Brandon Lamar has entered the race for president of the NAACP Pasadena Branch, bringing a passion that will elevate the organization’s presence in the community.
Among his goals, he promotes reinvigorating advocacy, mentoring new generations of civically engaged leaders, and establishing the NAACP Pasadena Branch as a community hub. Born and raised in Pasadena, Lamar has a deep love for the city and a vested interest in the empowerment of its constituents.
One of Lamar’s key strategies is engaging youth. Lamar stated, “I think I am the youngest person active in the Pasadena NAACP, and I’m 32 years old. If we don’t get the younger generation involved, there will be no NAACP in the future.”
Standing behind his word, Lamar also founded Merge Black Pasadena to bridge the age gap. He has firsthand experience with youth engagement as that is how his journey began.
From a young age, Lamar has been a champion of advocacy and civil rights. He got involved in community work as a teenager with the Youth Ambassador program and the Youth Council. This served as a catalyst for Lamar’s dedication to civic service.
At 23, Lamar felt a calling to address critical needs in his community, leading to an appointment as commissioner on the Human Relations Commission. He served in this role for seven years and held the seat of chair twice. In this role, Lamar did impactful work, and he stresses the importance of collaboration.
“I recreated the partnership between our commission, city, and 211, allowing people who have been victims of hate crimes to report those hate crimes anonymously,” Lamar commented.
As commissioner, he oversaw the development of the annual “Pasadena vs Hate day” in partnership with LA vs. Hate. He has also addressed past travesties.
“As chair of that commission, I was able to tell the truth about the Mills place incident. We made a plaque telling the history of Pasadena,” stated Lamar.
This plaque reveals a nearly buried history – a violent incident 137 years ago that devastated Pasadena’s Chinese district. The original plaque noted, “A fire at this site destroyed a laundry establishment owned by Chinese settlers.”
The new plaque honors Yuen Kee Laundry and Pasadena’s early Chinese settlers, who contributed to the city through labor and business. The plaque acknowledges that a mob attacked and destroyed the laundromat, with the city banning Chinese from Central Pasadena the next day.
In addition to addressing discrimination and hate crimes, he currently serves as the vice chair of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board, which works toward rent control and tenant protections.
One reason this issue is close to Brandon Lamar’s heart is his family’s history. Lamar commented, “My grandma had 10 children and 33 grandchildren. And I’m the only one left of the family that lives in Pasadena.”
The skyrocketing cost of housing has displaced much of Pasadena’s Black population. “About 15 to 20 years ago, we were 21% of the population. Now it is 6%, but 33 % are homeless.”
Lamar addressed the disparity in housing for African Americans and how eminent domain stripped away many Black homes.
Having worked to address many community issues, he said that he decided to run for NAACP Pasadena president for a number of reasons. First, Lamar seeks to create a strong transition plan for future Black leadership, stating that political leaders often stay in roles without developing a successor.
Second, he is committed to restoring advocacy as the heart of NAACP’s work, ensuring representation at every council meeting, speaking directly with assembly members, and placing an NAACP member on each city commission.
Third, Lamar aims to rebuild the NAACP as a hub for Pasadena’s Black community. The location can host a range of activities, from community meetings to study sessions for youth.
Lamar reflected, “I believe Pasadena is a great city; we still have things to work on.”
