March 01, 2018
Staff and Wire Report
The Compton City Council approved a memorial service February 28, for former mayor and African American icon Doris Davis on Saturday, March 10 at 11 am at Compton City Hall with a reception to follow. Davis will lie in state also at city hall on March 8 from 6 - 8pm and March 9 from 3 - 5 pm. Adam's Funeral Home in Compton is handling arrangements.
Doris A. Davis earned a place in Black History and American History when she became the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States in Compton in 1965.
The then 33-year-old Davis defeated incumbent Clyde Harland to become Compton’s first black city clerk for her first major achievement. Then, eight years later she challenged and defeated another incumbent, Compton Mayor Douglas Dollarhide. By doing so, she became the first female African American mayor of a major metropolitan city. However, after four years as mayor she did not seek re-election.
Davis was succeeded in 1977 by another African-American, Lionel Cade, an accountant and former member of the city council, who also served only one term.
In 1986, Davis unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the California State Assembly’s, 54th District. She finished third in the Democratic primary.
Until 2013, Davis was the only female mayor in Compton’s history. On June 4, 2013, Aja Brown was elected as Compton’s 2nd female mayor and the city’s youngest mayor.
Compton City Council members are also in the process of finalizing a charity for people to consider in lieu of flowers. Repast will be in Compton City Hall.
March 01, 2018
By Christin Runkle
A New Way of Life
A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project (ANWOL) held its sixth annual training for volunteers wanting to undertake voter registration efforts in Los Angeles County jails. More than 50 volunteers came out to Watts Labor Community Action Committee to learn from representatives of the LA County Registrar-Recorder’s office, who said the turnout was one of the highest they had ever seen for a voter registration training.
The training was sponsored by ANWOL — an organization in South LA that provides housing for women leaving prison and advocates on a variety of issues pertaining to mass incarceration — and its sister organization All of Us or None, a national grassroots community organizing effort that works to remove discriminatory policies and practices affecting formerly incarcerated individuals. The initiative complements ANWOL’s ongoing work to register voters in communities of color in South LA, Compton, Pomona and Long Beach and provide education around ballot initiatives including Proposition 47, Measure M and Measure H. To further these voter turnout efforts, in 2016 ANWOL joined forces with the African American Civic Engagement Project, which is comprised of more than 150 leaders from 12 California social justice groups.
“Our desire is to help the African American community understand that our vote counts. We also want to cut through the misinformation that’s out there and let people with conviction histories know that they can vote too. Voting is our tool, but often, people become disenfranchised without even knowing it,” says Ingrid Archie, ANWOL’s civic engagement specialist.
During the hour-long training, Alva Gomez, community and voter outreach representative for the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office, walked participants through the complexities of correctly filling out voter registration forms for potential voters who are currently in jail.
She also cleared up misconceptions about voting. Some of the most disenfranchised people in California are those who are currently in jail or who have prior convictions. Because of confusion regarding who can and cannot vote, many people with current or past convictions don’t even bother to register. There are an estimated 16,000-18,000 people being held in Los Angeles County jails who are eligible to vote, but many of them are unaware of their right to do so.
According to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office, people who meet the following conditions can still vote:
• On probation, under post-release community supervision or under mandatory supervision
• Facing pending felony charges but not yet convicted
• In county jail (unless they are there because of a parole violation or are awaiting transfer to state or federal prison)
However, people who are currently incarcerated in California state prison or federal prison and those who are on California state parole cannot vote.
Starting in May, ANWOL volunteers who have received clearance to enter jail will begin voter registration efforts in five Los Angeles County jails. ANWOL’s past efforts at voter registration in jails have yielded positive results. Over a two-week period leading up to the November 2016 general election, ANWOL volunteers went into Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Century Regional Detention Facility (Lynwood) and Men’s Central Jail and registered 1,100 individuals to vote. The LA County Recorder’s Office captured nearly 700 of these registrants and documented that nearly 600 of these actually voted.
