Glendale and LA Schools to Observe Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Closure
Los Angeles Schools to Honor Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day with Closure
In a significant observance, schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the Glendale Unified School District will close on Friday in recognition of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. This year marks the 111th anniversary of events widely recognized by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.
The LAUSD Board of Education formalized the closure on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2020. Meanwhile, Glendale Unified has granted students and staff the day off on April 24 since the 2013-14 academic year.
In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that declared April 24 a state holiday, allowing public schools and community colleges to close in observance.
The Los Angeles area hosts the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia, making this observance particularly poignant for local communities.
Numerous events are planned across Los Angeles County to commemorate the day. Notably, at 10 a.m., the Los Angeles City Council will hold a “solemn but hopeful presentation” at City Hall, during which a scroll will be presented to Arman Tsarukyan, currently ranked second in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division.
At 1:30 p.m., a ceremony featuring wreaths and flowers will take place at the Armenian Genocide Memorial located in Memorial Park, Pasadena. Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark MacCarley, chair of the American Armenian National Security Institute, will speak at this event, focusing on the importance of education regarding U.S. and Armenian defense interests.
Additionally, the Armenian Youth Federation is set to organize a march at 2 p.m., departing from LaCienega Park in Beverly Hills and proceeding to the Turkish Consulate General on Wilshire Boulevard.
Later in the evening, the Truth And Accountability League will host a public commemoration at the Glendale Central Library from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The event will honor victims of the Armenian Genocide and recognize influential public figures for their contributions. Honorees include Representatives Judy Chu and Laura Friedman, political commentator Ana Kasparian, former West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne, and artist Arpi Jinbashian Krikorian.
Founded in 2020, the Truth And Accountability League aims to address rising anti-Armenian sentiment and monitor bias against Armenian culture across various platforms, including media and academia.
The Armenian Genocide began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities detained Armenian intellectuals and leaders in Constantinople, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people. Turkey has consistently denied these events constitute genocide, asserting that the death toll has been exaggerated and alleging that those killed were casualties of civil conflict.
