On Friday, January 23, dozens of peaceful protesters with anti-ICE signs passed the Norman Y. Mineta Democracy Plaza on their way up First Street. Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Going to Take It” and other empowering songs blared from the speakers on trucks and buses that drove alongside the group. Cars honked their horns in support, and bystanders in front of the Japanese Village Plaza and along First Street cheered them on. Coincidentally, artists, civic leaders, organizers, and thinkers inside the Tateuchi Democracy Forum were talking about how they are confronting authoritarianism today during the Democracy Center’s daylong symposium, Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Building Democracy.
Keynotes and Conversations
Throughout the day, keynote speakers Robert Evans and Glenn Kaino, as well as the thinkers, artists, organizers, and civic leaders on the panels Antiauthoritarianism: Building a Legacy for the Future, How Does a City Respond?, and Memory as Resistance: Defending Culture in Authoritarian Times, discussed different strategies to fight authoritarianism. From general strikes and mass mobilization to community building, a strong sense of humor, and more, they paved the way for everyone to consider how the lessons of American history are urging us to take action today.
Introduction: Samuel Lopez, William T Fujioka, and Ann Burroughs
Keynote: Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International
“There has never been a more important moment to resist, to disrupt, to stand up, and to say no,” said Agnès Callamard, the symposium’s opening keynote speaker and the secretary general of Amnesty International. Her opening statement not only set the tone for the symposium, but also expanded into a fearless and comprehensive speech on the history of global authoritarianism through today.
Robert Evans Keynote and Fireside Chat with Ann Burroughs
Antiauthoritarianism: Building a Legacy for the Future
Damon Brown, California Special Assistant Attorney General; Don Chen, Surdna Foundation; Margaret Huang, Southern Poverty Law Center; Scot Nakagawa, 22nd Century Initiative; and Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author
How Does a City Respond?
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times; Angelica Salas, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights; Miguel Santana, California Community Foundation; and Memo Torres, L.A. Taco
Memory as Resistance Defending Culture in Authoritarian Times
Tyler Green, The Modern Art Notes Podcast; Hamza Walker, The Brick; Renee Tajima-Peña, UCLA; and Rafael Gonzalez, Grand Performances
Connecting History to Current Events
The symposium brought the JANM Trustees’ statement and other related statements listed below to life, reflecting JANM’s dedication to dialogue that connects history to today’s urgent questions and current events.
- February 11, 2025—Statement by the JANM Board of Trustees on the Defense of History, Democracy, and Civil Rights
- April 3, 2025—JANM Decries Ongoing Efforts to Dismantle the Humanities, Museums, and Libraries, and Erase the Nation’s History
- May 13, 2025—Skip Spring Cleaning—Scrub Nothing With Us!
- May 30, 2025—Staying True to Mission: Why JANM Spoke Out
- July 16, 2025—JANM Stands in Solidarity with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago
- August 14, 2025—JANM Condemns Reshaping of Smithsonian Museums to Fit Administration’s Historical Interpretation
- January 16, 2026—JANM is Deeply Concerned by the Shooting of Renee Good and Ongoing Escalation of Force in Minneapolis
Podcast host and journalist, Robert Evans. Photo by Mike Palma. 
Fireside chat with Glenn Kaino and Tyler Green. Photo by Mike Palma. 
Gustavo Arellano moderating the panel, How Does a City Respond? Photo by Mike Palma. 
Angelica Salas, Miguel Santana, and Memo Torres, on the panel, How Does a City Respond? Photo by Mike Palma. 
Damon Brown, Don Chen, Margaret Huang, Scot Nakagawa, and Viet Thanh Nguyen on the panel, Anti-Authoritarianism–Building a Legacy for the Future. 
Tyler Green, Hamza Walker, Renee Tajima-Peña, and Rafael Gonzalez on the panel, Memory as Resistance–Defending Culture in Authoritarian Times. 
Great Leap. Photo by Mike Palma. 
The dance circle featuring music by Great Leap. Photo by Doug Mukai.
What’s Next?
Get ready to continue the conversation later this month with the Democracy Center’s next program, How Do Museums Resist Censorship? The free in-person and virtual program will be on Monday, February 23, 2026, from 7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles.
Zócalo, JANM, and MOCA will present a discussion around methods that museums use to resist the erasure and revision of our history and culture, and what it means for how we document our shared past, present, and future. The National Coalition Against Censorship Arts & Culture Advocacy Program Director, Elizabeth Larison will moderate a panel discussion with American Alliance of Museums Board Chair and Michigan State University Museum Director, Devon Akmon; JANM President and CEO, Ann Burroughs; and The Brick Director and MONUMENTS Co-Curator Hamza Walker.
We hope to see you there!
Featured Image: The program of the Echoes of History symposium. Glenn Kaino, In the Light of a Shadow (detail), 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.