“This is a clear indication that incarcerated folk and formerly incarcerated folk, contrary to stigmatization, not only desire but will exercise their civic duty when properly and duly informed,” says Larry Foy, policy director at A New Way of Life.
March 01, 2018
By Lauren A. Jones
Contributing Writer
NBA Voices, a yearlong initiative curated by the league’s commissioner Adam Silver to address social injustice, hosted a candid conversation between NBA All-Stars, Los Angeles Police Department, members of the Brotherhood Crusade and community leaders at John Muir Middle School in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 15. It was announced that the Brotherhood Crusade was selected by Golden State Warriors’ point guard Stephen Curry, captain of “Team Steph,” as the community-based organization that his team would play for during the 67th NBA All-Star Game.
“I still have chills, it’s bigger than Christmas,” President and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade, Charisse Bremond said.
Brotherhood Crusade, a non-profit grassroots organization based in Los Angeles will receive a donation in the amount of $150,000 with Team Steph’s loss to Team LeBron on Sunday, Feb. 18 (148-145) during the All-Star game. “But, there are no losers when it comes to NBA All-Star Weekend. I was so excited that Steph Curry chose Brotherhood Crusade and I just didn’t want to see them lose out. They couldn’t lose, but now they’ve won twice.” said Erica Glazier the Principal Partner of the Golden State Warriors. Mrs. Glazier was so overwhelmed by the wonderful children and great work of the Brotherhood Crusade that after the game she called Brotherhood Crusade President Charisse Bremond Weaver and told her she was matching the gift of the NBA and Team Steph with an additional $150,000 (Bringing Brotherhoods total donations received for All-Star Weekend to $300,000.
“This is a wonderful partnership,” stated Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. – Chairman of the Board of The Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade. “The NBA, Erica Glazier of the Golden State Warriors and commissioner Adam Silver should all be applauded for all of the effort that they have put into making this All-Star event a demonstration of what a real commitment to improving the quality of life is all about.”
For more than 50 years, the Brotherhood Crusade has provided human and social services as well as resources to low-income, underserved and underrepresented individuals in the South Los Angeles community.
“They’re an incredibly special organization,” said Todd Jacobson, the NBA’s senior vice president of social responsibility. “They’re the real heroes here, we’re just giving a platform to shine light on the work that they’re doing.”
Since Bremond’s tenure at the helm of the organization, she has placed a strong emphasis on providing resources and opportunities to youth at local middle and high schools in the greater Los Angeles area.
“Having our young people from South L.A, NBA All-Stars, retired players as apart of the conversation in our community to me, that is the game changer,” Bremond commented.
NBA All-Stars James Harden, DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Lillard and Andre Drummond were joined by NBA legends AC Green, Jason Collins, Muggsy Bogues, Horace Grant and Felipe Lopez and the WNBA’s Swin Cash, Imani McGee-Stafford to share their concerns with how police relations has affected urban communities.
“It’s a bright group of kids in there,” DeMarcus Cousins told the L.A. Sentinel. “I think they’re on the right path. I think they have the right mindset. Of course, the whole point of this is figuring out solutions to better the community, better the relationship between law enforcement.”
Students, law enforcement officers, community leaders and the NBA representatives were divided into small breakout groups and assigned topics ranging from commitment to diversity.
“We discussed a lot of words and what they mean to everybody and how they can come together to make things a little more peaceful,” said Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard.
Davon Hunt, a tenth grader at Washington High School, addressed the room following the breakout sessions.
“I have been pulled over and had both negative and positive relations with the police officers, Hunt said. “Being able to understand their footsteps and the shoes they stand in and the life they live and my life puts me more at ease.”
It was a mutually receptive exchange for the officers from LAPD.
“They’ve learned how to look at me and say what they feel without being angry and for me to say ‘I hear you,’” added LAPD senior lead community officer Sean Lewis. “It was very touching because I have a daughter, so hopefully when she gets older she’ll be able to participate in something like that.”
The Brotherhood Crusade continues to provide a safe space to facilitate complicated conversations related to social justice and community engagement.
