Advancements in social justice require several ingredients – and African-Americans are certainly familiar with the basics by virtue of our history: faith, leadership, moral courage. Certainly Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied all of these. But he also understood the importance and value of narrative, and the art of framing issues for Americans of all stripes to appreciate and engage in the civil rights movement.
When Dr. King declared that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, he was invoking the moral high ground of an inclusive framework for the civil rights movement in America. While the civil rights movement was principally about the plight of African-Americans, he connected our justice struggle to that of any oppressed group, anywhere across our nation and globe. The door swung wide open for partnership and inclusion in the struggle. It was about us, but it was also bigger and more than about us.
Narratives and frames can be deployed for negative and ill effects as well. The politics of exclusion and demagoguery that emerged from our nation’s recent Presidential election is a painful reminder of this phenomenon. Anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric promoted a narrative of “exclusion” rather than “inclusion”, and has emboldened hate, white nationalist and supremacy groups in recent months – hate crimes and hate incidents are back on the rise.
I became smitten with the work of community health back in the mid-to-late 1980’s, as a practicing pediatrician in communities in Camden and North Philadelphia. My wake-up call was the emergence of a truly evil and pervasive innovation: crack cocaine. Cocaine is a highly euphoric and addictive drug, but prior to the 1980’s was generally too expensive for residents in low income communities to purchase – one needed at least $100 in cash flow to purchase the powdered form. When “Crack” burst upon the scene in 1984, suddenly folks with limited incomes and poor cash flow could purchase cocaine – Crack could be found and purchased on street corners for as little as five bucks. This highly addictive drug provided 20 minutes of well-being and euphoria for oppressed, depressed, marginalized, and struggling individuals -- people lacking hope. It proved that the absence of hope, in fact, could be lethal.
The Crack cocaine epidemic was utterly devastating in its speed and in its reach. It swept across urban America, leaving wreakage and chaos in black families and communities in its wake. Rates of property crimes, sexually transmitted diseases, child abuse, premature births (known as “crack babies”), domestic violence, gun violence and gang violence all exploded.
As if the effects of crack cocaine weren’t bad enough, our nation’s response was nearly as harmful, and certainly more enduring. The crack epidemic led to a new criminal justice and public safety narrative called “Three Strikes and You’re Out.” It was a punishment and incarceration narrative, that quickly evolved from bumper-sticker to all manner of federal, state, and local policy changes in sentencing for drug-related crime use. Well-chronicled in Michelle Alexander’s terrific book, The New Jim Crow, the legacy of racism was joined at the hip with the criminal justice system – all under the guise of effective Public Safety.
As a practicing pediatrician serving inner-city low income families at the height of the crack epidemic, I was equal parts mortified and outraged. The nation’s response to the medical-health epidemic of crack addiction was to criminalize it. Instead of a substantial increase in access to community mental health and drug treatment services, our nation built jails. Dollars for prison construction climbed upwards in public budgets, as community organizations providing prevention services and youth supports pinched pennies. They still do – ask any executive director of a youth-serving organization in Watts or Inglewood.
The punishment narrative spilled over into our nation’s public education system, as “Zero Tolerance” policies in schools exploded, following in the glide path set by Three Strikes and You’re Out. Black and brown boys, in particular, experienced a more than 300% increase in school suspensions at the very same time that our nation’s prison population increased by more than 400%. Message to our young men and women of color in our schools: we don’t want you here if you act out.
Police departments and the LAPD now find themselves in a peculiar and uncomfortable position, with a crisis of legitimacy found in many urban communities across the nation. The narrative and punitive policies of Three Strikes and You’re Out and a voracious school-to-prison pipeline leaves police departments perceived by many in our community as part of the problem. Add in the occasional tragic police shooting of unarmed African-American males, and we have the necessary ingredients of deep and profound civic and community distrust.
