The People’s Budget-LA Candidate Forum, led by Black Lives Matter-LA, took place last Saturday in Africa Town and was an extraordinary display of people power with more than 20 candidates in attendance and close to 300 folks in the park. Those who were running FOR the community instead of FROM the community were there, including mayoral candidates: Gina Viola, Mel Wilson and Alex Gruenenfelder Smith; city attorney candidates: Faisal Gill, Hydee Feldstein Soto and Sherri Onica Valle Cole; city controller candidates: Kenneth Mejia and Stephanie Clements; and city council candidates: Al Corado (CD13), Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD13), Eunisses Hernandez (CD1), Erin Darling (rCD11), Bryant Odega (CD15), Jimmy Biblarz (CD5), Scott Epstein (CD5), Dulce Vasquez (CD9), and Kate Pynoos (CD13). Although it’s extremely disappointing that none of the so-called mayoral “frontrunner” candidates showed up, we are grateful to those who did, who signed our pledges to hold them accountable, and who demonstrated their allegiance to the people, not police.
Thank you to the People’s Budget-LA team that made it happen, and thank you to Dominique DiPrima of KBLA Talk 1580AM for moderating. You can watch the forum online at the link here: https://www.facebook.com/blmla/videos/5287023881316003.
Read More
Campaign season is in full swing! At recent mayor debates, candidates have tried to one up each other in how much they would increase funding for police and their plans to criminalize homelessness through sweeps to “clean up the streets.” People’s Budget LA, a coalition led by Black Lives Matter-LA, will be hosting a candidate forum of our own to discuss how candidates will make #BlackLivesMatter if elected into office, what their budget priorities are, and why they do (or don’t) deserve our vote. Every single candidate running for any seat in the City of Los Angeles has been invited. Some have confirmed their attendance, others are already running from the community. This Saturday in Africa Town (Leimert Park Plaza) 4395 Leimert Blvd. Come out and join the community conversation and hear directly from candidates on where they stand on important issues.
Read More
We are still walking on air from the beauty and joy experienced at yesterday’s #BlackWomenAreDivine “reclamation” in the name of #BreonnaTaylor. A million thanks to all the Black women who were present and to all the people who were not Black women who gave their gifts, time, and labor to make it happen. We especially appreciate the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, KBLA Talk 1580, Creating Justice, Frontline Wellness, and Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson for partnering with us to provide this day of healing and joy for Black women, girls, and femmes.
If you were unable to participate on Saturday (or if you were and need some more), come out TONIGHT AT 7PM for BLMLA’s Monthly Meeting at 3423 W. 43rd Place to debrief and contemplate next steps in honoring the divinity of Black womanhood, which requires the ending of state-sanctioned violence against Black people.
Read More
#BlackWomenAreDivine was inspired by the Spirit of #BreonnaTaylor, emerging as a celebration of Black women’s divinity. It is an affirmation of who we know ourselves to be and who we have always been. We are not mules, not beasts of burden…meant to labor and suffer. Life comes through us…The whole of humanity was birthed through us. Black women make magic…make scraps into soul food, create music out of silence, turn pain into purpose, summon the Ancestors with our prayers, dream and build a world fit for our children. We carry with us an unparalleled wisdom, and laughter; there is hope even in our tears. We are the power and depth of the ocean and the joy and the light of the heavens. We are sacred, and beautiful, and brilliant, and…the closest there is to God.
Black women are divine!
Throughout this weekend, Black Lives Matter chapters across the country are hosting events and offerings to build a sacred space for Black women. In Los Angeles we will gather on Saturday March 12, 2022 12-5PM at Norman Houston Park.
There will be delicious, healthy food, lovingly prepared by Watts Coffee House. Performances by Rickie Byers, Estella Holeman, Sierra Herrera, and more. Healing spaces that include massage, sound bath, and life coaching. We will have a children’s village for the young ones and plenty of community building. Everything is free and all are welcome, but only Black women will be there to receive this time of restoration.
People who are not Black women are invited to bring an offering for the Black women in attendance: flowers, candles, gifts, notes of love…
THE DIVINITY OF BLACK WOMEN ALSO INCLUDES THE SACRED WAY THAT WE PROTEST AND BUILD THE WORLD OF OUR MOST RADICAL IMAGININGS.
JOIN OUR SPECIAL BLACK WOMEN ARE DIVINE #ENDPOLICEASSOCIATIONS PROTEST WEDNESDAY AT 4PM, 1313 W. 8TH STREET IN LOS ANGELES.
Qualified immunity is the legal principle that shields killer cops from accountability. It’s what keeps cops from being held responsible for the people they harm or kill. It’s what the family of 14-year-old #AndrewJosephIII has fought these past 8 years to end, so that they may finally receive their day in court against the police officers who killed their son.
On Thursday March 3rd, the family of #AndrewJosephIII and Black Lives Matter will be in front of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. to demand police accountability. Make sure your name is on the petition to demand Congress end qualified immunity, in the name of #AndrewJosephIII and all of the lives stolen by law enforcement.
