fighting for a black future in cd 9

South Central is a historically Black community with a vibrant history. now we have to invest in a black future, in cd 9 and all of la.

Central Avenue was the epicenter of Black life and the West Coast jazz scene, and today we have thriving communities in Historic South Central, Green Meadows, South Park, and more. But for too long, Black Angelenos have been let down, by an affordability crisis pushing families out of their own city, and by a city government that has sidelined Black communities.

I’m running for City Council in District 9 to help build a safer, more affordable, more livable, and better-run city for everyone. That starts with honest conversations with Black community members, a real reckoning with racial inequality and the wealth gap, and concrete plans to close those gaps for good because when the Black community thrives, the city thrives.

Address Housing and Expand Black homeownership in Los Angeles

Every family deserves a safe and affordable place to live, especially the Black community in South Central who have been locked out of housing opportunities due to the history of redlining in this city. Black homeowners are struggling to get by as they now face rising costs in housing, pressure to sell from predatory developers, and barriers from landlords that make it harder to remain in their homes. Families are leaving the city because they can no longer afford to live here, and homeownership feels out of reach for many. And we have to address generations of racial injustice and systemic discrimination head-on.

As a housing justice organizer for over twenty years, I have spent my entire adult career working to ensure that families can stay in their communities.

Support Black-owned small-businesses and invest in entrepreneurship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a large number of small businesses shut down and Los Angeles experienced the most permanent business closures in the United States in 2020. Black-owned small businesses were hit especially hard. A 2021 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found a 41% decrease in active Black small-business owners in 2020. This deepened the already uneven playing field between white and minority entrepreneurs and accelerated existing economic inequalities. Black-owned businesses are a vital part of Council District 9’s economic backbone. These small-businesses provide essential lifelines to stability for Black families and we must do everything in our power to ensure these pathways are protected and expanded.

  • The district has a rich cultural history as a historically Black community, yet many Black-owned small businesses have been squeezed out by rising costs and turnover. Modeled after Cal State LA’s LEEAF Accelerator, this program would help businesses scale by providing access to capital, commercial lease support, technical assistance, and stronger partnerships with local institutions.

  • Many of our local entrepreneurs can’t afford the rent because of our city’s affordability crisis. According to a 2017 survey conducted by California Reinvestment Coalition, businesses owned by people of color often have to relocate due to landlords increasing commercial rent. By directing existing GoodYear incentives, we can help our businesses stay rooted in South Central.

  • Currently, Los Angeles Trade Tech is the only solar or clean-technology training school in Council District 9. As a result, there is a growing gap between historically Black communities and one of the fastest-growing industries in Los Angeles and in our state because too many residents have not had access to these opportunities. I would be intentional about bringing cleantech entrepreneurs into the Ninth District, and I would also create more job training opportunities and in the clean energy industry by partnering with other educational institutions and unions. I see the clean energy transition as a massive opportunity for career pathways to good-paying jobs.

  • When voters legalized recreational cannabis, Los Angeles created the Social Equity Program to give entrepreneurs a fair chance to enter the industry. But in recent years, the program has been slowed down by bureaucracy and underfunding, leading to long wait times for approvals. These delays are expensive for applicants, many of whom are paying rent on storefronts while they wait to open. Expanding the number of legal cannabis businesses would not only create more opportunity, but also generate revenue the city can reinvest in communities that were most harmed by past criminal justice policies.

  • Expand the City’s Legacy Business Program to protect the community’s legacy businesses from rising rent and business costs and leverage additional tax credits, incentives, and additional public financing tools to support long-time business.

  • Establish a dedicated Small Business Deputy within the Council Office to serve as a direct point of contact for local businesses by providing technical support to navigate city bureaucracy, troubleshoot permitting or compliance issues, and gather input from small business owners to inform future policy decisions.

Combat Health Disparities

We have to hold accountable and shine a light on the systemic discrimination embedded in our health systems. If you are a Black family living in Los Angeles, you are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, experience higher mortality rates, and face food insecurity at disproportionate levels. These disparities stem from structural racism and decades of disinvestment in Black communities. Ensuring Black community members in the Ninth District can live full, healthy lives means confronting generations of racial injustice and systemic discrimination.