The matter of police shootings has now taken center stage in the discourse of race in America. Yes, it is absolutely clear that organizations like Black Lives Matters and others have every right to be outraged and aggrieved in asserting rights, justice, and accountability with police departments. But I offer two points of caution in hyper-focusing on police shootings as the prize for civil rights in Los Angeles, and the nation. The first is that even if we were to achieve the lofty objective of eliminating every police shooting of African-American males across the nation, this falls short of the real prize for justice: if we succeed in eliminating police shootings, but fail to improve graduation and employment rates in young black males, we still fall well short of meaningful justice and prosperity for our young people.
Secondly, we heap substantial outrage on police chiefs and police departments for failing young African-Americans at the flashpoint of a controversial police shooting – but at the very same time, express only tepid levels of disappointment when the systemic prevention and youth development supports our kids need and deserve go unattended – something is out of balance with our priorities. Abysmally, seventy-five percent of black boys in the third grade across the nation are not reading at grade level proficiency; black boys are being criminalized and suspended out of school at extraordinary rates; community-based mental health services and after-school programs seem to be a luxury rather than a standard of practice at the community level; state and local budgets heavily emphasize jails and prisons over gang prevention and youth development programs. Our outrage about these issues must match or exceed that which emerges after police shootings. Let’s work to prevent the conditions that lead to police shootings in the first place.
Finally, what does this mean for the struggle for social justice in Los Angeles? It means the following:
• Los Angeles cannot look to either Washington DC or the nation for the path to social justice. The rest of the nation is simply a decade or two behind where we are in LA. The Trump election resurrected echoes of law and order, Rodney King-era politics, anti-immigrant Prop 187, anti-minorities Prop 209, and the “Three Strikes” culture of hyperincarceration. Los Angeles and most of California is beyond the narrative of exclusion; we are moving in the right direction.
• Los Angeles must assert leadership as the epicenter for a new narrative of inclusion, prosperity, wellness and prevention supports for all. LA needs this, California needs this, and our nation needs this.
• L.A. has come a very long way from the Darryl Gates/old LAPD, Rodney King, OJ Simpson trial era of civic discourse regarding law enforcement. Build on this path of progress. When civil rights warriors like Connie Rice, Pastor Chip Murray, and John Mack now work in concert with the LAPD in service of accountability and trust, that is a journey and path we must build upon.
• At the same time, we need the push from Black Lives Matter and similar younger activists to push all of us to move faster and harder on matters of accountability and transparency.
• The old narrative of Public Safety and Criminal Justice is prime and ready for a new narrative. LA must lead the way in this regard for the nation. It means focusing on grade level literacy for black and brown boys; it means ending the practice of early criminalization through avoidable school suspensions and expulsions in our young people; it means an after-school activity supported for all of our children; it means having more mental health and counseling supports for children coping with stress and trauma; it means reducing public spending on prisons and jails and increasing funding for prevention and youth support programs. Let’s swap Public Safety for something known as Community Safety.
As we recall the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, our nation struggles with a paired set of narratives that stand in the way of progress for African-American communities specifically, and social justice generally. The first is the President-elect Trump-embraced narrative of exclusion. The second is the enduring narrative and policy environment of punishment and incarceration. Spurred on by the memory of Dr. King, we in Los Angeles must endeavor to provide our nation with a re-energized narrative of justice, inclusion – and prevention.
LAWT: With your extensive professional background throughout the civic, business, professional sports and political arenas, what interested you in leading the LA84 Foundation?
Renata Simril: I received a call from a recruiter after I resigned from the LA Times. I was familiar with the organization and thought it would be a great job to have as the Foundation has greatly impacted sports and youth throughout southern California.
LA84 continues to advance the Olympic ideals which promotes excellence and being your best self. I had the opportunity to work with former president, Anita DeFrantz and Vice President of Grants & Programs Patrick Escobar during a renovation project with the Dodgers to refurbish baseball fields in urban communities.
