The work of Debbie Allen has reached multiple generations, molding eras and fashions that continuously take on new form. Allen is the blueprint for women of color, exploring their innate ability to excel on multiple creative platforms.

Her colossal impact has recently been recognized by the Kennedy Center, along with other titans in American entertainment. 

Allen joins the list of honorees that have been recognized for unprecedented work in their lifetime. During an exclusive interview with the L.A. Sentinel, Allen reflected on her multi-faceted success and unveiled the pillars that currently still push her to express her innovation and creativity.

 

 

The Kennedy Center Honors is one of the most prominent awards recognizing careers devoted to arts and entertainment. 

 

Hosting the award show was Allen’s sister, three-time NAACP Image award-winning actress, Phylicia Rashad. 

 

 

The results of honorees of the 43rd annual celebration aired on CBS, Sunday, June 6.

 

 

Joining Allen in this achievement included singer songwriter, Garth Brooks, violinist, Midori Gotō, comedic actor, Dick Van Dyke, and songwriter, musician, and activist, Joan Baez.

During the recognition of talent, Allen was adorned with contributing performances; the showcase included harmonized symphonies from Tony Award winner, Anika Noni Rose and Young Hollywood Award winner, Vanessa Hudgens, both inspired by Allen’s performance in “Fame.”

Rose captured the essence of the Oscar-nominated ballad from the iconic movie score entitled, “Out Here on My Own” and Hudgens performed the Oscar-winning title song from “Fame.”

Bringing it home at the end of show, Hudgens was joined by Vivian Nixon (Allen’s daughter), Rose, Ariana DeBose, Tiler Peck, Desmond Richardson, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

 

Inside cuts of her experience in hosting the Kennedy Honors, Rashad illuminated her sister's energy and fire she always carried. 

 

Rashad stated, “We call her a few things— ‘Debbie Do,’ because Debbie does, and she’s been like that.”

Rashad continued describing her sister, “She does not say ‘I’m done,’ until she’s finished. She does not say ‘I can't achieve that because it's too difficult, I can't reach that because it's too far away’—she’s sets her mind to something, and she gives it her all.”

In reflection of being honored, Allen stated, “It was grand, it was beautiful—it was humbling.”

She continued, “to be honored, and certainly with the class I was with, Dick Van Dyke, Midori, and Garth Brooks and Joan Baez—that was an amazing class.”

Allen worked for the Kennedy center for over 20 years. She mentioned she never thought she would get this award.

As a Texas born creative soul, Deborah Kaye Allen was raised with two older siblings; her brother Andrew and sister, actress, Rashad, who also went into entertainment.

 

Their mother constructed an environment of safety during a heightened time of racism by moving them to Mexico, where Allen and her siblings learned to speak Spanish fluently.

Allen’s gifts for performance and innovation awakened early.  She lived in a household of scholars and creatives that held knowledge to the highest degree.

Her mother, Vivian, was Pulitzer-nominated poet and her father, Andrew Allen Sr., a distinguished orthodontist.

Among her early surroundings, Allen was encouraged to exercise her wide range of gifts. Allen’s self-identity took full bloom in the art of dance.

 

 

Although she was filled with riveting movement and passion, she wasn’t easily accepted by those presumably holding the keys to the next level of her success.

 

According to Blackpast.org, Allen began to dance around the age of 12.  She auditioned for the Houston Ballet School but was rejected.

 

However, fate would have a Russian dancer spot Allen’s potential and “secretly enrolled” her into the school, where Allen became one of the top students.

 

 

 

 

Allen confirmed she was rejected from major performing art schools. 

 

She stated that very often she would get invited into offices, and soon after “they would kick her out.”

That wasn’t the last time Allen would face rejection, but it didn’t hinder her determination to keep trying. The lesson on how to get back up after defeat became a crown of wisdom for Allen.

