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City officials consider creating Office of Racial Equity

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — The city of Los Angeles declared September as embRACE LA Month last week on the steps of City Hall. The month-long initiative will engage community members through more than 150 citywide conversations about race and racism that is aimed to unify and empower Angelenos. The 2019 embRACE LA initiative, developed by City Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr. and Councilman Mitch O’Farrell in collaboration with Community Coalition, will provide a space for conversations to ignite change through community engagement.

Published

5 years ago

October 6, 2019

Oakland Post

Photo by: wavenewspapers.com

By Kaye Dietel

LOS ANGELES — The city of Los Angeles declared September as embRACE LA Month last week on the steps of City Hall. The month-long initiative will engage community members through more than 150 citywide conversations about race and racism that is aimed to unify and empower Angelenos.

The 2019 embRACE LA initiative, developed by City Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr. and Councilman Mitch O’Farrell in collaboration with Community Coalition, will provide a space for conversations to ignite change through community engagement.

The goal of this year’s initiative is to establish a new Office of Racial Equity in Los Angeles to strengthen inclusion for Los Angeles’ most marginalized communities.

“Today we are living in the divided states of America with a president determined to pit us against each other by either our political affiliations or often simply by the color of our skin,” Wesson said. “These divisions have been exacerbated by Trump but did not start with him. Enough is enough. We must once and for all address the systemic racism in our country and face it head on. The hill is big but step by step we can reach the top.”

“The powers that be want us divided and isolated from one another instead of coming together to talk and recognize our shared experiences and values,” said Alberto Retana, president and CEO of Community Coalition. “EmbRACE LA is the antithesis to those calls for division. We can’t address the deep-rooted racism in this country if we’re not prepared to discuss it in meaningful ways.”

Organizers encouraged community members to join the movement by visiting the website, where people can access a downloadable toolkit, which includes resources and guides on hosting conversations about race. The website also features a survey for residents to offer input and share their viewpoint on the state of equity in Los Angeles.

“Nearly three years ago, we launched a pilot program called ‘embRACE LA’ and asked Angelenos to weigh in on issues of race, ethnicity and diversity,” O’Farrell said. “Today, the program continues as we break bread with our neighbors and counterbalance the daily onslaught of vitriol, hate and willful ignorance coming out of the White House. This next phase will help us fine tune the goals of the program so we can grow stronger as a community, defend the values we hold dear in our city and identify opportunities for neighborhoods that have been historically overlooked.”

Community Coalition member and South L.A. resident Rachel Day shared a story about racism in which her 20-year-old son was falsely accused of shoplifting while checking out of a grocery store with her on Mother’s Day. Police threatened to Tase him and handcuffed him.

“All I could think is how could this happen,” Day said. “Yet inequities like this happen all the time. This is why talking about race and racism is so important. This is why being an active member of your community is vital. embRACE LA and Community Coalition are so inspiring to me — it’s a way to reconnect with people and the community.”

EmbRACE LA gives Angelenos the opportunity to sit down — whether it’s with complete strangers or colleagues — and have meaningful in-person conversations about one of America’s defining struggles. Participants can expand their points of view by interacting with people who have diverse backgrounds, learning about different life experiences or breaking bread with neighbors where there is much in common but little to no previous interaction.

The gatherings will consist of about 10 to 12 participants who live, work or go to school in L.A. A host will guide each conversation, generally lasting two to three hours. Conversations will occur across the city at different times throughout the day. Some will have light refreshments or a meal.

Community Coalition has also enlisted support from experts in different Los Angeles industries, including the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and Bad Robot co-CEOs J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath, to host gatherings.

In utilizing community engagement and conversation as a strategy to ignite sustainable policy change, embRACE LA and the city of Los Angeles will serve as a leading voice and case study for other major cities in the U.S. to address racial equity.

Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. The majority of L.A.’s 3.8 million residents are black, indigenous or other people of color, making L.A. a “majority-minority” city.

Officials said there is a need for an Office of Racial Equity to help close racial disparities and strengthen inclusion for L.A.’s most marginalized communities.

“We hope that by creating an Office of Racial Equity in Los Angeles, we can create a city dialogue and implement policy to create a more equitable city,” Wesson said. “We must be honest with ourselves and our role in shaping these systemic inequities, and once we recognize that, we need to put our head down and work on fixing it.”

To learn more, to host a conversation or to offer input on the Office of Racial Equity, visit embRACELA.org.

This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.