LET’S’ executive director Heather McCain participated in two Cross Cultural Walking Tours in September 2023. On the tours, Heather drew awareness to Marsha P. Johnson and Johnson’s disability activism, as often disability is left out of the gay and trans rights conversation.
Cross Cultural Walking Tours bring awareness of the contributions of Indigenous and early immigrant communities, the richly layered history of Vancouver’s downtown eastside neighbourhoods (including Jewish Strathcona, Hogan’s Alley, Downtown Eastside, Chinatown and Paueru-Gai), in celebration of Asian and Jewish Heritage Months in May. This educational grassroots program dives into the systemic oppression, racism, displacement and impact of urban renewal experienced by many marginalized communities THEN and NOW, sharing history and stories together in one tour.
Founded and coordinated by Carmel Tanaka with guidance from an Advisory Committee, the Cross Cultural Walking Tours program has since engaged 40+ partners in its annual May celebration and offers year-round private, classroom and corporate tours upon request.
This isn’t the first time Heather and LET’S have partnered with Carmel Tanaka and the Cross Cultural Walking Tours and hopefully it’s not the last!