May 16, 2013

LAWT News Service

 

Powerful cluster of Black community, clergy and labor leaders revealed a binding Community-Mayoral Covenant which has been received and verbally agreed upon by both candidate for Los Angeles Mayor Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel, it was announced.

Authors of the Community Mayor Covenant, which included organizations and civil rights advocates, have formed under the organizational name of Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (BCCLA).

President Eric P. Lee leads the BCCLA along with Dr. Maulana Karenga (professor and Chair of African Studies at Cal State University Long Beach) and Larry Aubry, president of Advocates for Black Strategic Alternatives.

Other members include Seba Chimbuko Tembo, executive director of African American Cultural Center, The Rev. K.W. Tulloss, president National Action Network, The Rev. Tony Smart, The Rev. Donald Wilson, Damien Goodmon, and Tony Wafford, president of I Choose Health and Wellness Foundation and Anton Farmby.

“This is a critical moment in our history, Black community, clergy and labor leaders have come together under the banner of the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance (“BCCLA”) to propose a covenant-based politics that is ethical in foundation, inclusive in form and people-focused, beneficial and practical in content. The character of the times and the urgency of the situation demand that we do things differently, definitely better and with greater concern for Black community interests and the common good,” said president Lee.

The announcement was made at the African American Cultural Center on Monday May 13.

BCCLA holds the position that support of any political candidate must be based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and the common good expressed in mutual commitments. Thus, political candidates who seek the support of the Black community must recognize and respect our interests and endorse our list of vital interests and agenda.

The Covenant currently consists of eight (8) core areas of concern that directly impact the quality of life in the Black community: Economic Development, Education, Employ­ment, Health, Housing, Legal Justice, Preservation of Cultural and Arts and Transporta­tion.

This covenant will serve several essential functions that aims to not only achieve concrete policy and political goals of the black community and Mayoral candidate, but also to create a new way of political thinking and political practice. First, the covenant will serve as a rating system for candidates and thus a basis for community support or non-support of a given candidate. Also, it will serve as the central point of reference for community conversations and media initiatives BCCLA will launch to cultivate community commitment to this covenant process.

Category: Community