 

 

 

 

The “Grey’s Anatomy” actress and producer explained when one faces failure on their path towards your dream, “you stay in it,” Allen stated, “You don’t give up, tremendous success could be one step beyond perceived failure …”

 

Allen continued, “You don’t always know what’s waiting for you, you just have to be prepared and ready to take it on.” She went on to say, “Don’t give up, stay in the race, until you cross that finish line. Keep going.”

 

She now reminiscences about those times as a world renown dancer, director, producer, and actress. The Golden Globe Award winner shared her faith in what is possible never wavered. Allen said, “We are all born with this incredible body and mind and that’s a gift …”

 

Allen continued, “At some point, you have to turn on that modem that puts you into an existence that—if you are creative person like myself, allows you and inspires you to change things or address things …”

 

 

Turning all her experiences into tools of success, Allen would take her collegiate memories from Howard University and create pivotal seasons of the iconic TV series, “A Different World.”

The three-time Emmy award winner is now pollinating the next crop of legendary talent as the artistic director and founder of the Debbie Allen School Academy (DADA) with her husband, former NBA player Norman Nixon as chief financial officer and co-founder.

 

Her dancing school breeds success stories and is filled with legendary moments; Allen is known for developing the best.

The founder of DADA went on show deep appreciation for the success that her students have shown under her tutelage, she noted, “They’re on Broadway, they’re in movies, they’re massive choreographers, they are starting their own nonprofits. 

 

 

 

 

Some of them are in the businesses of management and entertainment, some of them are teachers—it’s a great thing you can populate the world with those wonderful young people that you had a hand in mentoring and raising.”

 

 

 

 

 

Allen referred to her school as a church, she said, “Because I tithe to it, I am there night and day, and I am involved with spiritually, with every one of my students and my staff.”

She went on to explain the feeling of blessings and abundance that surrounds that arena.

 

Allen is living proof that consistency and unwavering perseverance are some of the greatest pillars that raises one’s success.

 

In addition to her natural talent and abilities, Allen continues to shape the artistic world for generations to come.

Los Angeles City Council District 15 is one of the most economically diverse or as some would call it, one of the most lopsided council districts in all of Los Angeles.  The north end of the district covers the Watts community, one of the most densely populated and lowest income communities in all of Los Angeles, but then, the district heads south, literally carving a thin boarderline between Gardena and Compton, and then Torrance and Carson, and finally opening up to San Pedro, which includes the Port of Los Angeles and Terminal Island.

 

The current city councilman is Joe Busciano, who has now focused his sites on running for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2022.  Busciano’s decision of not seeking reelection has now created an opening for whomever is interested.  With the race over a year away, one man who has decided that he does want the job is Tim McOsker.  McOsker, who is an attorney by trade, has been a long-standing servant of both the district and the City of Los Angeles.  

While there is no question McOsker has the experience and reputation needed to serve on the city council, what makes his run for public office interesting is he is a man who has spent a lifetime record of serving the city and the community in which he hopes to be elected by from behind the scenes, and now has decided he is ready to serve from a leading role.

District 15 has never been seen as a “Black Seat” and the largest part of the district is predominantly populated by White voters.  But many of the most critical challenges that face whomever represents the district are in the heart of the Watts community, where the population is overwhelmingly African American and Latino, and the struggles they face on a day-to-day basis are highlighted because resources, that for whatever reason, never seem to make their way up the 110 freeway and into the Watts community.

McOsker, who is a lifelong San Pedro community member, has dedicated his career to improving the quality of life for all Angelenos.

 

He has had a long history of serving San Pedro, the 15th council district, and all Angelenos in many critical leadership roles. He has over three decades of experience in government, including as Chief of Staff and Chief Deputy City Attorney for former Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn.

The LAWT had an opportunity to sit down with McOsker (although via Zoom) to better get to know this well-respected community servant and leader, as well as, better understand his vision for the 15th Council District in general and the Watts community in particular.  The interview started with a very simple question, “Why does Tim McOsker want to be the councilman of Los Angeles 15th Council District?”  This question brought a smile to McOsker’s face.  He started with the answer, “My wife, Connie, is totally supportive of my run for office.”  But then, the 59-year-old attorney expounded on the answer by explaining he was born and raised in this district, and that he comes from a family that has been committed to public service.

