Exhibit encourages a dialogue with history

Fear is what keeps people from overcoming walls, but fear that
is not overcome becomes society’s walls.

So said Ray Reisler at the opening ceremony of “Choosing
to Participate: Facing History and Ourselves” on Saturday
night. Reisler is the executive director of the S. Mark Taper
Foundation and lead Los Angeles sponsor of the exhibit.

The exhibition, running through May 4 at the Los Angeles Public
Library, combines “Choosing to Participate,” which
highlights three moments in American history, with “L.A.
Stories: The Power of One,” a portrait gallery honoring UCLA
professor of Armenian and Near Eastern history Richard Hovanissian
along with 27 other Southern Californians who have actively sought
to improve the community. Both exhibits aim to tear down the walls
built upon fears of “the other” and to create
responsible and active citizens.

“The exhibition serves as a lens by which the community
can have a conversation with history,” said Dan Alba,
director of the Los Angeles region of “Facing History and
Ourselves.” “History happens because of individuals and
groups, so the goal is to think deeply and reflect on the
past.”

Hovanissian grew up in a small California community of survivors
of the Armenian genocide, which is not officially recognized by the
United States, but it was not until later in life that his communal
and personal history affected him.

“The genocide stories were background music. I
didn’t want to hear them,” Hovanissian said. “But
as I got older I realized I couldn’t ignore them.”

As he progressed through the educational system, Hovanissian was
frustrated by the fact that Armenia’s bloody and horrific
past was nothing more than a wispy shadow in history books. In
response, he earned his Ph.D. in Russian and Near Eastern studies
from UCLA then helped found and pioneer the field of Modern
Armenian studies and recorded interviews with nearly 800 survivors
of the Armenian genocide.

“I knew we were losing the last generation, a part of a
historical land. I knew that way of life would be forever lost, so
I started an oral history seminar here (at UCLA) and, along with
the students, tried to preserve every bit I could,” said
Hovanissian, who has been teaching at UCLA since 1962.

In honor of his work, and in addition to his nomination to
“L.A. Stories,” Hovanissian was the first man living
abroad to be honored by the Armenian National Academy at a time
when the Soviet Union still stood, and His Holiness Karekin II of
Cilicia, among numerous other individuals and organizations, have
recognized his endeavors.

“Facing History and Ourselves” is an international
educational and professional development organization which aims to
engage teachers and students of diverse backgrounds in an
examination of prejudice in order to promote the development of a
more humane and informed citizenry.

For example, “Crisis in Little Rock” examines the
attempted integration of Central High School in Little Rock,
Arkansas in 1957. It includes an interview with Elizabeth Eckford,
who the Arkansas National Guard prohibited to enter the school.
Terrence Roberts, one of the “Little Rock Nine,” is
honored in “L.A. Stories.”

The multimedia exhibit uses technology to place the audience
members in other’s shoes. For instance, Jesus Colon, an
African American and Puerto Rican writer, recalls the painful
decision he made in 1955 on a New York subway after midnight. The
viewer is led through his frantic thoughts as he debates whether to
help a young white woman weighed down with a baby, a suitcase, and
two young children, fearing his attempt to aid may be misconstrued.
While, “Not in Our Town” documents Billings, Montana
citizens’ reactions to a 1993 string of hate crimes and
threats from local hate groups.

Hovanissian has tried to deconstruct the barriers erected by
prejudices and foment active participation in the community. He
continuously examines history to inform his choices because he
knows the power of the individual, and he teaches his students to
do the same.

“One person becomes a drop in the stream, then that stream
becomes a river,” Hovanissian said. “People together
make a swell, then a tide, and that makes a difference.”

The Los Angeles Public Library is located at 630 W. 5th St. (at
Flower St.) in downtown Los Angeles. Visit www.facinghistory.org
for more info on the exhibit.