When I got the call to interview, it was surprising and overwhelming particularly to follow Anita who’s an icon in the sports industry as an Olympian as well as an International Olympic Committee Member. To succeed such a legendary woman of color, was a huge responsibility and a privilege. After several months of interviews, I was selected and I’ve been President/CEO for the past year.
LAWT: What new and innovative ideas are you bringing to the position?
RS: One of things I’m most proud of within this first year, is our new youth advisory group, the Student Athletes in Motion (SAMbassadors) in honor of our mascot. It’s a group of thirty kids ages 12-17 who are student athletes who maintain great grades. We’re engaging them in the work that we do. Through a youth participation survey we found that skateboarding is the highest played frequency sport. We found that kids skateboarded 11 million hours last year and the largest group of skateboarders are African American males ages 15-17; so to be able to ask questions like: ‘Are you seeing skateboarding within your community? Why is it an attractive sport for young African American males?’ We engage them and invest in their thinking to see how our work reflects back in their communities. I’m proud to see the work we’re doing to help kids find their voice so they can then give back in meaningful ways, regardless of how old they are. We’re focused on getting kids directly involved with our work and finding gaps for kids that want to play sports by providing opportunities for them to do so.
LAWT: As a woman of color, what were adverse moments in your career that you had to overcome in order to become the leader you are today?
RS: I learned very early on that you grow when you’re outside of your comfort zone. Being in the military was way outside of my comfort zone. I was a military police officer and for sixmonths, I was probably the only female in my MP unit and to add to that I was a combat MP so we spent half the time in the field preparing for war games, caring rifles and ammunition so it was very physically demanding. What I learned through that experience was that I had to carry my own weight. I was assigned to that unit and couldn’t say, ‘I’m a girl so I can’t carry this ammunition.’
As an African American woman to be able to be vocal and carry my own weight and do the job gave me a unique foundation that many young women don’t necessarily have today. The elements of that experience that should translate to any woman in a leadership position--be good at what you do. Speak your mind when you know you’re right and do the job extremely well. As I transitioned from government to real estate, having worked for Mark Ridley-Thomas when he was a councilman, I really studied, what it was going to take to make me the best real estate executive that I could be? And I made sure that I was just as smart if not smarter than the men I worked with. I didn’t carry a chip on my shoulder because I was a woman, I just focused on the job at hand.
Find those opportunities where you can have mentors and role models to help guide you when you’re out of your comfort zone. And once you get through that first challenging experience, it becomes easier to do it the next time.
LAWT: How does the LA84 Foundation help to empower students to build their self esteem through sports?
RS: LA84 supports the good in sports. Our structured sports programs are predicated on creating a safe, engaging environment for kids to thrive and become their best selves. Our motto is “life ready through sports”. We fund sports programs that give kids an opportunity to experience those life skills to make them ready whether that’s on or off the field.
We’ve invested quite a bit of our foundation dollars into coaching education. We’ve trained approximately 75,000 coaches. We see that they’re the first engagement that kids have and we want their experience to be as positive as possible so that they can continue their sport career throughout their lives.
LAWT: Can you give insight into your day as the President/CEO of the LA84 Foundation?
RS: I don’t think people have a full appreciation for what we do. Grant funding is one aspect--we also do coaching education as well as conferences so that thought leaders within sports can convene to discuss positive youth development and we also maintain one of the largest collections of sports heritage, memorabilia and Olympic artifacts in the world which includes every torch from every Olympic games.
My job as the president/CEO of the foundation is to guide all aspects of our work. With regard to grant programs, we identify the gaps in the marketplace and how can we re-tweak and re-establish our grant guidelines to make sure that we’re being as impactful in the community as possible. I work with the VP of Grants and Programs to make sure that we’re getting a return on our investment as well as making the most significant impact in the community.
With coaching education, we’re starting to pivot this year as we’ve found in the NCAA and professional level, while we’ve achieved gains in women’s coaching, we’ve also taken a couple steps back so we’re now engaging some leaders in that space to see how we can help to encourage more women coaches at the grass roots level for some of our school based and community based programs.