His brothers both worked as firefighters for the City of Los Angeles and his father worked for the federal government on Terminal Island.  He says he has been blessed to learn the importance and impact he can have on his community via public service and government service by working closely with Hahn Family.  He explained how working with Jimmy Hahn in both the City Attorney’s office and Mayor’s office gave him a first-hand understanding on the role city government plays in the daily lives of its citizens. 

McOsker says he learned much about working in the district from former 15th council representative Janice Hahn who fully supports and has endorsed McOsker for the position.  “It was an honor for me to do the work I did under Jimmy Hahn.  I always loved this city, but I also fell in love with public service,” stated McOsker.

He says after serving for several years in city hall, and then working 20 years in public service as a lawyer representing folks who were dealing with government issues, he says the timing just felt right.  “When Joe announced he wasn’t running and from the encouragement of friends and family, and after spending years working so much in the community, being involved in education in issues facing LAUSD, in working on issues involving health care and the hospital system he says he fell in Love with local politics all over again.  “It came at the right time in my life with my kids out of the house, my wife spending so much time on her job working in homeless services,” he stated, feeling this was the right time.

Tim McOsker understands that many of the issues facing the Watts community at the northern end of his district are much different than the issues he is facing at the districts southern end in San Pedro.  How do you bridge the issues of the Watts community with the issues facing the San Pedro community?

“The 15th district has opposite anchors at each end of the district. I see’s bridging the gap to these two anchors as an extraordinary opportunity to bring equity and justice to public service and an opportunity in the 15th to retilt and realign the opportunities for justice and for jobs and for services to the northern reaches of this district.    He says unfortunately, this either hasn’t happened consistently or it just hasn’t happened all. 

Tim McOsker says he is committed to the Watts community.  He says a good example of this commitment is his weekly participation with the Watts gang task force.  Currently, he attends weekly Zoom task force meetings and says he believes his attendance in these meetings is important because it gives him an opportunity to hear the issues, the concerns, the needs of those community members that are involved with the task force.  He looks forward to the days when he can be physically present at task force meetings and other Watts community events.  McOsker believes “Justice will not come to the district until it comes to Watts” and believes that the measure of his success as a council member will be tied to Watts and he pledges to bring justice to Watts.

But McOsker is not running to only represent Watts.  District 15 is a large and vast district, but he says that the issues that face Watts are many of the same issues that face other parts of the district as well.  He says that housing, homelessness and homeless services are issues across the district and across the entire city.  He believes that the entire city needs to urgently work to provide shelter to the homeless but not lose site of the work necessary to also create permanent housing at the same time.

McOsker believes that the entire city missed an opportunity during the pandemic to really speak to the community.  “One of the concerns that a number of people have raised is how the housing projects are moving forward in Watts.  The important thing for me and other elected officials to do is speak and listen to the community, to speak with the community early and often to understand their concerns and issues that they are facing” stated McOsker.

He says we need to create opportunity where we are spending money on both permanent housing as well as housing for the homeless.  “At every state of the process, we must seize on the opportunity to engage the community in the planning process, in the entitlement process in the building, and in the operations of development.   

As a councilman, it will be my job to bring the full range of services offered by the City of Los Angeles to the communities I serve.  Not just some services to Watts and others to San Pedro, that every community deserves and needs the full menu of services, from tree trimming to street cleaning, from social services to re-investment in the community.  In Watts he envisions an opportunity to create, where new investment is a real opportunity and with these opportunities we can create and invite new business investment in Watts the same way the city does and will continue to do in other parts of the city that haven’t always made their way within the Watts community,” he said.

 

 

The other issue that McOsker focus a lot of time and thought towards is public safety.  He says that public safety and creating business and housing opportunities go hand-in-hand.  I see it as extraordinarily important in Watts and every community that a community's health, safety, and public safety are engaged together to make for better neighborhoods.

