Black Women State of the Union takes flight at the Company of Angels

February 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment


By Jillian Baker

Listen to an audio story from Annenberg Radio News

Black Women State of the Union is a “play within plays” — a series of stories that tackle the tough issues Black Women face in society. The all-African American, predominantly-female cast sheds light on Black women’s trials and tribulations through laughter, sorrow, joy and tears.

It’s not easy for the cast and crew of Black Women State of the Union to address these personal or often overlooked topics. But to many, like co-producer Michelle Flowers, that tricky subject matter can help spark bigger conversations in the Black community. “Historically, we are at a critical time in our history in terms of we see more black women in political leadership, in more creative and entrepreneurial black women doing exceptional things,” said Flowers. “But these are things we’ve worked so hard to achieve and we have to work hard to maintain.”

imageIt’s a point of view that co-producer and director Kila Kitu also shares. “It’s that state of potential. We aren’t flying, we aren’t on the ground, we are just taking flight and exploring where we are in that context, said Kitu.”

No topic is left ignored in Black Women State of the Union. Actresses wage war on everything from beauty and love, skin color and self-hatred. The actresses often find certain pieces within the play that speak to them in different ways. Sometimes this personal connection allows the actress to better portray certain emotions on stage.

But for actress Tamika Simpkins the personal connection goes even further. Her performances are not only powerful for the audience — they’re also powerful for her as an artist.

Simpkins said,“Art is supposed to take you on this journey, not only for the audience but as the artist and sometimes show you things that we can’t see in ourselves that God and the universe intends for us to see. “

Nearly every actress feels some sort of personal connection to the stories in Black Women State of the Union. For actress and co-producer Lony’e Perrine, that story is “I Don’t Wanna Be” — a story about a mother’s loss and suffering exacerbated by the murders of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin. Perrine is a new mother, and thoughts of her child drive her performance. “My son is two and a half and every time I look at him I have those feelings like what if something happens to him or what if that situation that happened to Trayvon happens to him and it’s something that you can’t ignore. That piece for me resonates deeply.”

Messages of beauty and self-esteem appear throughout Black Women State of the Union. It’s a topic that, for many Black women, remains difficult to ignore in the 21st Century. Co-producer Lee Sherman believes that ignoring these issues of representation can cause more harm than good.

“I think because there is still the Eurocentric standard of beauty that Black women are still feeding into that standard of beauty and feeling that our natural beauty is not enough and doing whatever we can. But as long as those media images are out there, there are going to be some of us striving for that beauty.”

Black Women State of the Union inspires conversation on issues that would normally be left ignored. The portrayal of Black women breaks down stereotypes and promotes the beauty and strength of Black women. Director, Ayana Cahrr understands how Black women have the power to redefine and own their image. “I am so honored to work with these women because they redefine what Black beauty is and what Black women represent. And that is what we need to do and that is what we are in the process of doing is redefining. We set the tone for what we represent.”

You can catch Black Women State of the Union-Taking Flight at Company of Angels at The Alexandria, 501 S. Spring Street., 3rd Floor (Corner of 5th & Spring) from February 19 through February 24th.

Filed Under: Arts

Candidate Closeup: Jan Perry

February 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Listen to an audio story by Annenberg Radio News

imageJan Perry/ File photo.

There are two narratives about City Councilmember Jan Perry. In one, she is a crusader for poor communities in South LA—the woman who invested on Figueroa and reaped the benefits for Main Street. But in the other, she is the union-busting pragmatist who shut down the push for a Fresh & Easy on Central and Adams.

“I think the greatest source of my passion is my desire, my very strong desire, to help people move forward,” said Perry. “It’s obvious that I’m a woman, I’m a woman of color; I happen to be a woman who is not only black, but I’m also Jewish and I communicate in Spanish. I think I step in the shoes of most people, and I feel what they feel because I go through it myself.”

Perry has represented Council District 9 since 2001. During her tenure, she tightened restrictions on fast food restaurants, installed the Central Avenue Farmers Market and directed millions of dollars into parks and affordable housing. She also championed the Central Avenue Jazz Festival and won awards for restoring her district’s wetlands.

“Over the last twelve years, when we had the redevelopment agency, I leveraged tax increment and took it south to develop more housing, to bring in more neighborhood retail, to basically create a climate that was far more receptive to business. I will continue to leverage construction of housing and retail,” said Perry.

Her advocacy has won her a devoted base among black voters in South LA. CD 9 has historically been represented by an African-American, but in the past few decades it’s become about 80 percent Latino. Perry has worked hard to win support from her Latino constituents, too.

“The voice of the communities is very, very important on what happens in this city,” said Mark Gory, a South LA preacher who noticed her history of engagement at a recent mayoral forum. “This is a very large city… and each community needs to have their issues addressed individually.”

imageJan Perry at the Central Avenue Jazz Festival, July 2012.