At any point in time I’m conversing with someone about loaning our Olympic artifacts.
I’m also working with my team to assess what are our priorities and next projects. I recently had a meeting about special needs—specifically physically disabled programs and how we might collaborate to fill that gap within the communities we serve.
No two days are the same. Instead of an inbox with 20 messages, it’s more like 120 emails but the impact and the focus of my work couldn’t be more of a blessing for me at this point in my career.
Barack & Michelle Obama
AP Photo
President Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States. He made history in 2009 as the first African American president of the United States. This year, President Obama served his second and final term. His wife and First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, is the first African American first Lady in the United States. Her focus on health with “Let’s Move” and humanitarian efforts such as “Bring Back Our Girls” galvanized and changed the outlook of the nation. First Lady Michelle Obama is known as the one of the greatest First Ladies of all time.
Cathy Hughes
Sentinel File Photo
Cathy Hughes, who started her career in radio at Howard University, is a dynamic, media pioneer who demonstrates the power of one – one woman, one vision, one company – Radio One. As Founder and Chairperson of Radio One, Inc., the largest African-American owned and operated, broadcast company in the nation, Hughes’ unprecedented career has spawned a multi-media conglomerate that generates original content across the spectrums of radio, television and digital media. This year, Howard University honored Hughes with the unveiling of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. Also, The Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame named her as one of its 2016 Hall of Fame inductees and the sole recipient of its Music Living Legends Award.
Chris Paul
Sentinel File Photo
NBA superstar Chris Paul has been an exceptional multitasker. All the while Paul is helping the Clippers be a contending, playoffs-bound team, he has funded several community outreach and philanthropy events. From giving out glasses to students of the Inglewood district with teammate Paul Pierce to providing a pair of shoes to an entire elementary school in Compton, Paul knows how to assist people both on and off the hardwood. In July, Paul was recognized for his efforts with the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Jesse Williams
Sentinel File Photo
To most, actor Jesse Williams is known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the hit TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” This year, Williams made headlines for his work off camera as a civil right activist. At the annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) Award show, Williams received the Lifetime Achievement Award and gave a powerful speech highlighting police brutality, and the injustice and killings of Blacks.
Kamala Harris 
Sentinel File Photo
California Attorney General Kamala Harris made history for women of color after beating her opponent Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 primary election. Not only did Harris become the second Black woman elected to the Senate, she also became the sixth Black U.S. Senator in the country’s history and she is the first Black and third woman to represent the California U.S. Senate.
Clarence Avant
Photo by Valerie Goodloe
On October 7, 2016, the city of Los Angeles deemed it “Clarence Avant Day”. During his recent Hollywood Walk Of Fame induction ceremony, Avant was celebrated for the sixty years of trailblazing work he’s done behind the scenes as a music executive. Renown as the “Godfather of Black Music” Avant, 85, began his career as a music manager in the 50s for the likes of R&B singer Little Willie John, jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, as well as rock and roll pioneer Tom Wilson. In the 60s, his knack for spotting talent led to the founding of Venture Records Inc. backed by MGM Records, the label would become the first joint venture between an African American-owned music company and a major record label.
Colin Kaepernick
Sentinel File Photo
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested against police brutality in a way that rocked the NFL. His act of kneeling during the play of the national anthem was either seen as heroic or disrespectful. Players throughout the NFL had a diverse range of reacting to Kaepernick’s stance, some kneeled, while teams linked arms. Some disagreed with his methods, but continued the conversation of police brutality. His protest led Kaepernick to have the top jersey sales in the NFL in September. He has donated money to many organizations throughout the U.S. since the start of his protest.
Simone Biles
AP Photo
The 2016 Rio Olympics was historic for Blacks across the U.S. USA women’s gymnast Simone Biles dominated the competition earning her a gold medal. Biles left Rio with four gold medals and one bronze medal. The Olympian is one of many Black athletes who broke Olympic boundaries.
