As we approach one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes, for Angelenos and Californians, there is so much more at stake than just who wins the U.S. Presidency. BLMLA has led the charge to unseat racist, disgraced Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León, who is up for reelection in the 14th District. In addition we have been fighting to prevent Nathan Hochman from assuming the District Attorney's Office as he threatens to undo years of progressive work.
Hochman is a proponent of Proposition 36 which threatens to rollback major hardfought statewide judicial and carceral reforms won by our grassroots organizing efforts (so vote NO on 36!). Even more, we have an opportunity to ban chattel slavery in the state by passing Proposition 6, and supporting housing for Angelenos by passing Measure A.
As we prepare to VOTE by next Tuesday, November 5th, we must also constantly ORGANIZE. TODAY AT 2:30PM we are mobilizing to oppose the appointment of Jim McDonnell as LAPD Chief at the City Council Public Safety Committee. When Mayor Bass named McDonnell as her pick for Chief, it demonstrated a betrayal of the community - which had chased him out of the Sheriff’s office in 2018. Organizing is key in advancing our own interests and holding elected officials accountable.
#VoteAndOrganize!
For weeks now, BLMLA has been hitting the streets, canvassing against Kevin De Leon (KDL), the anti-Black, disgraced Los Angeles City Councilman who has the nerve to be running for reelection. In 2022, KDL was one of four Latinx “leaders” caught on tape saying despicable things about Black people, Indigenous folks, renters, and poor people as they conspired in a back room to diminish Black power. They compared former Councilman Mike Bonin’s Black toddler to a monkey, said the child needed a "beatdown," and referred to his openly gay father as "a little bitch." Kevin also derided Black protest, claiming we were nothing more than “25 Black people yelling.”
We were able to force the resignations of KDL’s co-conspirators, but Kevin refused to step down—despite national outcry and intense protest, including an 18-day encampment in front of his Eagle Rock home. Now, he’s running for reelection to the 14th District, campaigning on a platform of thinly-veiled anti-Blackness while pushing anti-poor policies that have contributed to the highest eviction and homelessness rates in the city.
We haven’t forgotten about Kevin! For the last three weeks, we’ve been canvassing the 14th District, informing residents about his terrible record. Last Wednesday, we showed up at his debate and stood in silent protest as he stoked anti-Black sentiment from the stage.
Join us! We’ll be at this Saturday’s debate and canvassing 14th District neighborhoods every Sunday. It's time to reclaim our power and build the future we deserve.
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Our hearts are so very heavy as we mourn the theft of Imam Khaliifah Marcellus Williams’ life. Missouri Governor Mike Parson chose to push forward the execution of a Black man who, by virtually all accounts, was innocent of the crime for which he had been convicted. Both the state and United States Supreme Court refused to intervene and most mainstream elected officials and candidates stood silent. Each of them have the blood of an innocent and righteous Brother on their hands.
The people though…the people poured out all that we could. More than a million calls flooded Governor Parson’s office. Hundreds of thousands signed petitions. Clergy of all faiths gathered and prayed. Virtually every social justice organization spoke in one voice to #SaveMarcellus.
We know the death penalty to be racist and vile. We know that Marcellus Williams is not the first innocent Black man to be executed and he will not be the last as long as capital punishment continues. It is in his name that we redouble our efforts to abolish the death penalty and work to build a safer, free, and just world.
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The ongoing struggle of Black labor is not just a footnote in the labor movement. Black labor built this nation. Our hands tilled its soil, constructed its cities, and powered its industries. Yet despite our indispensable contributions, we continue to bear the brunt of systemic oppression in every corner of the workforce.
Organized labor cannot claim to stand with workers while shirking any allegiance to Black workers. Nothing is more emblematic of this hypocrisy than the inclusion of police associations in the House of Labor, where their interests are in direct opposition to real workers. Police associations are not unions. Cops are armed agents of the state, meant to protect the ownership class. They are strike busters and violence doers, whose very founding is as slave catchers that put targets on the backs of Black people.