On the other hand, there’s the Perry who installed LA Live and advocated for USC’s Village project. City politics writer Ron Kaye says those put her at the beck and call of developers like AEG.

“Jan has done everything she can that the Central City association wants, that downtown developers want, certainly that AEG wants… She represents downtown, the city has poured most of his wealth over the last 30 years into downtown, and so she has done everything she can, because that’s where the money was, certainly, for her campaign,” said Kaye.

Perry is decidedly pro-business. That’s helped cull support among fiscal conservatives in the San Fernando Valley who might have leaned toward Kevin James or Wendy Greuel. Garcetti and Greuel, who lead in the polls, have also gathered union support. Perry hasn’t.

“She’s always… not against unions, but questioned,” said Kaye. “In her own way, Jan is stronger than, as a personality, Greuel or Garcetti, and is more capable of fighting, at least on some of the issues.”

Most public employee unions have lined up behind Greuel, Perry says that binds Greuel to them, though — and limits her flexibility on pension reform, one of this year’s leading issues.

“They haven’t spoken about getting employees back to the table on giving back on their healthcare and pension costs, because that is the absolute hardest thing to do — particularly if you’re a candidate who’s been heavily endorsed by some of the more powerful public employee unions. A campaign who has received the benefit of that kind of money will not say that your employees need to create salary parity. They will not say that your employees need to give back on their healthcare costs and pension costs.”

Perry is a Democrat who agrees with Greuel and Garcetti on most issues—all three oppose the half-cent sales tax increase on March’s ballot, for example. And she says her years of experience have taught her how to use Council’s resources—and that would make her a well-prepared mayor.

Sherita Herring, a South LA entrepreneur running for the 9th District seat appreciate the work Perry did in city government. But she’s worried that Perry’s cozy relationship with downtown developers threatens her ability to really advocate for poor Angelenos.

“Right now, the Staples Center, when there’s a game there, every game generates three million dollars. Every single game,” said Herring. “How much of that is impacting these surrounding communities, who are going to be impacted when the stadium comes here, and there’s more traffic? What is the trickle-down? You’ve got people who don’t care, because their home isn’t here on 41st and Broadway.”

Perry’s goal, though, is to maintain that political tightrope until March fifth—and she’s counting on crowds on both sides to keep her balance.

Filed Under: Featured, Politics Tagged With: , ,

LA’s Synchronized Traffic Gets a Green Light

February 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment


By Cliff Liu
Annenberg Radio News

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa flipped the switch today on the final traffic light control box in the citywide signal synchronization program.

“Every single traffic light in the City of Los Angeles is fully synchronized. The only big city over a million in the entire world that has every traffic light synchronized,” said Villaraigosa.

Synching all of LA’s traffic lights on the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control system has been an ongoing effort since before the 1984 Olympics. The computer-based traffic signal control system monitors traffic in real time and syncs traffic lights accordingly.

Those behind the program say it will result in a 16 percent increase in travel speed and a 12 percent decrease in travel time.

“That translates into an average 22 hours and 23 minutes of time savings a year- nearly a day in the lives spent in travels,” the Mayor said.

That should help people get to where they’re going on time, but it didn’t work out for the Mayor who came half an hour late to today’s unveiling.

Along with the faster travel times comes environmental benefits in a city with 2.5 million registered cars.

“We have so many benefits that come from this. Less time idling at intersections that will help clean the air and reduce our air pollution and with twelve million plus people on our city streets, that translates into an incredible improvement on air quality,” said Councilwoman Jan Perry at the event.

The LA Department of Transportation says today’s synchronization will have the same effect as taking 190,000 cars off the road.

image

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: , , , ,

Candidate Closeup: Kevin James

February 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Listen to an audio story from Annenberg Radio News

imagePhoto by Graham Clark/Neon Tommy.

Kevin James is more like a watchdog than a City Hall outsider—a longtime Angeleno keeping a careful eye on its policymakers. For more than six years, he hosted a talk radio show about LA politics on KRLA (AM 870).

James cancelled the show when he started his mayoral run more than a year ago. He spent much of his airtime providing conservative commentary on politics, national and local. He also aired shows about each of the city’s neighborhood councils.

James has no direct political experience—he grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, served as an assistant U.S. attorney, then practiced entertainment law in LA. He also spent two years directing AIDS Project Los Angeles. If elected, James would be LA’s first openly gay mayor.

A gay Republican leading a decidedly Democratic city. An ex-prosecutor taking out-of-state campaign funding in a scene dominated by unions and political partnerships. That resume may seem contradictory—but longtime city reporter Ron Kaye says it’s at least as valuable as one from City Hall.

