When Dominic Gibbs’ family moved to the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles in the 1990s, the young child had a lingering question for his mother: What is that massive 20-foot-tall pump next to our house? “I always think about when I first saw the pump, because I thought it was just something that happened […]
Los Angeles
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why the LA City Council Scandal Is About More Than Racist Slurs
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that his office will investigate the Los Angeles City Council’s redistricting process following the release of an audio recording in which council members hurled racist insults about Black, Jewish, and Mexican indigenous communities. On Wednesday, City Council President Nury Martinez resigned her seat, three days after the release […]
Posted inHousing, Money
A Sweeping Ordinance Would Make It Easier For LA to Target its Unhoused Residents
Since last fall, Lee has lived in a budding community on the southern edge of Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Residents of the once-majority Black area — the epicenter of the 1965 Watts Rebellion and the 1992 uprising following the police beating of Rodney King — have advocated for investments in Black life for […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voices of Change
Meet the 24-Year-Old Climate Activist Trying to Shake up Los Angeles Politics
Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Capital B is talking to newsmakers across the country who want to reshape American politics or galvanize Black voices in government. Our “Voices of Change” series will update periodically with insights from the candidates, activists, lawmakers, and political insiders whom you should know. LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Bryant Odega wanted […]
Posted inEducation, K-12
What Happened After LA Schools Cut Police Funds and Hired Mental Health Staff for Black Students
Kyla Payne distinctly remembers being on edge any time she entered Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. The 16-year-old felt uncomfortable being monitored by campus police officers who seemed to be intent on finding crimes and rule violations that weren’t there, Payne said. “I know for me and my friends, it was difficult trying to […]