David Vela

Black Representation Matters: How a Rigged System Eliminated the Only Black Seat on the Los Angeles Community College Board

This was clearly a predetermined game wherein the will of the community (who refused to elect Vela twice in his previous election bids and came out strongly for me), the endorsements of Black elected officials (like Assemblymember Kamlager-Dove and Senator Mitchell who endorsed Ms. Shaw and Councilmember Harris-Dawson who endorsed me), the support of students, faculty, and staff (who all participated in an interview process and unanimously supported Valerie and me), and the qualifications of candidates did not matter. Instead, the seven-member Board, which already had three Latino males, appointed a fourth…who has no background in public higher education or any experience related to the post. He was nominated by a right-wing Trump supporter (Ernie Moreno) and the rest of the Board voted unanimously in his favor.