“I think Kevin James has raised the most amount of issues with the best knowledge of what’s broken,” said Kaye. “Nobody, I don’t think, has an answer, and the closest to it is James, in that he would negotiate and put the unions under pressure. But he’s a Republican, and I think he would have a very hard time getting the leverage and support that he needs from City Hall.”

James talks confidently, though. Like every candidate, he says the city budget is his first priority—and he has a five-year plan that is heavy on numbers. He would balance the budget with pension reform, tax loophole closures and increased revenue.

By lowering business tax rates, James thinks he’ll drive investment during his first term—and he says new companies will bring in enough revenue to eliminate the need for tax increases on individuals. But… if it comes down to it, he says he’s willing to raise taxes.

“Because I am the fiscal conservative in the field, and because my opponents have lost whatever credibility they had on tax increases… When I come in and give an independent look to the books on these projects, if I have to tell the voters that this is a tax increase that we need for whetever the purpose is, I’ve got much more credibility with them than they my opponents do,” James said.

James comes across as straightforward. He didn’t equivocate when I asked about the controversial decision to allow Wal-Mart to put a store in Chinatown: “I supported it. The community wanted it,” James said. “I won’t say no to any private industry that wants to come here. I know Wal-Mart is controversial, but you know what? Our city needs jobs.”

That directness appeals to some voters, like Sherri Bell, a South LA native who attended a recent mayoral forum.

“Kevin James, I feel, did a good job in today’s forum… You have to have a plan in order to execute the goals you’re telling the public you’re going to reach,” Bell said.

James’s experience as a talk show host sparks his energy—especially the neighborhood council series. During our interview, he rapped his fingers fervently when he described talking directly to the public.

“The neighborhood councils, I kind of fell into, and have developed a real appreciation for,” James said. “If you want to know what is really happening in LA, you go to the neighborhoods.”

James wants to offer neighborhood council seats on city-wide commissions that will advise him personally. These people are already engaged … and James says it would be a shame not to put their energy toward actual policymaking.

“These people are volunteering their time. They’re learning city issues. And they’re doing it for free because they love their city, they love their neighborhoods, they love their kids, and they love their community. And I don’t know a city in the country that has the kind of volunteer and city engagement that we have in LA,” James said.

That really resonates with Collins Osagiede, who serves on the Silver Lake neighborhood council.

“The more you get your neighborhood councils involved, the more you get your neighborhoods involved, because for a long time it’s always felt like there was a dichotomy—the people who wear the suits and make the speeches, and the people who live real life,” Osagiede said.

Journalist Ron Kaye sees that, too. He thinks James is genuinely interested in the good of all Angelenos because he’s been so curious for so many years.

“Kevin paid a lot of dues… I was on his radio show,” Kaye said. “I think he knows what people are upset about throughout the entire city better than any of the other candidates, because he’s been out there talking to people and looking for news.”

James was endorsed by Former Republican mayor Richard Riordan. He’s also taken money from big-name out-of-state donors—among them, Harold Simmons, a Texas industrialist who’s bankrolled conservative campaigns for decades. Another donor is Republican advertiser Fred Davis, who managed media strategy for John McCain in 2008. His campaign office in Studio City is staffed by a small, spry strategy team.

But the numbers aren’t in his favor—only sixteen percent of voting Angelenos are Republicans.

“The question is, has he been able to convince other constituencies that he’s the right man for the job? I don’t know that I see evidence of that,” Kaye said.

James may not be able to win the March fifth primary, but he could pull enough votes to influence who advances to May’s runoff election. And a strong showing for moderate James in solidly Democratic LA could galvanize the Republican Party nationwide.

Filed Under: Featured, Politics Tagged With: , , , , ,

OPINION: Putting on my running shoes for Council District 9 elections

February 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment


By Martha Sanchez

It is election time and most people are ready to elect a new representative for the poorest council district of Los Angeles; someone who can fix five powerful regulatory tools: infrastructure, industry, immigration, institutions and identity policies.

And this time the election is not about skin color, it is about universal issues. At least this is what we heard from candidates at the first CD9 Candidate Forum held Saturday, February 16th at Maya Angelou Community High School.

This election is about finding a meaningful leader eager to reduce crime, police abuse and political corruption, infrastructural disinvestment, environmental contamination, ethnic tensions, inadequate education, poverty, job opportunities, homelessness, redevelopment plans and discriminatory ordinances that only benefit certain ethnic groups.

And I’m absolutely right when I say the “poorest district of Los Angeles,” even when we have so many important and valuable assets such as the Augustus Hawkins Natural Park, the Jazz Corridor, the California African American Museum, the Green Meadows Recreational Center, the Mercado La Paloma, a great number of new and well equipped school buildings, the Los Angeles Trade Tech College, great transportation lines like the MTA blue line, Exposition line, well-preserved mansions, historical buildings and landmarks, such as the AAA building and the St Vincent Catholic Church along Figueroa corridor.

