2015: Armenian Genocide Centennial

i’ve been attending armenian genocide recognition & remembrance marches in los angeles since i was a child. this one was special for me because it felt like my first one as an adult, and i was able to bring my little brother with me. i’ve always been proud of my community’s determination to come together and peacefully protest, no matter when or where they are in the world.

“i should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. go ahead, destroy armenia . see if you can do it. send them into the desert without bread or water. burn their homes and churches. then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. for when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new armenia.” — william saroyan