything&type=direct&kindId=6

freegalmusic.com

Sing It, Bring It: Family Karaoke Night on Fridays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. is where everyone can unleash their inner rockstar! Grab the mic, belt out your favorite tunes, and get ready for some serious family fun. Whether you’re a pop diva, a country crooner, or a rock ‘n’ roll rebel, this is your chance to shine! Expect laughs, applause, and maybe a little bit of friendly competition. It’s not just about singing—it’s about bringing your best performance and making unforgettable memories together. So, warm up those vocal cords, and get ready to sing it, bring it, and have a blast with the whole crew!