Did I miss something? Oh yes, L.A Live, L.A Convention Center, the California Science Center, IMAX Theater, L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park, Mary Mount University, the University of Southern California, the newest Lorenzo Housing Project, the Orthopeadic Hospital, available warehouses, great investment opportunities, shipper land, ship labor and why not… its people.

Oh yes, we are the least and the last in almost all candidates’ bucket lists, but we are important too. Let’s not forget that “we are living in a neighborhood steeped in culture and history.” That’s why they need our votes!

As a longtime resident, this is the first time that I see a significant number of young and adult volunteers recruited by current political candidates walking down the streets talking to constituents, attracting young voters and reaching out to skeptical residents, encouraging them to participate in the upcoming election on March 5th.

I’m so fascinated with former and new politicians’ campaigns since ten years ago when I first became an activist in my community. Monica Garcia—my school board representative—who is fighting to keep her seat as well, told me: “Martha we can’t do anything for your community because your people don’t vote, and we don’t want to upset the voters.”

That was a slap on my face, but it didn’t prevent me from reaching my goal to improve my community. Now, the same people that were discouraged by politicians are being reached out to and considered important.

Observing all those campaign volunteers knocking on my neighbors’ doors makes me feel proud and inspired. It seems that we have finally changed the equation. We learned our rights and acquired some political awareness to turn things around. But we still need something equally important: we need jobs, education and economic opportunities. In order to get that, we need to have an honest and committed representative in City Hall.

For those who couldn’t attend the forum I would like to share some personal remarks. First and most importantly, this community has demonstrated that Black and Latino leaders can and want to work together. We had a great turnout and the event organizers deserve to be acknowledged for that. Second, we all wanted to know from all candidates what their connection with CD9 was and what they have done for us in their past. Third, I believe most people just started to understand that we don’t need a candidate that looks like us; we need someone that thinks and acts like us!

Thus, no matter how hard they tried to connect with us by mentioning their Mexican, Salvadoran, African-American, blue, white, red or purple affiliation, it was clear to them that we didn’t want big corporations dictating our lives. We want equitable funding for working class people, better public services and high quality infrastructure, and more power in decision-making process for new developments, housing projects and job opportunities. They might look like us, but if their campaigns are funded by banks, corporations and the so called “philanthropic big brother,” then we don’t want them to represent us.

Although some stressed the fact that since Latino residents are the great majority in CD9, a Latino representative could better suit this community. If it were the case, why is Gil Cedillo, a Mexican-American, running for office in the greatest Central-American district, and why are [Ron] Gochez and [Ana] Cubas, both of Salvadoran descent, persuading Mexican and Black residents to vote for them? Why do Curren Price Jr., David Roberts, and Mike Davis — none of them Mexican-American — think that they could represent CD9 residents better; they should be running for CD8 instead.

Even more outrageous is to hear people concerned with keeping the “black man” in power. This has nothing to do with “black and brown” tensions in South L.A. and it is not about skin color, right? With all due respect, they should know that it was Gilbert Lindsay, a black council member who almost destroyed the pride and character of this former black community. They should go and ask [Eighth District Councilman] Bernard Parks’ constituents how they feel about him too. I believe they feel almost like us when someone mentions Antonio Villaraigosa, Monica Garcia, or Marco Rubio.

My intention is not to divide but to raise awareness that skin color should not be the standard. Those comments really disappoint me in a similar way that others felt discouraged when Cubas and Gochez expressed few remarks in Spanish, though most people — like me — preferred to vocalize issues around education, job training and gentrification. Let’s be honest, a community like mine, holding so many amenities, cultural richness and leisure opportunities is a hidden treasure, a main target of developers and gentrification is already taking place. The rich want our land and they are willing to invest in a physically and mentally disconnected “token” to make it faster.

Please don’t get me wrong, we don’t need a “hometown candidate” that has never been outside of this community and can’t think outside of the box. I don’t believe in a candidate that adjusts his thoughts and manners to please different audiences. How can I trust in a candidate that is taking credit from somebody else’s work to enhance his efforts and commitment, a candidate that was paid to perform some specific tasks under somebody else’s administration, and later feel proud and confident to say “I did it” in a public forum.

Why do we have to use our gender, race, and our humble background to make the statement that we are better. I know rich people that are humble, peaceful and that really care about the poor. I also know poor people who, once they got in a position of power, turned around and became unconscious dictators. I know a lot of female politicians holding important positions of power supporting male agendas and constantly voting against female rights.

I do really want to see change, but change from the grassroots level to the glass ceiling. As a woman, I doubt other women that are successful based on male agendas. As an immigrant, I feel uncertainty around the police department. As minority, I distrust blue eyes. As an educated person, I know how politicians have used and abused this community. As a mother and wife, I need better opportunities for my husband and my kids that Wal-Mart has never provided.

