Wide Open Walls faces criticism over Lunar New Year murals in Sacramento’s Little Saigon. Also, Rep. Katie Porter discusses why she is a candidate for U.S. Senate. Finally, author of “Judith Letting Go” and how to approach death.
Wide Open Walls Lunar New Year Controversy
Wide Open Walls is known for putting artists in the spotlight, by showcasing vibrant murals throughout Sacramento streets. But the organization is coming under fire for its latest murals surrounding Lunar New Year in the city’s Little Saigon community - accused of cultural inaccuracies and not including Asian artists. Hannah Ross is a journalist with Solving Sacramento - a journalism collaborative that partners with CapRadio - and shares her reporting with local artists and city officials, as well as some possible solutions.
Wide Open Walls CEO David Sobon sent a statement to Insight that says in part, “We stand behind the fact that, when compared to other mural festivals in the country, we feature one of the most diverse portfolios of participating artists, including many API artists, Black, LatinX, non-binary, LGBT, women, and more. This diversity is central to our mission and ethos…We realize in this particular instance, we could’ve done better in the planning stages and we’re committed to making those changes.”
Senate Candidate Rep. Katie Porter
Democratic Congressmember Katie Porter joins us on Insight as part of our series of conversations with the candidates for U.S. Senate. Rep. Porter, according to polls, is in a neck-and-neck race for second place with Republican Steve Garvey, and is looking for a way to differentiate herself from him and frontrunner, Congressmember Adam Schiff (D) as the top two candidates move on to the general election in November.
Author on How to Approach Death
How can talking about - or even preparing - one’s death give it meaning as a part of life, and increase compassion for those who are approaching the inevitable? That is the subject of a new book called Judith Letting Go by author Mark Dowie, who remembers his six-month friendship with poet Judith Tannenbaum as she made her decision to “let go.” Mark joins Insight to talk about experience with Judith and learning how to approach death, ahead of an event on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Capital Books.