“We want them to be leaders, to have integrity, to understand what social justice is,” remarked Bremond. “They are going to be the leaders 20 years from now.”
Leaders like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade who have continued to be at the forefront of social justice issues. In 2016, four of the NBA’s premiere talent used the opening moments of the ESPYS to encourage social change.
“This isn’t just about sports, about the NBA or the NFL, it’s about a certain demographic that continues to be targeted with the police departments, the state and everything that’s involved with injustice with people of color,” said Eric Aguilar assistant program director for the Brotherhood Crusade.
Shortly after the ESPYS, the NBA partnered with the Brotherhood Crusade as the inaugural launch event for NBA Voices in Los Angeles in 2016.
“The NBA is the perfect example of what professional sports and the community who admire their players should look like,” Bakewell Sr. said.
Since then, the NBA has done nearly 300 events spanning from community conversations to building bridges through basketball and mentoring. All-Star weekend in Los Angeles was another opportunity to continue the efforts set forth by the NBA’s initiative.
“All-Star is a time when the NBA comes together, so we have the entire NBA family current and former players partners guests and it’s an opportunity to be able to use the sport to bring people together and to lift people up,” Jacobson remarked.
A group of local youth from Brotherhood Crusade were able to attend the All-Star game at Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 18.
February 08, 2018
By Niele Anderson
Contributing Writer
Mayor Eric Garcetti recently hosted a press conference celebration and ceremonial tree planting to mark the beginning of the implementation phase of a $35 million grant in the community of Watts. The press conference was held at the site of the new Watts Healing Tech Garden, located at Edwin Markham Middle School (1650 E. 104th Street, L.A).
The initiative was led by Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). John King, community relations officer for HACLA stated, “this is a huge accomplishment and something which Watts deserves. This investment will help improve the quality of life for the residents of Watts for years to come. From electric buses, solar paneling to bike paths and clean, efficient, new affordable housing, it’s just a blessing to build upon and be a part of transforming Watts.”
The grant was awarded to the Watts Rising Collective for the Transformative Climate Communities program and will be distributed over the next three years. Other collaborators include the Community Healing Gardens (CHG) in partnership with the Los Angeles Clentech Incubator (LACI).
LACI has partnered with Community Healing Gardens to create a first-of-its-kind Community Healing Tech Garden in Watts featuring clean technology deployment, a community tree planting program, STEM education, new paths for green jobs and community engagement. The program provides a working model for Title 1 schools across the country and will feature demonstrations of LACI portfolio company technologies in the garden. “It’s all about health, wellness and education”, stated Karen Lewis advisor for Community Healing Gardens.
Tim Watkins of WLCAC (Watts Labor Community Action Committee) an organization who for over 53 years has been at the forefront of environmental justice, environmental consciousness and sustainability was on hand to bring remarks. He was cautiously optimistic when he shared with us, “so many of friends who were born and raised in Jordan Downs, at a gathering like this I use to see their faces, a sea of black faces. Today I only see a sprinkling of those black faces. I don’t know where they go? He continued,” I don’t want to up end anybody’s project, I’m not trying to be politically controversial I just wonder where all those black faces went because I know a population of blacks has risen dramatically down on Alameda and 6th Street.”
Watkins also spoke about how WLCAC planted over 60,000 trees back in the 70s and 80s. Many of the trees were later destroyed due to various city needs and other reasons. He stated, if we’re going to plant trees, if beautiful streets and curves and building are going to be a part of this, there has to be a way to keep them beautiful, and I don’t know if we always think about the long-term maintenance of the project. So, I’m really going to be bearing down on that.”
On September 14, 2016, California Governor Brown signed AB 2722 (Burke), which created the Transformative Climate Communities Program, a California Climate Investment grant program administered by the Strategic Growth Council. The Housing Authority played a significant role in the procurement of this grant and believes that Watts can become a model 21st century urban community that focuses on greenhouse gas reduction strategies that will favorably impact the lives of 40,000 residents.
The Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) program funds development and infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health, and economic benefits in California’s most disadvantaged communities.