As an activist, I admire Cesar Chavez and Dr. [Martin Luther] King, but what I learned from them is that they never left people behind to run for office and they died fighting for their cause. We don’t need another hero. But if we really want to stop our politicians from being accountable to corporations, then we need to invest in them and work on their campaigns, so they will only be accountable to us… their real constituents. Then, let’s put on our running shoes to walk precincts and make this happen.

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: ,

OPINION: I could be wrong

February 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Catholics love the season of Lent. I recently enjoyed Mardi Gras over at Bourbon Street fish market this past Tuesday, you know, Fat Tuesday. We party our ass off Tuesday, then Ash Wednesday we receive our ashes created from last years Palms, and prepare to atone and reflect for the next 40 days, otherwise known as Lent. Lent represents the 40 days before Easter. We are asked to give up something during this time. In addition to the no meat on Friday’s policy, this year I’m giving up my pessimistic views of the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD). Raised to read the bible for understanding what type of person I should be, I began to get reacquainted on how to rid myself of negativity so that I will emerge from Lent more understanding and compassionate and less frustrated. So, I read.

imageMelissa Hebert

Proverbs 13:24 – He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

This passage is deep. You hate your child if you don’t chastise them…hmmm??? I must have read that line 100 times. Things became clear instantly. I’ve been giving IUSD a hard damn time because of my love for the city which helped raise me.

IUSD gave me my foundation. If any of you have went to an Inglewood school or had your children in one, some of these names may sound familiar: Mrs. Ichinaga, Mrs. Wax, Mrs. Schieldge, Mrs. Strickland, Mr. Rothenberg and Mrs. Howe. Mrs. Ichinaga was a small woman with a huge heart. She was principal during a time when you could go rogue and take your school by the reigns. My teachers understood the difficulties some children faced at home and showed high levels of compassion towards them. Finding solace in our classroom, because it was comfortable and welcoming, created an environment conducive to learning; one where we could escape the nonsense at home and simply be a kid and learn. Friendships flourished for we not only lived in the neighborhood together we went to school together, many of us walking to school together both before and after school.

Inglewood is home, where you still run into former neighbors, classmates and teachers. The reason many seek clarity in the bible is because some overlook a major component of life – faith.

Hebrews 11 – Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (2) This is what the ancients were commended for.

I was lacking faith in IUSD. Here I am assuming that because we don’t know what their plans are to turn things around doesn’t mean our state administrator and current assistant superintendent have not gotten it together. The problem with having faith stems from not being able to immediately see it and being tired of waiting too damn long. We’ve become an instant society. Just add water and go, but solving real life problems aren’t as simple.

Sure we can get frustrated, but why? Let’s show our support by being more positive and helping to volunteer on campus, let’s encourage non-working family members to help with traffic control so the kids don’t have to dodge the cars of frantic parents rushing to work. Let’s make an effort to bring some goodies to the classroom on Teacher Appreciation Day, or on the whim, to impress upon the teacher that “we don’t take you for granted,” while showing the kids how to express love.

As we wait for funding from Measure GG and we begin to see what our administrators have in place, our children may not directly benefit in the short-term, but long-term, most definitely. It’s the next generation that will be bringing up the rear and if we Generation X-ers make it to our promised golden years of 70, these kids will be the ones we encounter at our grocery stores, banking institutions, city halls and emergency services. So looking at the big picture, we have to have faith that the improvements the district plans to make will indeed come to fruition.

I ask the district to consider offering foreign language courses at the middle school level. By teaching kids a foreign language at an early age, they will become more fluent in the language both written and oral, thus increasing their opportunities for higher education and employment. Mrs. Ichinaga was long criticized for requiring her english learning students to learn through english immersion. It will also be a great program to draw kids back to the school district.

Bennett-Kew was the number one school in the district, and test scores remained high across all ethnicities, for at least a decade. Bennett-Kew was also designated as a distinguished school, as are several other schools in the district. The best thing about our district is we benefit from having Tom Torlaksonas as our state administrator.

Back in 1997, many of us remember the little girl, Sherrice, who stopped at the Nevada state line with her family and was sexually assaulted and killed by Jeremy Strohmeyer. His friend, David Cash, witnessed the assault on Sherrice but never reported it to police. He wasn’t required by law to do so.

While Jeremy serves life in prison, David is free to roam the streets. Tom Torlakson, a former State Assemblyman (D-Antioch), authored legislation, the Sherrice Iverson Good Samaritan Law, that would make it a crime to witness the sexual assault of a minor without notifying police. It was signed into effect in 2001. Without the urging of local black leaders it may not have come to pass, but Torlakson stepped up and did something about it. I too have faith that he will make the right decisions concerning the Inglewood Unified School District because he has demonstrated that he listens to the community.

Filed Under: Opinion

Opinion: An open letter to the Los Angeles Police Department

February 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment


imageJasmyne Cannick

Christopher Dorner is dead.

