Ep 165 Never Again Is Now: Art, Memory, and Controversy at Bellevue College with Artist Erin Shigaki.

Send us Fan MailSeattle artist Erin Shigaki joins Chino y Chicano to discuss her mural Never Again Is Now, created for Bellevue College in 2020. The artwork depicts two Japanese American children in World War II incarceration camps and originally included an informational panel about businessman Miller Freeman and his role in promoting anti-Japanese sentiment in the Pacific Northwest.After the mural’s unveiling, Bellevue College removed the reference to Freeman, triggering public backlash and ultimately contributing to the resignations of then-president Jerry Weber and vice president Gayle Colston Barge.Now, as the mural is set for rededication six years later, controversy has resurfaced following a racist voicemail and renewed questions about why the college was slow to publicly address it. In this episode, Shigaki reflects on art, historical memory, institutional accountability, and why these conversations remain urgent today.Read: https://southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/07/22/masked-men-are-detaining-people-when-will-washingtons-leaders-protect-usRead: https://nieman.harvard.edu/mark-trahant-wins-the-2025-i-f-stone-medal-for-journalistic-independence/Read: https://www.24thstreet.org/blog/2025/1/17/letting-goRead:https://www.amazon.com/Harbingers-January-Charlottesville-American-Democracy/dp/1586424017Read: https://www.mapresearch.org/2024-dei-report "Dismantling DEI: A Coordinated Attack on American Values"https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/01/07/these-companies-have-rolled-back-dei-policies-mcdonalds-is-latest-to-abandon-diversity-standards/https://www.chronicle.com/package/the-assault-on-dei  Chronicle of Higher Education https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=gonzalezRead: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/chinatown-international-district-activist-matt-chan-dead-at-71/Hear Rick Shenkman on the BBC Radio Program Sideways:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xdg0Read: https://www.thedailybeast.com/i-stuck-with-nixon-heres-why-science-said-i-did-itRead: https://www.washcog.org/in-the-news/your-right-to-knowRead: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-legislatures-sunshine-committee-has-fallen-into-darkness/Read: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2024/feb/2...