Can Joy be Defiance?
By Lucia Cappella
Last August, the world watched in bated breath as Tom Cruise rappelled from the Stade de France roof, grabbed the Olympic Flag, and rode a motorcycle onto a waiting plane. Moments later, Cruise jumped out, landed at the Hollywood Sign and planted the Olympic rings across the “OOs” to the soundtrack of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” It was pure adrenaline, a full dose of Hollywood, and a clear preview of what LA28 plans to project to the world.
For some, it was the perfect hype reel for the 2028 Games. For others, it was yet another reductive take — flattening LA, a city of staggering cultural diversity, into nothing more than a glossy, star-studded movie set.
It’s been just a year since Cruise’s high-production handoff, but much has changed. LA has endured some of the worst wildfires in its history, ICE agents and the National Guard terrorizing its streets, and a president who takes every opportunity to bash the city’s leaders and communities. And now, with Trump announcing federal control over Olympic security and LA28 leaders making quiet visits to Mar-a-Lago, whispers that the 2028 Olympics will become “Trump’s Games” are growing louder.
The stakes are high. We’ve already seen in LA, and now in DC, what happens when Trump overextends executive power to intimidate liberal cities: military in our streets, increased repression, surveillance, and deportations. More everyday anxiety and fear. With the world’s eyes on LA for the 2028 Games, we can be sure Trump will do everything in his power — and beyond — to assert his own narrative over the city. For many Angelenos, what should be a time of celebration and unity is starting to feel like a looming occupation.
But the story of Los Angeles doesn’t belong to the president, or to the Olympic Committee, or even to Hollywood. It belongs to Angelenos — to the people of countless origins, cultures, and immigration statuses – who call this city home. And we know who we are. We know that Los Angeles is remarkable not in spite of its diversity, but because of it. We know that the city’s true superpower lies in the strength, resilience, and joy of its communities. In this moment, that is the story we must tell — loud, often, and without compromise.
Luckily, there are already organizations leading the way. One of Festival Trail’s key partners, LA Commons, has spent 25 years uplifting the voices and stories of underrepresented LA communities through arts and cultural expression. From murals and performances that spotlight art, to youth-led storytelling and neighborhood festivals that celebrate local culture, LA Commons is an expert at shining a light on real stories.
Along the Festival Trail, LA Commons will facilitate arts and cultural programming that reflects the unique identities of each neighborhood. As people move along the trail, they’ll be exposed to stories of Angelenos they might otherwise never hear.
But this work is more than cultural signposting. As Karen Mack, founder and president of LA Commons shares, “By highlighting the stories that are often left out of the city’s broader narrative, the Festival Trail can foster a stronger sense of belonging and shared identity...I hope it creates space for community healing, resilience and connection for generations to come.” Read Karen Mack’s Full Interview
This shared identity and connection is a crucial part of the social fabric that keeps Angelenos showing up for each other, time after time. But now, when so many are under attack for simply existing, can claiming belonging – and joy – also be an act of defiance? A quiet refusal to accept the narratives others try to impose on LA?
Fears and concerns over the 2028 Games will continue to circulate and much remains out of our control.
Now more than ever, we need spaces for Angelenos to gather, celebrate, and honor the stories that reflect themselves, their neighborhoods, and their city. And each mural, performance, and festival can serve as a reminder — to ourselves as much as to any visitor — of what Los Angeles is truly about.
Tom Cruise is part of LA. But so are the street vendors on Sunset Blvd, the murals of Little Tokyo, and the musicians at Mariachi Plaza.
So when the world's eyes are on LA in 2028, let them see that we are Los Angeles, and we are telling our own story.
Get Involved:
The Festival Trail is a community-driven initiative. Mark your calendars for the next community charrette, held on September 27th at LA State Historic Park. Details to come!
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