Read More
This Wednesday will mark ONE WHOLE YEAR of Black Lives Matter’s #EndPoliceAssociations campaign. It is police associations that are behind harmful policies like no-knock warrants - which stole the lives of #AmirLocke and #BreonnaTaylor and qualified immunity - which shield the police responsible for #AndrewJosephIII’s death from accountability. It is police associations that bully and bribe elected officials and candidates for office as they “pilfer the public purse,” by demanding budget increases that take funds away from vital resources - like housing. Police associations are not unions, and they must be ousted from the House of Labor. They threaten the lives and work against the interests of working class people.
For a whole year now…every Wednesday at 4pm, #BlackLivesMatter and allies come together to take over the streets in front of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, summon the spirit of our most righteous Ancestors, stand with the families of those killed by police, and demand justice.
Read More
Saturday, February 5th should have been Trayvon Martin’s 27th birthday. Instead of celebrating entering into a new chapter of young adulthood, his mother and family organized a peace walk to “let the nation know, that he had a right to walk in peace without being followed, pursued, profiled, chased, and murdered.”
Black Lives Matter chapters from around the country convened in Miami to join the family, and stand alongside them to uplift his name. It’s in his name, #BreonnaTaylor, #DijonKizzee, #SandraBland, #George Floyd, #AmirLocke, #MichelleShirley and all of the names of those stolen by police violence, that we unceasingly struggle for justice and fight for a world where #BlackLivesMatter.
We must stay in these streets and organize to #EndPoliceAssociations that shield and protect killer cops from accountability, and impede real structural change.
Read More
Happy Black History Month, BLMLA Family!
As we vision and build Black futures, we are deeply committed to the African principle of Sankofa. We know we must embrace and honor the freedom fighters, struggles, and lessons learned from the past as we chart the course forward. Founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926 as Negro History Week, which emanated from the existing birthday celebrations of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln by Black communities on February 14th and February 12th respectively. A month-long remembrance was initiated by Black Student Union organizers at Kent State University in 1969, which began this now time-honored tradition. Not officially recognized by the U.S. government until 1976, Black History Month has, and continues to be, an expression of Black autonomy and a claim to our right of self-determination.
In this spirit, we are excited to continue our #BlackHistoryMatters campaign with Scholars 4 Black Lives again this year and deepen our political understanding of Black historical figures, events, and movements within the Black freedom tradition. Consistent with last year’s campaign, daily installments will be posted to the Black Lives Matter and Scholars 4 Black Lives Instagram pages and tagged with #BlackHistoryMatters. We hope that you will like, comment, and share widely as these brief tellings of Black history provide us the inspiration to struggle forward with renewed vigor and vision.
Read More
Abolition is the way to true freedom…and it means the toppling of unjust system and the radical imagining of new ones. Abolition applies to all areas…from how our city budgets are invested (#BlockTheLAPDBudgetIncrease), to our commitment to transformative justice, to how we treat each other. The abolition of state-sanctioned oppression is the foundation for our movement. Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors; new book, An Abolitionist's Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World, is a guide for how to be an everyday abolitionist. It teaches us how to have courageous conversations that propel the abolitionist narrative and understanding forward, in addition to providing thoughtful lessons on the praxis of abolition. It’s a manual for the movement and an absolute must-read.
Grab a copy from a Black-owned bookstore! (Eso Won and Malik’s Books in Los Angeles and see verifiedblackowned.org for options.) And continue fighting for abolition by STAYING IN THESE STREETS TO #ENDPOLICEASSOCIATIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 4PM, 1313 W. 8TH STREET IN LOS ANGELES.
Read More
Every day in the struggle is Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. His radical vision and ancestral spirit guides our fight to end state-sanctioned violence, economic oppression in our communities (#DefundThePolice), and true freedom for all Black people by way of abolition. Dr. King’s warning of the three evils: racism, capitalism, and materialism, continue to plague society today. This week in the Senate, the voting rights for which Dr. King struggled so fervently, are in jeopardy.
This week and every week, let us not just say Dr. King’s name or post a quote, let us engage fully in the beautiful struggle for justice and freedom.
Read More
January 12th should have been #JalaniLovett’s 28th birthday, but on September 22, 2021, he was beaten to death by sheriff's deputies, believed to be part of the “3000 Boys” gang, inside Men’s Central Jail. While the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department tried to cover up Jalani’s murder, by calling it a drug overdose, autopsy photos clearly show that Jalani was beaten horribly.
Jalani is not the first Black man to be killed in such a manner. The circumstances of Jalani’s death and the cover-up attempt are almost identical to the murder of #JohnHorton in 2009…also at the hands of the 3000 Boys. And there are others…hundreds killed and thousands of lives destroyed by LASD gangs.