Whether you agree or disagree with Dorner’s actions preceding his death or even how he died, one fact can’t be changed—he brought forth serious allegations of racism and discrimination within the Los Angeles Police Department. Dorner’s allegations have been publicly co-signed by both retired and terminated Black LAPD employees—and in private by those currently serving within the department but too afraid to cross the blue line.

Many are asking, where do we go from here, but I’m more concerned with where we don’t go from here.

To both the LAPD and the community—it can’t be business as usual.

Town hall meetings and community forums to discuss a problem that we already know exists are a waste of time and accomplish nothing. Sure—the media will cover it and there will be no shortage of people coming forward to express outrage and mistrust towards the LAPD. The LAPD in turn will sit there and take the verbal abuse because quite frankly they’re being paid to be there and it’s what they do when there’s a surge of strong public outrage directed towards their department—and when it’s all over everyone will go home.

But if it’s really a new day in the LAPD and the organization is as transparent as it tells us it is, then it’s time for the LAPD to sit down with the LAPD. That’s the discussion that needs to take place.

Dorner’s manifesto wasn’t written to call attention to police brutality. He was trying to call attention to the systemic institutional racism and discrimination that he experienced as a Black police officer when trying to report police brutality to his higher-ups. He was trying to clear his name and blow the whistle on what is happening inside the department everyday, including today, to Black police officers. Don’t get distracted.

You tell me what’s easier—investigating the firing of a dead ex-cop or addressing the issue of rampant racism in the department that was presented by the dead ex-cop.

Dorner wasn’t the first Black police officer to lose it after separating from the department and as others have said, he won’t be the last unless something changes.

Fred Nichols was a Black man who was the LAPDs chief expert on use-of-force tactics. In 1991, Nichols was suddenly reassigned in an apparent retaliatory move by the department for testifying before the County Grand Jury in the Rodney King case and for later sharply warning the Christopher Commission about the department’s routine misunderstanding of excessive force. He was taken from a very prominent position within the department to what he considered a “less prestigious position.”

According to the L.A. Times, the department denied that the reassignment was retaliatory, describing the move as part of an overall redesign of the training program. The incident marked the third time that the department’s high command has been accused of punishing supervisors who spoke out against the LAPD in closed sessions before the Christopher Commission.

Nichols, in an interview with the The Times, said he’d suffered severe stress-related problems, including anxiety, insomnia and vomiting, since he was advised that he was being removed.

“I can’t work. I can’t sleep,” he said. “There’s not one minute that I don’t think about it. Sixteen years of working in specialized units, doing my tasks, and now, because I’m honest and fair, they do this to me.

“What career do I have left? It’s gone. If you make waves in this department, it becomes close to impossible to ever promote again.”

Fred Nichols checked into a hotel that following May and shot himself.

Retired in-good-standing sergeant Cheryl Dorsey recently came forward and explained how when she was going through her own Board of Rights hearing that involved the same charge as Dorner—giving false and misleading statements to an Internal Affairs investigator —she seriously contemplated just jumping off the third floor of the Bradbury Building.

Married to another LAPD officer at the time, Dorsey says that she was a victim of domestic violence and after details of incidents at her home found their way into the department, she was charged with six counts of unnecessarily causing the response of an outside agency for the six calls she made to the sheriff’s department from her home in Altadena. The charge of giving false and misleading statements was tacked on when questioned by Internal Affairs.

She believes that having come forward since Dorner and finally speaking out that she’ll face some sort of retaliation from the department.

Fired LAPD police officer Brian Bentley said that he had a manifesto too—not a list of those to kill, but those who had wronged him during his 10 years with the department. He was fired for writing the book One Time: The Story of a South Central Los Angeles Police Officer, a book that documented his experience with racism, discrimination, and police brutality inside of the LAPD.

And there’s another Black officer who has a lot to say but tells me that he’s too worried about his family to come forward.

So you see, this time it isn’t about us per se—it’s about the Black men and women who have suffered over the years the type of racism and discrimination as described by Dorner and echoed by many of his colleagues in the days since.

The community’s job is to push forward and stand with those Black police officers willing to come forward and give credence to Dorner’s claims. It’s very easy to discredit someone who’s never worn the LAPD uniform, but it’s not so easy when it’s one of your own, and that’s the discussion that needs to take place publicly. It’s the first real step towards ending police brutality on the streets and in the department.

I want to see the relationship between Blacks and the LAPD improve and I believe that it has. But I also believe that we just took a huge step backwards with Dorner and no amount of community meetings with civil rights leaders and the LAPD posing for cameras is going to fix that.

It can’t be more the same.

Christopher Dorner was a game changer.

