RLN has gathered two Random Happenings that consider the state of both the City of Los Angeles and the United States of America, both happening at different ends of the city but beginning during the same time, while reimagining with one another what both our city and country can aspire to as “We the People” build together.
Reimagining America Summit
RANCHO PALOS VERDES — On June 20, American Atheists, Atheists United, and Pacific Unitarian Church: A Unitarian Universalist Community will host the Reimagining America Summit, a special one-day event featuring a lineup of community leaders, activists, scholars, comedians, musicians, and more.
Attendees of all ages are welcome to explore the promise, challenges, and future of American democracy. “This summit is as much about connecting as it is about sharing ideas,” said Evan Clark, executive director of Atheists United. “Progress is only possible when people of all backgrounds and beliefs come together to find common purpose. Please join us in this critical moment between remembrance and reimagining — just after Juneteenth and ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.”
The gathering will bring together a slate of experts, activists, and entertainers for thought-provoking discussions about our collective future. Through panels on education, local government, reflective activism, and religious pluralism, participants will explore how we can strengthen democratic institutions, deepen civic engagement, and ultimately build a more just and inclusive society.
Grounded in honest reflection, empathetic dialogue, and creative possibility, this conference is a space to ask bold questions and imagine new paths forward to achieving this nation’s founding promises. The event will conclude with dinner, music, and comedy — a reminder that art, laughter, and shared joy are also essential to a healthy America.
The Reimagining America Summit will take place at the Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes. Participants will be able to purchase lunch from immigrant vendors. Admission includes dinner and a full day of connection and much-needed conversation.
Featuring, as of writing:
- Comedian & Actor, Learnmore Jonasi
- President of American Atheists, Nick Fish
- Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, Paul H. Seo
- Singer/Songwriter, Shelley Segal
- Mayor of Culver City, Freddy Puza
- West Hollywood Councilmember, Chelsea Lee Beyers
- Political Scientist, Cecelia M. Lynch
- USC Senior Associate Dean of Religious Life, Vanessa Gomez Brake
- Atheists United Board Member, Jack Kellum
- Co-Founder of Chino Valley Defenders of Public Education, Lisa Perlman Greathouse
- President of Palos Verdes Faculty Association, Samantha Weiss
- Director of Interfaith Youth Alliance, Dr. Jessica Spence Moss
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., June 20
Cost: $23.18
Details: Early-bird tickets are available on Eventbrite now.
Venue: Pacific Unitarian Church, Montemalaga Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes
The Autry Museum of the American West Presents Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, the promise of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” isn’t just a historical ideal—it’s a living story that is a part of a conversation that has taken place over the past 250 years. Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles explores how the values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence have inspired generations of Angelenos to build brighter futures, overcome challenges, and create a vibrant, diverse community. From the city’s early days to the present, the exhibition celebrates the power of hope, perseverance, and the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to live freely and pursue their dreams.
Los Angeles, from its beginnings, has been a place of competing claims to life, liberty, and happiness. By approaching American history from one of the most dynamic and diverse city in the nation, a multiracial metropolis founded on Indigenous land, visitors are invited to explore the stories of diverse Angelenos and how their ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have inspired the city’s growth and amplified the opportunities and contradictions expressed in the nation’s founding principles.
Historical artifacts, visual art, and creative performances shared through in-gallery video and audio will create multilayered stories from voices across Los Angeles, bringing this history to life. Highlights of the exhibition include:
- A hand-painted Mexican flag used in early celebrations (c.1840s and 1850s) of Mexican
Independence in LA
- Political memorabilia showing how LA voters made housing the center of debates about fairness and liberty, with national consequences
- A custom-made zoot suit fabricated by a family business that has preserved zoot suit culture for
over 45 years
- Artworks by LA-based artists Catherine Opie, Frank Romero, River Garza, Lilliana Castro, Robert Ginder, Cara Romero, Ed Ruscha, Weshoyot Alvitre, John LeeWong, Reynaldo Rivera, and Carlos Almaraz
- In-gallery videos featuring contemporary LA storytellers created in partnership with the spoken
word and storytelling collective Strong Words: Voices of the City
- A history of LA Protests, including over 60 hours of archival local news coverage of the 1992 LA Riots
- 3B Collective
The exhibition is more than a history of Los Angeles—it is a reflection of how the freedom struggles of LA and its diverse people have shaped our individual lives, the places we live, and the nation as a whole.
Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles Events
June 18
Autry After Hours Exhibition Tour
Explore Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles with Carolyn Brucken, Senior Curator at the Autry. This
special evening program offers a unique opportunity to experience the exhibition from a
curator’s viewpoint.
July 9
Storytelling Salon, Strong Words: Voices of the City
Join a dynamic storytelling program that celebrates the diverse voices and experiences
that shape life in Los Angeles. Featuring true, personal stories told live by local residents, artists,
and community leaders, this event brings the city’s heart to the stage.
July 18
Workshop Discussion, Guided reading of Declaration of Independence
An intimate workshop experience brings together scholars, museum members, students, and
public for a guided reading and discussion of the Declaration, exploring its ideals as part of a
living story.
Sept. 13
Panel Discussion, The fight for a fairer city: Los Angeles as testing ground
This panel explores the ways Californians contributed to the shape and foundations of our
current political system, showing how the path to liberty and freedom did not move unilaterally
from East to West, with Los Angeles a 20th century trailblazer in the pursuit of freedom.
Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles will run through Jan. 31, 2027, in the Marilyn Calvin and Gross Gallery.
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sunday
Cost: $0 to $20
Details: https://tinyurl.com/Life-Liberty-and-Los-Angeles
Venue: Autry Museum of the American West 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles