Stories of Black Residents in Glendale: Past and Present
Join TGHS and YWCA Glendale as we celebrate Black History Month - Stories of Black Residents in Glendale : Past and Present.
Arlene Vidor will discuss what made Glendale the poster child for racism, even in a racist climate. Even among 100 or so towns in California that imposed Sundown practices to discriminate against Black people, Glendale distinguished itself as being one of the most racist. Find out what historically made Glendale notorious and how it is addressing its legacy.
Next, Tara Peterson will interview members from Black in Glendale about their personal experiences. In addition, we would welcome our viewers to share their personal experiences.
Date | Time | Registration
Thursday, February 25 | 7:30 PM (Note time change)
Advance registration required. Please use the form to the right. We will send Zoom viewing details prior to the event.
Bios
Arlene Vidor currently serves on the City of Glendale’s Arts & Culture Commission and the TGHS Advisory Council. She was President of TGHS from 2002 to 2009 during which time the city’s historic districting process was developed and adopted into law. In 2009 Arlene received TGHS’s Zelia Blanton Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. From 2010 through 2017 Arlene served on Glendale’s Historic Preservation Commission during which time she successfully nominated four City-owned properties to the Glendale Register of Historic Resources. In 2017 she received the Glendale Historical Society’s Carole Dougherty Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tara Peterson, YWCA Glendale CEO, is a recognized expert in the field of violence against women, is responsible for the executive and administrative leadership of the YWCA Glendale, which strives to eliminate racism and empower women. She has played a pivotal role in revitalizing the agency’s 93-year legacy of supporting local women and girls by expanding programsand reach, igniting a change in the culture and conversation around gender and racial equity in Glendale and surrounding communities. She also leads the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale, which helped draft the City of Glendale’s resolution apologizing for its racially exclusionary history as a “sundown town.”
Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony, Vice-President Creative and Advanced Development, Disney Live Entertainment In that capacity she is responsible for the leadership of the Glendale, CA based creative executives, creative directors and art directors as well as talent development and outreach. Globally she is part of a leadership team charged with upholding the creative integrity of live entertainment (stage shows, parades, character development and spectaculars) in Disney’s parks, resorts and cruise ships around the world.
Shelby joined The Walt Disney Company in 2001 as a creative director for Disney Creative Entertainment. In that capacity, as well as in her subsequent role of director for theatrical development WDI Creative Entertainment, she has worked with a number of renowned theater artists, creating a variety of imaginative and memorable productions for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts including: Snow White: An Enchanting New Musical directed by Eric Schaeffer (Disneyland); The Golden Mickeys directed by Diane Paulus (Disney Cruise Line and Hong Kong Disneyland), Disney’s Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular (Disney California Adventure and Disney Cruise Line) directed by Francesca Zambello and Marya Mazor respectively. She also led the development of the entertainment program for Aulani: A Disney Resort & Spa in Oahu, Hawaii. During her tenure at Disney, she has also served as executive, creative development for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Prior to coming to Disney, Shelby spent over a decade in the field of play development working at such prestigious institutions as Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, NJ, Lincoln Center Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival/Joseph Papp Public Theater. As a dramaturge she has contributed to the development of more than 30 American plays and musicals working with artists such as Pulitzer Prize winners, Tony Kushner, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Nilo Cruz, Tony nominated, Robert O’Hara and, most notably, George C. Wolfe on the award winning Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk!
In addition to being a co-executive champion for DPEP’s Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN), Shelby is also a board member of New Dramatists, a frequent participant at the Sundance Theatre Lab, an advisory board member of Look What She Did!, a member of Literary Managers and Dramaturges of the Americas and a founding member of Chief – Los Angeles. Shelby serves her local community as a member of the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale, the Glendale Historical Society and Black in Glendale (BIG).
Marie Y. Lemelle, MBA is a global entrepreneur and visionary. She is the CEO and founder of Platinum Star Public Relations, Inc., a certified MWBE, SBE and DBE, and Platinum Star Media Group, Inc., an entertainment company. “Transform Your Goals into Greatness,” is her mantra. The Southern California native puts her daily philosophy into practice through her transformational branding and marketing skills to empower her clients. She is a champion for empowering women and vulnerable communities with knowledge and resources.
In support of diversity initiatives and to help clients navigate cultural differences across all industries, Marie earned her certification in Cultural Diversity and Inclusive from the City of West Hollywood.
Her quest to keep communities informed led her to writing for various news publications across the globe. An award-winning journalist, she wrote a weekly column, “Health Matters,” for 4 years to educate and raise awareness of health disparities in the Black community. Her column is archived and can be found on the Los Angeles Wave Newspaper website. The digital and print publication, based in Los Angeles California and founded in 1912, is the leading news source in the community serving more than 1.2 million people.
Marie’s journey in the entertainment industry began as a unit publicist. Ever evolving, Marie has taken on roles as a casting director, unit production manager, and producer. In the wake, women empowerment, Marie was an integral part of the launch of “Black Women Channel,” an online network featuring women of color from around the world. She is a producing partner and the vice president of publicity.
She is the co-author of “The Female Code: A Woman’s Book for Empowerment & Confidence,” and author of two upcoming books, “I Am Not My Illness: Personal Stories of Inspiration and Hope,” and “Lights, Camera, Action Plan: How to Survive and Succeed in Hollywood.” The books will be translated in several languages and are based on her years of research and professional experiences in the health and entertainment industries.
Marie is a long-time active member of the PBS Community Council that is charged with guiding the PBS SoCal develop new ways to serve the community and establish new partnerships. PBS SoCal and KCET are the primary PBS stations for more than 19 million people across six diverse Southern California counties.
Serving her community has been a driving force for Marie. Her former civic appointments, as a city commissioner for the Commission on the Status of Women in Glendale and as a state board member for the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has given her great pride in participating in our government system. She has works closely with elected officials and international dignitaries. She volunteers as the Chief of Staff for the Honorable Consulate Isatu Timbo for Sierra Leone, Africa, to create a digital footprint and raise awareness about her medical missions. Marie is an active member of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, League of Women Voters, the New Frontier Democratic Club, and the Glendale Democratic Club. She is the 2020 recipient of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal Women Council Volunteer of the Year Award and received the 2020 Global Excellence Awards for PR Agency of the Year: California.
Marie has always had a passion for continuing education. She has a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of La Verne, a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts from Regents College, and a professional certificate in journalism from UCLA. She earned a leadership certificate from the Los Angeles African American Women Public Policy Institute's Public Policy/Leadership Program offered at USC.
Marie is listed in the first and second editions of the Who's Who in Black Los Angeles, a portfolio showcasing influential African American leadership in and around Los Angeles County.
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