Serena Williams
AP Photo
Tennis icon Serena Williams best displayed her mastery of the sport during her seventh Wimbledon title run. Williams defeated Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3 in the title match. Along with legendary tennis player and sister, Venus, they won their sixth Wimbledon title in women’s doubles. Williams now matches tennis player Steffi Graf’s number of grand slam titles.
Herb Wesson
Courtesy Photo
Since 2005 Herb Wesson has served on Los Angeles’ City Council. He is the leader of the tenth district as well as the Council president. The L.A. Times referred to him as the second most powerful politician in Los Angeles, wielding huge authority over the city’s $8.8-billion budget, which governs spending on police, firefighters and an array of services. Wesson is the first African American to hold the position of Council President in the city’s history and has been re-elected three times to lead the city’s legislative body. During his tenure as Council President, Wesson has presided over monumental policy initiatives making Los Angeles a better place to live, work and raise a family. Not only have local policy initiatives —which include raising the minimum wage, pension reform and consolidating city elections to increase voter turnout— positively affected local residents, but in many cases the city’s actions have spurred state and national response and served as a model for similar policies.
Mark Ridley Thomas
Courtesy Photo
Since he was overwhelmingly elected in November 2008 and reelected in June 2012 to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Mark Ridley-Thomas has distinguished himself as a strong advocate for more than two million Second District residents. He presently serves as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and President of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. He has promoted the District’s interests on a variety of fronts, including transportation, job creation and retention, and local hiring. In the area of health policy, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has overseen the construction of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, as well as a network of cutting-edge health care facilities throughout the District. He has facilitated the use of technology and encouraged an integrated approach to wellness that includes mental health care and a prominent role for school-based clinics. His advocacy has helped secure an equitable share of funding for public-private partnership health clinics in underserved areas.
Minister Tony
Sentinel File Photo
Minister Tony Muhammad (Brother Tony) is known for bringing peace to the streets of Los Angeles. This year Brother Muhammad demonstrated his love for the Black community by holding the United Hoods plus Nation peace and unity summit at Mosque #27. There he asked Bloods and Crips to have an open dialogue to unite and stop killings in the Black community.
Mayor James Butts
Sentinel File Photo
Inglewood Mayor James Butts took office in 2011. Since then, crime has been reported as the lowest level in the history of the city. Mayor Butts has also revamped city services, reconstructed the Forum, and helped brokered a deal which lead to the NFL returning to Los Angeles area.
William Scott
Courtesy Photo
Soon to be former Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief William Scott will take the new position as San Francisco’s police chief. For the last 27 years, the 52-year-old officer has led Los Angeles’ South Bureau working assignments in patrol, detectives, gangs, Operations West Bureau, Internal Affairs, Professional Standards Bureau, the Office of Operations, Patrol Commanding Officer and Area Commanding Officer. He is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute of Policing (SMIP), and has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. According to news reports from San Francisco, Mayor Lee may garner criticism of himself for choosing an outside candidate for the position as opposed to the perceived front runner Toney Chaplin, currently SFPD’s acting police chief. Sixty one candidates applied to the job in San Francisco, according to news reports from SFGATE.com. His longtime administrative experience plus his work dealing with police reform in Los Angeles, figured into Lee’s decision.