  • We will set up clear systems and processes in city government to guide this work and make sure our health providers have the data, tools, and support they need to use them

  • Black women in LA County are four times more likely to die from pregnancy or postpartum complications than women of other races. I will partner with the County to improve access to care by co-locating benefit navigation, postpartum mental health support, and prenatal resources in city-owned buildings. In addition, I will ensure that we expand access to nutrition and food education programs in our neighborhoods.

  • In 2022, nearly one-quarter of Angelenos across LA County experienced food insecurity, and rates for Black residents were three times higher than for white residents. Expanding access to grocery stores and fresh food options is essential to addressing food deserts and ensuring families can reliably access healthy, affordable food. Publicly owned grocery stores already exist, serving over a million Americans every day, with prices 25 to 30 percent lower than conventional retail. There are many benefits to such a model including lower overhead costs as the properties are often owned by the government, thus lowering property rent.

  • I will support residents who want to grow fruits and vegetables in their yards, rooftops, parkways, and even on vacant lots. In South Central Los Angeles, where access to healthy food is limited, turning unused land into community gardens or small farms means healthier families, stronger neighborhoods, and fresh food closer to the people who need it most.

Keep Communities Safe

Racism and injustice go hand in hand. The more racism persists, the less safe a community becomes. It’s a simple pattern with deep consequences for our neighborhoods. Racist hate crimes and structural racism have left parts of our district with fewer opportunities and higher levels of crime and violence. If we want to root out these injustices, we have to confront them head on to create safe neighborhoods for our Black community in Council District 9.

  • We cannot talk about improving life for Black Angelenos without talking honestly about racism. Anti-Black discrimination has shaped housing, policing, schools, and economic opportunity in our city for generations. To ensure the office can truly fulfill its mission of protecting civil rights and helping the City proactively address bias and discrimination, I will continue to advocate for the staffing and funding this office needs to lead this work citywide.

  • Gun violence continues to be an issue for working families in Council District 9, driven by generations of disinvestment, redlining, and economic exclusion. To break this cycle, we must expand violence interruption programs, fund trauma-informed mental health services, create stable jobs and career pathways for young people, invest in neighborhood infrastructure and youth centers, and support community-based organizations already doing this work.

  • This means we’ll be putting more money into education, economic opportunities, in our neighborhoods to make them safer, improving the environmental conditions of our communities, and investing in our health.

  • Community-led intervention, credible messengers, and youth mentorship programs help break cycles of violence by building trust, opening pathways to healing, and creating real alternatives to violence. Our youth deserve safety, belonging, and a future, and we can provide that by investing in the community organizations already doing this work.

  • My office would work to ensure that city departments coordinate with the state to expedite permitting for monuments or signage, provide support for small-business, increase arts funding, and host cultural programming so the district becomes a driver of local jobs, tourism, and preservation of Black history.

Addressing Environmental Injustice

It’s critical that any plan the next Councilmember of District 9 proposes to protect and improve the livelihood of Black residents includes a plan to address the climate crisis. Climate change disproportionately impacts Black residents in Los Angeles through increased exposure to heat and pollution. I commit to advance the following strategies in coalition and in partnership with Black leaders in the community so that families and children can breathe clean air and enjoy the community they call home. (read more about my climate platform)

  • By expanding funding for permeable pavement upgrades, tree canopy coverage, and green rooftops, these upgrades will reduce extreme heat, improve air quality, prevent flooding, create green jobs, and make neighborhoods more livable.

  • Black residents in California are much more likely to live near active oil and gas wells than the general population. More than 1 million Californians who live near active oil or gas wells are exposed to the invisible forms of pollution from oil drilling, including noise, air, and water pollution, contributing to higher rates of illnesses.

  • For many Black families in South Central LA, public pools are not just about recreation but about safety, dignity, and saving lives. As summers get hotter due to climate change, we must invest in community infrastructure that keeps families safe, especially in neighborhoods that have long been denied access to quality public amenities.

  • Expand green space across the district to ensure every Black resident has access to a park within walking distance of their home, addressing long-standing disparities in access to safe, healthy outdoor spaces. This includes investing in new parks, activating underutilized land, and prioritizing neighborhoods that have been historically underserved. I will also secure dedicated funding for ongoing maintenance, so parks remain clean, safe, and welcoming.