September 23, 2021

City News Service

Court papers were filed today on behalf of hundreds of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters who want a judge to set aside the city's COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

The still-unofficial Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was brought on behalf of 529 firefighters who are members of the nonprofit Firefighters4Freedom Foundation. They seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction prohibiting the city from demanding that firefighters receive a COVID-19 shot as a condition of continued employment.

“As will be shown at the time of trial and during preliminary hearings, the city does not have the constitutional authority to force anyone to take an experimental vaccine against his or her will without considering, and granting where possible, reasonable accommodations for those who (choose) not to take the vaccine,'' the plaintiffs' court papers state.

Coronavirus data as of Sept. 11 shows a steep decrease in the number of cases and hospitalizations, according to the plaintiffs' court papers.

“There is no basis for the city's rushed and ill-conceived mandate,'' the firefighters' court papers state.

In addition, firefighters are acting reasonably when they object to a coronavirus injection before the serum's long-term effects are known, the plaintiffs' court papers state.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was quoted in media reports as disagreeing with the firefighters' legal action and saying he was ``shocked'' by their objections to the vaccine mandate.

“It's pretty embarrassing that people would go to these lengths not to do what is fundamentally in the best interests of themselves, their families and the communities and the workforce of which they are a part,'' Ridley-Thomas was quoted as saying.

September 16, 2021

By Betti Halsell

Contributing Writer 

On Monday, September 13, 2021 marks a monumental day in the history of Los Angeles. Attorney and Executive Director of the Civil and Human Rights Department, Capri Maddox, has cut the ribbon to the newly established building looking to house the first racial equity branch of local government in the Los Angeles City Mall arena. 

Attorney Maddox stated with much joy, “This office is a testament to the struggle for civil and human rights in Los Angeles,” she continued, “From the portraits of civil rights icons that greet you as you walk in, to the state-of-the-art workspaces for discrimination investigators, to our John Lewis Conference Center, where community groups will meet and carry the work forward--every inch of this office is built for meaningful change. The L.A. Civil Rights office will deliver justice and pursue equity in Los Angeles for generations to come.”

Showing their support during the grand opening were Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. 

The Los Angeles City Mayor stated, “Everyone in L.A. deserves to be treated with dignity and to be protected from discrimination -- and those values are at the center of everything we do at City Hall,” Garcetti continued, “Capri is an outstanding leader, and this new space provides LA Civil Rights with even greater opportunities to pursue justice and work to improve the lives of all Angelenos.”

Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas stated, “As leaders of a city as diverse as Los Angeles, it is our responsibility to ensure that our most underserved communities have equal access to services, resources, and opportunities.” 

Ridley-Thomas continued, “That is why I am committed to advancing an agenda that puts equity at the forefront,” said the Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. “The launch of this department could not have come at a better moment. This is precisely what we need to assist in addressing systemic racism. It's time to get to work.”

The newly designed office complex includes an open workspace, meeting rooms, and storage space for dozens of employees. The John Lewis Conference Center is a gathering space with the capacity to hold over 50 people and holds “teleconferencing capabilities,” according to the immediate press release, the Human Relations Commission, Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Civil Rights, Reparations Commission and Transgender Advisory Council will look to utilize that room. 

As previously reported, Capri Maddox is leading a frontier into a new sense of equality within Los Angeles. As the first executive director of the newly developed Civil and Human Rights Department, she is cultivating a stronger resource to be available for underserved communities.

Maddox is known for her dedication and putting her life energy into carrying out works that benefit communities, generally for those who have not seen the support they need. She is determined to provide channels for the entire city to thrive on. 

Within her position as former senior advisor to City Attorney Mike Feuer, Maddox directed initiatives such as the City Attorney Business Support Program and attorney recruitment and outreach efforts. She designed the blueprints for a Foster Care Diversion Program and oversaw the City Attorney Faith-Based Council.

The mission behind the Civil and Human Rights Department is “Protecting Angelenos and anyone who works or visits the City of Los Angeles from discrimination that denies equal treatment in private employment, housing, education, or commerce.” 

Maddox has always faced these challenges within the community head-on.  investigation and enforcement of the LA Civil and Human Rights ordinance are looking to be a cornerstone in bringing change within the city and not a moment too soon. The need for unity overtook a part of the ceremony as demonstrators verbalized their concerns during the grand opening. 