Top Stories of 2016
Homeless 
This year, the Board of Supervisors declared homelessness an emergency in Los Angeles County. The measure HHH, which was one of the first acts the newly built board came as a response to motions by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. The measure which was approved by voters in the 2016 primary election will build over 8,000 to 10,000 permanent housing units for the homeless for the next decade, amenities and temporary shelters. AP Photo
Elections 2016
The 2016 Elections will be a year not soon forgotten as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton went head-to-head with the United States as the battle ground. In an upset that sent shockwaves through the nation, New York real estate millionaire Donald Trump won the White House over former the Secretary of State in the biggest and most stunning upset victory for the White House in modern presidential politics. Although many are still in shock, the road to the White House produced some powerful and memorable moments. This year, three African American women were named to top leadership positions: Rev. Leah D. Daughtry, Donna Brazile, and the Honorable Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio served as leaders at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. This year’s convention also brought in over 2,000 delegates representing states from across the nation. On behalf of their constituents, delegates and community leaders pushed social, civic, environmental, fiscal and political agendas on the convention floor to ensure the people that they represent had a say so in the Democratic process. Also, during both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, California saw significant spikes in activity on its online voter registration site. There were a total of 30,240 registrations or updates to registrations conducted online during the Republican convention and 56,594 registrations or updates during the Democratic convention. The majority of registration activity was by younger Californians ages 17 – 35. Sentinel File Photo Collage by Brian W. Carter
City Council Hate Crime
Wayne Spindler, a licensed attorney, was arrested, and later released on $75,000 bail by Los Angeles Police Department on charges associated with graphic drawings and comments passed to City Council President Herb Wesson during a Rules, Elections, Intergovernmental Relations and Neighborhoods Meeting with a drawing of a man (presumed to be Mr. Wesson) being hung by a tree and a Ku Klux Klan member celebrating beside a burning cross. In a showing of community support, Los Angeles Sentinel Executive Publisher and Brotherhood Crusade Board Chairman Danny Bakewell Sr., brought together leaders from an array of community organizations in support of Council President Herb Wesson. Judge Carol Goodson granted a three-year restraining order to Wesson against Spindler for making what many consider to be terrorist threats and hate speech against the council president as well as other members of the city council. As part of the restraining order Spindler was required to surrender all firearms and ammunition to the Los Angeles Police Department. The Sentinel learned that none of the firearms that had been surrendered to the Los Angeles Police Department were registered to Spindler. Spindler said accusations by public officials and others that he is racist had “destroyed” his life and hurt his business as an immigration attorney and filed two claims against the city alleging $775,000 in damages. Ultimately, the D.A.’s office cited Spindler’s First Amendment rights and insufficient evidence that he violated any of the threat statutes as reasons for not filing a criminal case. It was concluded there was insufficient evidence that Spindler crossed the “somewhat nebulous line between constitutionally protected free speech and punishable `true threat.’” Sentinel File Phot
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen celebrated 75th anniversary honoring the milestone of the first African-American pilots in U.S. history. The Tuskegee Airmen were composed of both men and women who served as a civilian support staff for the Tuskegee Experience or enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. This year was also filled with mourning of Tuskegee airman and WWII veteran Dr. Roscoe C. Brown who passed away at the age of 94 and the oldest documented Tuskegee airman Walter Crenshaw Jr. who passed away at the age of 106. Tuskegee airman and WWII veteran Wallace Higgins accepted the Congressional Gold Medal for his 70 years of service. Courtesy Photo
Minimum Wage
California was the first state in the nation to approve a statewide minimum wage as high as $15. Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 3 after the measure passed the State Assembly and State Senate. The new law will gradually raise the state’ minimum wage each year until it reaches $15 in 2022. SB 3 establishes annual increases capped at 3.5 percent based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index once California’s minimum wage reaches $15.The bill also delays wage increases for businesses with 25 or fewer employees. For those small companies, the first increase to $10.50 will begin in 2018. The new income floor of $15 an hour will be reached a year later in 2023. Recently, across the nation this week, fast food, home-care, child-care and other workers rallied in cities including Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis and New York for the implementation of higher minimum wages. Sentinel File Photo
Gangs Unite for Peace
Members of L.A. Bloods and Crips gangs met in peace under one roof at the Nation of Islam’s meeting on July 17 and forged the “Bloods & Crips 2016 Peace Treaty, July 17th Cease Fire Agreement.” This unprecedented act of peace came after multi-platinum rappers, The Game and Snoop Dogg and Problem, a rapper and Game’s best friend, and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan called on them to open dialogue on how to unite, stop the violence, and make their neighborhood a safe, decent place to live. Gang members, gang interventionists, and families of loved ones victimized by gang violence, filled the Church of Scientology’s three-story Vermont Community Center to hear a host of speakers and weigh-in on next steps. Sentinel File Photo
