LA-Based Black and Latina Leaders Seeking Thriving Communities of Color React to Racist LA City Council Leak
Today, Sharhonda Bossier, CEO at Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), and EdLoC board member, Alma Marquez, issued the following statement in reaction to reports of racist comments by L.A. City Council members and the President of the L.A. County Federation of Labor:
“As Angelenos who represent a multi-racial network of leaders of color on a mission to ensure our diverse communities can thrive, we are deeply saddened and appalled. We condemn in the strongest of terms the disgusting racism that has shown up in the beliefs and political motivations of some of our city leaders.
“Angelenos of color across our city entrusted Nury Martinez, Kevin De Leon, Gil Cedillo, and Ron Herrera with the enormous privilege and responsibility to advance policies and practices designed to eliminate the disproportionate harms we experience as a result of entrenched white supremacy. Shamefully, their conversation exposes them as intentional perpetrators of the same discriminatory practices that have constrained prosperity in our communities for generations.
“As leaders who are united by a shared purpose to support the success of youth of color, we are particularly disappointed that the conversation substantially focused on diminishing the character of a young Black boy. The only acceptable course of action now is for each of these officials to immediately resign from their respective positions. Angelenos deserve leaders who are committed to serving the best interests of all.
“This incident underscores the collective work of recognizing the anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and homophobic sentiments within our own communities if we have any hope of working in solidarity with each other to defeat white supremacy and its consequences. We must hold our leaders, our community, and ourselves to higher standards; homophobia, anti-Black and anti-Indigenous sentiments have no place in our city.
“While we are feeling tremendous pain today, we are committed to finding the time and space for dialogue and healing. As leaders of color, many of whom experienced poverty as children, and who continue to live at the intersections of marginalized groups (e.g., Black, Latinx, immigrant, woman, LGBTQ, etc.), we uniquely understand that moving forward from here is only possible through transparent collaboration in safe spaces.
“EdLoC is a community committed to calling in people, especially people of color, who have the potential to be truly anti-racist. We are hopeful that this moment can be the start of a movement toward restoration for these leaders. We call on them to own their mistakes by engaging with the people most affected by their abuse of power, and firmly supporting Black and Indigenous leadership in Los Angeles.
“Finally, this is a time to recommit to what we’re building at EdLoC. Mulitracial coalition building is not easy. Calls to throw in the towel will grow louder. We must remain steadfast in our belief that our progress depends on our ability to stand as a united front against white supremacy wherever it exists.”