Black labor’s struggle is the labor movement’s unfinished work. If the movement truly wants to succeed, it must center our fight at the heart of its mission. We must end police associations, hold killer cops accountable, and never forget that the ultimate measure of the labor movement’s success is the health, safety, and prosperity of Black workers.
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As Black August comes to a close, it's important to remember that this commemoration is not just a month-long reflection—it is a call to action that must carry us through the entire year. Unlike other commemorations, Black August doesn't end for our political prisoners. While we may move on with our daily lives, they remain trapped in the literal and proverbial shackles of white power, enduring the relentless oppression of the state.
Our duty is clear: we must continue the fight for their liberation, not just in August, but every day of the year. This means more than just remembering their names; it means actively working to dismantle the systems that hold them captive. We must carry Black August with us by continually thinking of them, advocating for them, and engaging in the practices that define this sacred time.
Let us commit to this work with the understanding that the struggle for freedom does not have an endpoint. As long as our brothers and sisters remain behind bars, as long as the shackles of white supremacy continue to bind our people, Black August must live in our hearts, our minds, and our actions—every single day.
This is our duty, our responsibility, and our path to true liberation. The fight continues, and so must we.
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Today, we lift the beautiful Spirit of #WakieshaWilson, whose life was stolen 8 years ago by guards inside LAPD Metro Detention Center. Wakiesha was a loving mother, daughter, niece and community member. Authorities never bothered to inform the family of Wakiesha’s death, leaving her mother searching for her for four days before she learned that she was dead.
Since 2016, BLMLA has been working alongside the family to demand justice in Wakiesha’s name. This afternoon, join the demonstration in her honor and plug in to the work to pass “Wakiesha’s Law,” a federal family notification policy, being introduced to Congress.
All month long, be inspired by Divine Black Women honored daily on IG @blmgrassroots, and plug in to do the righteous work of Black liberation.
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The life of beautiful Black healer, daughter, niece, loved one, and ray of sunshine - #BreonnaTaylor - was stolen by police in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13, 2020. As word slowly spread around the world, Black women, especially, felt a collective piercing wound. We were reminded of the words of honored Ancestor Zora Neale Hurston who stated that “Black women are the mules of the world.” But Divine Spirit and Breonna Taylor reminds us that…the world may try to make us into mules, but BLACK WOMEN ARE DIVINE.
Since 2020, Black Lives Matter Grassroots has called for a reclamation of Black women’s divinity. This has taken shape in the form of community honors, celebrations, and acts of love. Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles will host our annual arts, healing and love festival on Sunday, March 17th at Norman O. Houston Park…with performances by Aloe Blacc, Aja Monet, our own Yazmin Monet Watkins, and Kayo, and more, healing services, including: reiki, massage, acupuncture, and spiritual counseling, healthy delicious lunch, gifts, and outpourings of love…all free for Black women, girls, and femmes. People who are not Black women are invited to show their love by bringing gifts, volunteering, and spending the month loving up on the Black women in your own lives.
All month long, be inspired by Divine Black Women honored daily on IG @blmgrassroots, and plug in to do the righteous work of Black liberation.
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For some of us, Tuesday’s election results were not so super…
While Black Lives Matter doesn’t endorse candidates and we know that no oppressed people have ever won their freedom solely through the ballot box, we also know that electing leaders who are in line with our values is important.
While our beloved Baba Akili didn’t win his Assembly race, he won a formidable 10% of the vote while holding true to a people-powered, vision-based campaign facing opponents who had much deeper pockets and political machines behind them. And while racist, violent, disgraced City Councilman Kevin De Leon was the top vote-getter in Council District 14, 73% of district residents voted against him. DEEP THANKS to Michael Williams and the #KDLMustGo crew for holding it down for years - educating the community about the harm that Kevin brings.
As we move towards a general election in November, let’s continue to #VoteAndOrganize!
All month long, be inspired by Divine Black Women honored daily on IG @blmgrassroots, and plug in to do the righteous work of Black liberation.
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