BLM Sit-in 
For over two weeks 60 to 70 members and supporters of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles (BLMLA) held a sit-in outside City Hall demanding Mayor Eric Garcetti fire LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, hold police commission meetings that are open to the community, appoint community advocates to key Commission seats, adhere to quarterly Town Hall meetings structured with the Black community and work in partnership with the Los Angeles City Council to develop reparations policy. BLMLA received support from unions and celebrities like Cedric the Entertainer, Tina Knowles, Marlon Wayans, Meagan Good and husband Devon Franklin, Jesse Williams, Boris Kodjoe and wife Nicole Parker and more. Amanda Scurlock/ L.A. Sentinel
Grim Sleeper
One of South L.A.’s most prolific serial killers known as the Grim Sleeper, was sent to death row for the murder of nine women and one teenage girl. The killings took place from 1985 to 2007. With the trial closed, families can begin to properly grieve over their loved ones. Sentinel File Photo
Inglewood Stadium
This year, the NFL returned to the city of Inglewood and is the new home to the Los Angeles Rams. The $2.6 billion stadium will be on site of the Hollywood Park racetrack with a projected opening in 2019. Sentinel File Photo
Orlando Shootings
Sunday, June 12marked the day of a horrific tragedy in Orlando, FL. Omar Mateen and walked into Pulse Nightclub with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle killing 49 citizens and wounding 53. Nine African Americans men and women were among the people who were found dead. Mateen was killed in a shootout with local police. MySpace via AP
Ex-DEA Agent
Darnell Garcia is an ex-Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA) that served 21 years in federal prison. In 1988, at 43 years of age Garcia was charged with drug trafficking, money laundering and providing intelligence information to a fugitive drug dealer. Garcia was released early in November 2011 after violently appealing to President Obama through the clemency board and the parole board. Garcia revealed exclusive evidence and information during his sit-down interview with the Sentinel that he expressed would once and for all redeem his name and paint the proper picture of the so-called Ex-DEA agent from south central who went rogue. According to Garcia, many of the harsher drug laws that affected minorities are slowly but surely changing. Garcia does, however, feel that his case is a great example of what the justice system could do better. Sentinel File Photo
Michelle King
Michelle King was chosen as Superintendent for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education this year. King had been with the district for 31 years as a teacher and administrator. She is the first woman to lead the district in more than 80 years and the first black woman to ever lead the nation’s second-largest district. King’s platform since taking her positions has been to expand efforts to engage parents, LAUSD unions and other stakeholders to take an active effort in moving the district forward and “create new pathways for all students and give them the tools they need to succeed. Sentinel File Photo
Metro/Leimert Station Ground Breaking
“Harriet”, Metro’s tunnel boring machine named after the abolitionist and leader of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, broke through Leimert Park underground station. Harriet was lowered into the ground under the future Crenshaw/ Expo Station last winter and began digging to the South in April, according to Metro. It reached the Martin Luther King Jr. Station in August and began excavating the last segment of the one mile tunnel in September. Set to officially open in 2019, the station will become a economic boon to Leimert Park and its surrounding communities. It has already provided and will continue to provide jobs and facilitate transportation allowing people to explore opportunities outside of their neighborhood. Sentinel File Photo
Flint Water Crisis
The city of Flint, Michigan took center stage amongst many issues this year. The city of nearly 100,000 people has been dealing with lead contamination since switching from Detroit’s water system, which draws from Lake Huron, to the Flint River in April 2014. The short-term move was made to save money, but state regulators failed to require corrosion chemicals, which let toxic lead from old pipes leach into the supply. Flint has since returned to Detroit’s water system. Sentinel File Photo
Sale of Ebony & Jet Magazines
Johnson Publishing Co. announced in June that Ebony and digital-only Jet were sold to the African-American-owned publishing business, Clear View Group. The sale of the magazines was closed in May, and no sale price was disclosed. Johnson Publishing will retain its Fashion Fair Cosmetics business and Ebony photo archive. The sale of the magazines allowed the publishing company to reduce its debt associated with the media industry. Ebony magazine was founded by John Johnson in 1945, but had been affected by declining circulation and revenues in recent years as it tried to evolve from print to digital platforms. This was the first investment for Clear View. Sentinel File Photo
Taste of Soul
2016 marked the 11th year of Taste of Soul (TOS), presented by Bakewell Media to highlight businesses in the Black community, bringing together people, food and live entertainment. The family festival once again brought in over 350,000 people to Crenshaw Blvd in South Los Angeles from all walks of life. TOS continues to bring community the together and promote unity and brotherhood. Sentinel File Photo
Legendary photographer Howard Bingham has passed away on December 15. Although he shot photos for several news outlets, he was mostly known for chronicling the life events and work of his good friend iconic boxer, Muhammad Ali.
