Thirty years ago, on April 29 to May 4, 1992, the streets of South Los Angeles were on fire – literally and figuratively – with both structures and tempers flaring due to the acquittal of four White LAPD officers charged with the horrific beating of Black motorist Rodney King.
Senate Bill (SB)17, which is scheduled for an Assembly committee hearing March 23, would declare racism as a health crisis in California and develop a state government “Office of Racial Equity in the State Department of Public Health for purposes of aligning state resources, decision-making, and programs to accomplish certain goals related to health equity and protecting vulnerable communities.”
The impact of COVID-19 has irrevocably altered our way of life. Who knows when we will be able to gather together again. This crisis continues to have a pervasive impact across South LA and the city as a whole. As coronavirus restrictions begin to lift, it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as going back to normal.
As part of its ongoing mission to “help transform the social and economic conditions in South L.A.,” the organization led a roundtable discussion with secretary of housing and urban development and 2020 presidential candidate, Julián Castro.