Heri za Kwanzaa - Happy Kwanzaa! Sunday, December 26th marked the beginning of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa was founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga and the US Organization in 1966 as a seven day holiday that runs from December 26th through January 1st each year. It is based on African harvest festivals and is meant to be a celebration of the hard work that we have done all year and the fruit that our labor bears. During Kwanzaa we uplift the Nguzo Saba - seven principles - necessary for Black freedom. Each day we reflect on the principles: UMOJA (unity), KUJICHAGULIA (self-determination), UJIMA (collective work), UJAMAA (cooperative economics), NIA (purpose), KUUMBA (creativity) and IMANI (faith). Let this time be one of both reflection and action as we move forward to build a world of enduring peace, justice, freedom, and joy.
Kwanzaa also means a redoubling of our work and efforts…especially in light of the ramped up violence of LAPD…which continues to murder our people with impunity…including 14-year-old children in department store dressing rooms. #ValentinaOrellanaPeralta
LET’S STAY IN THESE STREETS TO #ENDPOLICEASSOCIATIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 4PM, 1313 W. 8TH STREET IN LOS ANGELES.
Read More
Today as the jury continues to deliberate the verdict in the Kim Potter trial for the murder of #DaunteWright in Minnesota, let us remember that no matter the outcome, justice will not be delivered. Justice would be Daunte being home with his family for the holidays, raising his young child, and stepping into his fullest purpose.
While we can’t get justice for Daunte, we can get justice in his name, which requires accountability for his death by way of a guilty verdict. Kim Potter was not only a training officer, but the president of her police association, who conspired with murderous officers for decades to cover up other killings. Now she has summoned white-woman-tears and rallied the blue-code-of-protection in an attempt to cover for her own murderous act.
Read More
POLICE LIE! POLICE ARE CORRUPT! Policing is a fundamentally dishonest, brutal oppressive, and murderous system. Today, it was made public what we already know…Torrance police are racist. On the eve of the angelversary of #ChristopherDeAndreMitchell, the lies of the officers who murdered him – Anthony Chavez and Matthew Concannon – are being laid bare for the world to see. In Los Angeles, LAPD…including some high ranking officers…were part of what can only be described as an arms ring…where guns paid for with our tax dollars were stolen and sold back to dirty cops. Not to confine the corruption to the City, LAPD become a global embarrassment when Chief Moore and Assistant Chief Marino wrongfully arrested an innocent person in France, based on a false robbery accusation made by the assistant Chief’s wife. Police are lying in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota as the trial of Kimberly Potter, who murdered #DaunteWright gets underway, and in Chicago as they attempt to prosecute actor and activist Jussie Smollett. The list, unfortunately, goes on and at worst includes the targeted harassment, surveillance, brutalization and murder of Black people. Police lie. Policing is corrupt and the only solution is abolition. W
e got work to do!
Read More
#BlackXmas is not just about rejecting white supremacist capitalism, it also encourages people to support the Black organizations that support our communities. Consider organizations like Black Lives Matter-LA, fighting to end state-sanctioned violence and usher in a new world through abolition; organizations like Africa Town, that maintain safety and cultural richness in Leimert Park and organize the Sunday African Market & Drum Circle there; organizations like the Fernando Pullum Center that provides free performing arts classes for children; and the Jenesse Center that provides resources and housing for women and children who are surviving domestic violence. A robust list of visionary Black-led, Black-serving organizations in Los Angeles can be found here. Donating to these organizations in the names of your loved ones makes a tremendous gift. Instead of buying into the consumerist frenzy this holiday season, engage in the #BlackXmas principle #BuildBlack and make a difference with your dollars.
AND STAY IN THESE STREETS TO #ENDPOLICEASSOCIATIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 4PM, 1313 W. 8TH STREET IN LOS ANGELES.
Read More
Black Lives Matter has been challenging people to “dream of a #BlackXmas,” to intentionally use our resources to: #BuildBlack (invest in Black-led, Black-serving organizations), #BuyBlack (spend exclusively with Black-owned businesses from Black Friday through New Year), and #BankBlack (move our money from white corporate banks to Black-owned ones). #BlackXmas challenges us to shake off the chains of consumerism and step fully into our own collective power, to build new traditions, and run an offense as well as a defense.
Read More
Nevermind the naysayers…
#DefundThePolice is a righteous policy demand and a winning strategy! Just ask Councilmember-Elects Indira Sheumaker in Des Moines, Iowa, Richie Floyd in St. Petersberg, Florida, and Joanna Kelley in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. All of these movement folks won on platforms that sought to divest from harmful carceral systems and invest in community resources like housing, mental health resources, and youth programs.
Read More
There is so much to fight for and when we are constant and consistent in our struggle, we can win the world of our most radical imaginings. For months we have been fighting to get the #NoNewCops motion on to the City Council agenda, now let’s get it passed. We’ve been saying #AnthonyMcClain...let’s demand justice and accountability in his name. We've been standing for #ChristopherDeAndreMitchell...let's force the City of Torrance to take action. Let’s block the armament of park rangers and demand the passage of Representative Cori Bush’s People’s Response Act.
Read More