Another major part of addressing public safety comes out of the mayor’s office.  A thing that McOsker knows a lot about since he served as the Chief of Staff to former Mayor Jimmy Hahn.  He likes the fact Mayor Garcetti called his budget the “Mayors Justice Budget” and thinks that is a good name for all that the mayor is trying to address in this budget. 

He says “Mayor Garcetti responded well to the confluence of crisis that we find ourselves in.”  He likes Mayor Garcetti’s plan and work to address homelessness, he supports the guaranteed income program, but points out that this program is a very small amount in comparison to Los Angeles huge budget, he supports the $500,000’s the reparations commission has set aside. 

He thinks all of this is important to the city but points out that all of this is important to Watts as well.

One of the most highly contested issues facing whomever is going to be the next councilmember of the 15th district will be the possibility of carving out new districting lines that will remove Watts from the 15th council district and make it a part of either the 8th (Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson) or the 9th (Councilmember Curren Price) district.  One of the leading proponents of this redistricting effort is WLCAC President Tim Watkins (as previously published in The Los Angeles Sentinel & LAWT).  Watkins believes that by moving Watts into a district where the demographics, issues, and priorities are more aligned and united, will provide more and better resources to the overall Watts community. 

When asked about the movement to redistrict Watts, Tim McOsker shared these thoughts.  “When a community stalwart like Tim Watkins suggests moving Watts into the 8th or 9th district, I am not going to second guess him.  It is a perfectly good suggestion and I would not oppose it if the redistricting commission came back with that suggestion.  But I also think that another answer is to have a public official (councilman) committed to providing all of the resources of the government to the community.  To prove and demonstrate to that community that it cares about that community and respects the community and empowers that community in the same way it has empowered other communities,” he said.  McOsker says one thing the residence of Watts can be assured of is that he will support Watts no matter what comes out of districting, whether Watts is his district or not.

The run to be the next representative for the 15th council district is still a few months away, but Tim McOsker believes he will be the next city councilman of the district.  Early on, he secured the endorsement of former district councilwoman, congresswoman and current Supervisor Janice Hahn.  He has the support of Watt’s Icon, “Sweet” Alice Harris and democratic, community and labor organizer, Jimmie Woods-Gray, as well as Connie Rice, who he worked closely with on the consent decree following the LAPD Rampart scandal.

Tim McOsker is a man ready for the big stage and is prepared to do the work necessary to not only garner the needed votes, but also to do the job after he gets the votes.  He is a family man with five adult children. 

 

He says he has a reputation as a plain-spoken guy, an honest guy, and a guy who comes to the table willing to listen with a desire to do what is in the greatest good of all.  One thing is certain, Tim McOsker wants to be the next city councilman for the 15th district of the City of Los Angeles.

Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas is devoted to the growth of Leimert Park. The civic leader made the monumental plaza a priority after three years of the area being closed; it’s receiving heightened attention and councilmember Ridley-Thomas showcased some of the upgrades during the Juneteenth reopening celebration.

 

On Monday, May 17, Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas visited the Leimert Park village while it was under construction. He stated, “As Councilmember for the 10th District, I am committed to working with local stakeholders to not only celebrate the rich cultural and social legacy of Leimert Park Village, but creating a future for the village that is safe, clean and welcoming for all members of the community to enjoy.”

During the reconstruction period, Ridley-Thomas shared that a portion of the teal-colored barrier was coming down for more accessibility to the restroom area.

 

Ridley-Thomas is looking bring justice to underserved communities seen in the rehabilitation of the Leimert Park Plaza.

 

 

When reflecting on the work of public duty, Ridley-Thomas said, “Equity matters – and it is our responsibility as public servants to make sure that communities of color have access to opportunities and resources.

 

 

 

As a long-time resident and elected representative for this community, I am committed to investing in this community and providing resources to uplift the Village."

 

Reviving the Leimert Park Plaza was a collaborative effort between community stakeholders and the office of Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. The primary focus was divided among supporting the local commerce, housing the unsheltered, improving the infrastructure, and reimagining public safety.