Bingham and Ali met while Bingham was an aspiring photographer at the L.A. Sentinel in 1962. Ali was in town for a boxing match, Bingham had drove past the then Cassius Clay and his brother and asked them if they needed a ride.
Bingham took the brothers on a tour of Los Angeles. The stops included Bingham’s dark room, a bowling alley in Compton and Bingham mother’s house where they had dinner.
Since that day, the two had a close bond and traveled together on various occasions. Bingham has photographed Ali’s meeting Malcolm X and traveled with him to visit Nelson Mandela.
Many of Ali’s fights were photographed by Bingham. He also photographed mundane family moments along with celebrity meetings the boxer would have.
Bingham, along with iconic sportswriter Brad Pye Jr. traveled to Zaire in 1974 to see the “Rumble in the Jungle” fight where Ali defeated George Foreman. The photographer was also courtside for the “Thrilla in Manila,” Ali’s fight against Joe Frazier in 1975.
As Ali grew older, Bingham became a protector of him; he overcame a long-standing speech impediment to speak on behalf of Ali while he suffered from Parkingson’s Disease. He continued to chronicle Ali’s life, capturing Ali carrying the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
Ultimately, Bingham allegedly shot over two million photos of Ali. The two would spend an average of 100 days a year together and call each other once a day, greeting each other by saying “Hi, Bill.” Bingham published a photo memoir in 1993 called “Muhammad Ali: A Thirty-Year Journey.”
The photographer was also a producer of the movie “Ali,” where actor Jeffrey Wright portrayed him in the movie. Their friendship spanned over 50 years despite Ali converting to Islam and Bingham being a Christian.
Other publications that ran Bingham’s work included Sports Illustrated, Ebony, and Newsweek. In 1966, Life magazine hired him to cover the Watts Rebellion. Bingham also gained the trust and shot photos of the Black Panther Party, releasing a book of said photos in 2009 called “Howard L. Bingham’s Black Panthers 1968.”
The network that Bingham accumulated throughout his career is the envy of any pop culture buff. Bingham met and photographed Elvis, Michael Jackson, and the Beatles. Richard Pryor and Marvin Gaye were also friends of Bingham.
He covered the Civil Rights Movement and interviewed James Earl Ray, the man who shot and killed Martin Luther King, Jr. Bingham also covered the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the Detroit riots in 1967.
In the 1970’s, Bingham also was on the set of movies shooting photography for motion pictures “The Candidate” (1972) and “All the President’s Men” (1976).
Despite all of his fame, Bingham continued to reside in Southeast Los Angeles, helping and taking photos of the community surrounding his home.
Born to a minister in a strict home in May 29, 1939, Bingham and his family moved to Los Angeles from Mississippi when he was a child. Bingham attended Compton Community College where he failed a photography class.
After several tries, Bingham landed his first reporting gig at the Los Angeles Sentinel. Bingham married and had two children.