Chosen as one of Essence Magazine’s 25 Women Shaping the World, Jasmyne A. Cannick writes about the intersection of race, politics, and pop culture. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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Candidate Closeup: Emanuel Pleitez

February 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Listen to an audio story from Annenberg Radio News

imageEmanuel Pleitez is the Los Angeles mayoral race’s undisputed underdog:

“I’m stepping up to take the challenge on because we need that,” he said. “We need a new leader, someone with a fresh perspective, a unique perspective.”

Pleitez has rocketed onto debate stages and into TV ads since the new year after surprising analysts by raising enough money to receive matching public funds.

Just 30 years old and born in South LA, Pleitez is a breath of fresh air for longtime LA political reporter Ron Kaye, former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News.

“He has the immigrant son story of growing up in the city, and he’s put himself on the map,” Kaye said. “I think he’s become a visible player, and from my personal point of view, a welcome one.”

Pleitez is only seven years out of Stanford University, but his job history is extensive. He has worked for John Kerry, Mayor Villaraigosa, Goldman Sachs, President Obama’s transition team, a consulting firm and, most recently, data firm Spokeo. He even ran for Congress in 2009, but lost. In fact, his only victorious election has been to his senior class presidency in high school.

Pleitez calls this job history an advantage because it makes him an outsider to City Hall, independent from debts to unions and specific neighborhoods.

“I’m a mayor of all Angelenos, and that goes whether they’re documented or not. I am the mayor of all Angelenos that are in the city of LA, and I want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to work and contribute to LA,” Pleitez said.

Kevin James, a lawyer and radio host, is the race’s other “outsider.” But Jan Perry, Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti are City Hall veterans with big endorsements from politicians, unions and developers.

But Pleitez’s relative inexperience stokes his popularity for frustrated voters.

“The things that he said, it gelled. It came together,” said Brian Gaines, who saw Pleitez speak at a mayoral forum on Jan. 19. “Look at the others who have been there–what have you done over the last, collectively, 30 years?”

“The others who have been there” refers to Greuel, Garcetti and Perry’s combined three decades in City Hall. “That really stood out to me, being young and coming through the trenches. I want to see something new.”

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Consistently, Pleitez’s number-one issue is one ravaging City Hall: Pension reform.

LA’s pension obligations will increase to $3 billion a year by 2017, according to former mayor Richard Riordan. That’s about 50 percent of the city’s annual budget. Pleitez wants to increase the retirement age and move toward a 401-k plan for current city employees.

“That’s why every single year they’re having to cut another few hundred million dollars. If we reform the pension system, we wouldn’t have to make those cuts,” Pleitez said.

His number-two issue is education. Pleitez has been speaking ardently at LA’s community colleges and is hosting a “South LA Backyard Hackathon” next weekend. Its mission: “Bring Silicon Alley to South LA.”

“If we actually invest in education and training, not just for young people, but older folks as well, then we’re going to be able to move our workforce into a higher skill level to get the jobs that are actually available,” Pleitez said.

Based on city election trends in LA, though, this race doesn’t look good for Pleitez: He has a fraction of the frontrunners’ money and lacks endorsements from major city players like unions and councilmembers.

But he does have momentum. Pleitez said this week that his team has knocked on 40,000 doors and made 150,000 phone calls since Jan. 1.

That effort might be sufficient. According to California Common Cause, LA has notoriously low voter turnout in local elections: Sometimes just 7 percent of the population votes, and the city’s maximum is about 35 percent.

However, Ron Kaye cannot envision Pleitez qualifying for the runoff election in May. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote on March 5, the top two candidates advance to another ballot on May 21.

“I do not have a scenario where this is going to be an election that changes the face of LA politics,” Kaye said. Pleitez is young, however. “He’s put himself on the map, nobody had heard about him a few months ago. I think he clearly has signaled that he intends to be around.”

Pleitez will be around, knocking on every door, at least until March 5.

Molly Gray contributed to this report. Photos by Molly Gray.

Filed Under: Featured, Politics Tagged With: , ,

Shakespeare in Watts: teacher activist Melanie Andrews

February 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment


imageMelanie Andrews is the director of the internationally acclaimed Washington Prep High School theatre program in South Los Angeles. A native of Compton, California, she received her MFA in theatre from the University of Southern California and has worked as a director in China, Germany, Canada, and Mexico, as well as at regional theatres in the U.S. A documentary on the Washington Prep theatre program’s Shakespeare in Watts (a rendition of Romeo and Juliet) production is screening on Sunday, February 17th at Los Angeles’ Pan African Film Festival. Dr. Andrews is also a teacher-partner for the L.A. County Human Relations Commission’s Washington Involving Neighborhoods program and Black Skeptics Los Angeles’ 2013 scholarship fund.

What is your background in theatre?