Maddox is devoted to this cause with every fiber of her being, she has gone on record previously stating, “My role is important for a few reasons; we have systemically been mistreated, underrepresented, disrespected in so many ways. I know the focus is related to perhaps things happening in law enforcement, but some of the systemic issues are affecting us in our lives, in our health, in our education systems, and our opportunities.” 

She continued, “The damage is for generations to come.” Attorney Maddox continued to explain that we need to step up and address those disparities.

She broke down how deep-rooted and entangled the inequalities are within communities of color.”

The principles that the organization is looking to stand on include education and addressing the root of the issue, confronting and exposing the disparities, and carrying out affirmative action that results in meaningful change.

Maddox noted in a prior interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, “We have to expose this type of behavior because people are focusing on one area in the front of the house, and the back of the house is being robbed blind.”

She emphasized that as a community, there is no room for imbalance. 

The newly established Civil and Human Rights Department building is located at 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, California. The front of the department faces the community and has an inviting design, letting people know that change is coming, and it's taking place at this moment with the help of everyone in the community. 

Find out more about the progression of L.A., by visiting the Civil and Human Rights and Equity Department Website. Follow them on their social media platform, @Lacivilrights.

August 26, 2021

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

While the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom has topped headlines in California politics, flying just under the radar is the effort to draft Congresswoman Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor.

“As we struggle just in the city of L.A. and just in our own communities to do that, I think she would really be a very key person to bring together the city on our issues,” said Rachel Brashier, who organized the #KarenBassforMayor online campaign by the California Black Women’s Democratic Club.

The Daily News of Los Angeles reported that Bass, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, has seen her name come up in behind-the-scenes discussions around the city’s mayoral race.

The congresswoman’s office declined to comment.

California residents have started to vote in the recall election of Newsom.

Officials have set September 14 as the date for the recall election. If removed, Newsom would join Gray Davis as recent Democratic California governors recalled.

Residents voted to recall Davis in 2003.

But while most of the attention in the Golden State’s has focused on Newsom’s fate, a grassroots effort picks up to put Congresswoman Bass in the mayor’s office.

“The online campaign is meant to further a conversation that had begun percolating behind the scenes about how politically savvy Angelenos could get involved in the local races,” Elizabeth Chou wrote for the Daily News.

That conversation began coalescing around Bass in late July, according to Molly Watson, another executive board member of the Democratic club.

Watson told Chou that the Democratic club and others involved in local politics had been looking at the mayoral race and gauging if they were interested in becoming more engaged.

“But for some time, those conversations did not gather much momentum. Different names came up, but none seemed to pique serious interest,” Chou reported.

Around the end of [July], Bass’ name bubbled up among local Democratic clubs and progressive circles.

At the same time, Watson told Chou that she heard the congresswoman’s name brought up in donor conversations.

Initially, there was concern about Bass giving up an important seat in Congress, but Watson said she has always understood Bass as someone who mentored others and paid attention to a succession plan.

“She’s not someone who will outstay a seat,” Watson told the Daily News.

“She knows it’s important that we have people who know how to retire from different positions, and so that all started to make sense for me.”

Poll researcher Paul Maslin told the Daily News that Bass led a recent survey among 800 voters.

A political science professor at Claremont McKenna College, Jack Pitney added that given Bass’ political chops, she would be a “very formidable candidate” if she were to run.

Bass proved her political skills in the state Assembly and is “very well respected across the political spectrum,” he told the newspaper.

“Right now, she is a respected member of the majority and has considerable influence (but) if the Democrats are in the minority (should mid-term elections go poorly for the party), she will be largely a spectator,” Pitney said. “That’s not a lot of fun.”

“The basic calculation for her is: stay in the House and face the possibility of minority status, or run for mayor, and take on all the slings and arrows that come with the job,” he said.

“It’s not really an easy choice.”

The L.A. mayor’s job is a “tough” one, and it doesn’t come with as much authority as “a mayor would like,” Pitney noted.

“Anybody who runs for mayor has to grapple with a lot of inherited problems — homelessness, being perhaps the most visible, (and) violent crime,” he said.

“Basically, quality of life issues. And that’s difficult. That’s not a fun job.”

But he said that Bass seems like someone who is “very tough-minded. She has never been afraid of a challenge, which may be why she will decide to do it, but it would be very understandable if she didn’t.”