Black-owned businesses line the street of Degnan Blvd.; they are watching the renovations being made right outside their door-step.

 

The vision statement released by Councilmember Ridley-Thomas’ office, states that Leimert Park Village is a “major tourist destination,” due to the cultural authenticity found in the food, art, entertainment and the communal warmth surrounding the Leimert Park Village.

 

Emphasizing the ultimate goal, Ridley-Thomas stated, “My vision for Leimert Park is that we not only remain faithful to its customs, traditions and heritage, but also reinvest in programs that reflect the future we want to see.

I am eager to continue building on the progress being made and pull together as a community to make Leimert Park Village the strong, vibrant, culturally-enriched Afro-centric capital of greater Los Angeles.” 

 

On Juneteenth Ridley-Thomas invited all of Los Angeles to enjoy the reopening of Leimert Park. The celebration included performances by Dj Qwess Coast, Mama Nae Nae of S.H.I.N.E., and the Muwasi Drum Circle. In the heart of the park, there were pony rides and an area for arts and crafts for the youth. Additionally, there was miniature gymnastic course stationed adjacent to the staple piece of the park, near the water fountain.

During the Juneteenth festival, many Black-owned businesses lined the streets and welcomed new guests who were passing in the streets. Owner, Ani Mayo of Bahari Organix, a business that was stationed as a vendor at the Juneteenth celebration, reflected on what the new federal holiday means to her.

She stated, “Juneteenth means freedom to me; it means celebration—it means community, when you arrive here everyone is so happy.”

 

 

Mayo continued, “It feels like you're talking to your uncle, mother, grandmother, or sister, and I really need that especially because my family is not here—it’s a time to connect to your community, to learn who’s down the street.”

These public works led by Ridley-Thomas accumulate to the “motion to ensure an ongoing antiracist framework for governance of, and sustained investment by, the City of Los Angeles.”

Happening the same day of the Juneteenth festival, Ridley-Thomas joined Councilmembers Curren Price and Marqueece Harris-Dawson to publicly fortify principles that look to bring equity to underserved communities.

The motion calls upon the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, led by Executive Director Capri Maddox.

Within the motion, there is an action requesting a Racial Equity Audit to be performed in existing City programs and policies.

Its looking to reflect the following benchmarks:

• Potential barriers that African Americans and underserved communities may face to enroll in and access City services and programs;

• Potential barriers that African Americans and underserved communities may face to secure procurement and contracting opportunities; and

• The sufficiency of institutional resources available to City departments, commissions, and agencies to effectively advance equity and increase investment in underserved communities, and an assessment of whether adjustments or additional resources and/or support is necessary.

Included in the motion is the following mission, “As we move forward with reopening our economy, while we honor and celebrate Juneteenth, we must remain intentional in our collective efforts to create an inclusive and equitable Los Angeles.”

 

This was presented by civic leaders from the 8th, 9th, and 10th district. The motion is being presented in the wake of social change. Ridley-Thomas mentioned the motivation for the motion stemmed from the death of George Floyd and following uprising that happened in the city.

According to the vision outlined by the press release from the office of Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, Leimert Park is looking receive “massive improvement.”

Targeting intersections like Degnan and 43rd, Ridley-Thomas is looking to add a new 15ft-wide sidewalk with the curbs and ramps redone. The goal also includes the landscape of trees and repairing the light posts across the village.

The Juneteenth celebration was filled with love of the community and the acknowledgement of freedom. Hundreds of people walked the streets and enjoyed the festival with multiple DJ’s, live music, and a youth play area that included arts and crafts.

In reflection of the community, Councilmember Ridley-Thomas connected as a longtime resident, stating, “There is no greater challenge that this city faces more than our moral consciousness to the dignity of our neighbors, and to the health of our city, than the crisis of homelessness.”

 

 

The councilmember stated, “As a long-time resident and elected representative [City, County and State] for this community, I am focused on bringing resources to bear to uplift the Village and celebrate its rich history and resilience.” For more information about the current antiracist framework motion visit the official website for Councilmember Ridley-Thomas.