I got into theatre by accident. I was a state champion debater for Compton Unified. As part of a work study program in high school I got a job at the Ebony Showcase theatre (now the Nate Holden Company) in South L.A. I started with the production Norman is That You (with Redd Foxx and John Amos). The girl that was playing a prostitute had an accident and I decided I would fill in for the part. I got the laughs and fit the suit and that is how I got the part. I was also encouraged by Ethel Waters when I performed at the Pasadena Playhouse. I taught at CSULB, Compton College, and Emory University in Atlanta. I am also involved in using the arts for the peace movement and human rights, especially as it pertains to human/sexual trafficking and violence against women. For the past several years I’ve been engaged with helping girls and women understand the impact of prostitution and sexual trafficking in local communities of color from a black feminist perspective.

What is the climate of local youth theatre in South L.A.?

Washington Prep is the little school that could. We have won over forty awards in theatre competition. I found kids that were hungry to do theatre. I’m classically trained and have brought that training to this school. It’s not necessarily in line with the norm of high school drama. Some of our acclaimed productions have been Zoot Suit and Positive Secrets, a drama on HIV/AIDS based on the voices and experiences of youth of color. We also mounted ‘Stop” a production on the sex trafficking of girls. We won five awards at the California State festival. Our other claim to fame is that 90% of the students involved in this program go to four year universities like Fordham, NYU, UCLA, etc. This program has boosted their academic success and college matriculation prospects.

What other productions are in the works?

Unfortunately, none of our productions are being funded. We don’t necessarily have the support of the administration. We’ve been told that our stuff is “nice” but that it doesn’t make money. The school has decided to go in a more “hip hop” direction. We got zero funding for Black History month. Like many teachers I’ve had to go into my own pocket to fund these productions. However, I believe these productions are necessary for students to know the Eurocentric canon in order to survive, navigate higher education and be culturally literate. Our students will be able to perform in different contexts and know their craft. Several years ago, I realized we had an excess of talent and a dearth of funding and that’s why I partnered with the British Academy program. I’ve had the pleasure of working at numerous Shakespeare festivals (in fact, I’m one of the few African Americans that has worked as a stage manager, dramaturge, actor and director for virtually every Shakespeare play in the Folio). The cast of Romeo and Juliet was mentored by members of the BA program. The students were able to learn the language of Shakespeare from actors that were immersed in it. They also received training from actors in the Royal Shakespeare Company. These professionals saw them as being important and the students lived up to those expectations. Now we have over one-hundred mentors.

What is the most rewarding part of working with youth at Washington Prep and how can the community help with this work?

Having them in class you get to see that everything that exists in the microcosm of the community exists here too. Everyone has a “heart light”—you just need someone to turn it on. In theatre we activate it with high academic expectations and the students rise to the challenge. They start going to class, they become community activists, they learn that they have power, and they demand things. Most of our kids are now in the top ten of their classes. They are focused on college, realizing that they not only have a future, but that they have a gift. So I welcome community members who can come and be mentors. We have costumes to design and sets to build. We need fundraisers, we need sets painted, and most of all we need the kids to be supported. We have kids in foster care, kids who are homeless and surfing on couches, and we have kids that are dealing with the random death of loved ones. Sometimes in rehearsals we’ll deal with death, rape, and other hard issues and they are able to connect their life experience with that. Romeo and Juliet is so real to them because they are living through it. I grew up in Compton. My father was murdered when I was young, and because of your mother, Yvonne Divans Hutchinson, and others guiding me I made it through that. Teachers like her told me what a difference I could make. I could have become suicidal or a drug addict. I’ve had multiple careers, but I come back to teaching because we are needed more now than ever. My students have gone on to be professionals in theatre, film, business, and politics and that is one of my greatest rewards.

Sikivu Hutchinson is editor of blackfemlens.org, freethoughtblogs.com/blackskeptics.org, Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars

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New organization provides academic resources to locals

February 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment


By Josanta Gray
Associate Editor

SOLID USC, Students Organizing for Literacy, Inclusion and Diversity, is looking for youth to participate in their first annual conference on February 16, 2013. image

“The SOLID Steps to College Conference is an opportunity for me to provide my hometown community with resources that were missing from my educational career. It is my hope that this conference will not only empower the youth who attend but encourage them to purse education at vast levels of the university system,” said Jacqueline Jackson, the vice president of SOLID USC.

USC Students Rikiesha Pierce and Jackson created SOLID in response to the current state of education in the United States and with the intention of decreasing disparities in education amongst minorities.

The SOLID USC conference will be run by a large group of undergraduate and graduate students on Trousdale Parkway beginning at 8am. The event will include a host of workshops, panel discussions and cultural shows for youth in both junior high and high school to enjoy.

Representatives of SOLID USC are excited that the day long event will connect those with a recognized need for academic resources in South Los Angeles to the USC community.

Youth between the grades 7-12 grade are encouraged to preregister for the event using an online form at http://jaycalila.wix.com/solidusc#!form/cvls.

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