The National Action Networks Issues a Statement about Racist Remarks made by LA City Council Members

Courtesy of The National Action Network

The National Action Network is outraged by the demonstration of corruption and racism from top leaders of the City of Los Angeles. Nury Martinez, Kevin DeLeon, and Gil Cedillo must resign immediately. But their resignation must be the beginning not the end of this conversation about racism permeating the highest levels of LA City Government.

Using a Black child as the focal point of a racial attack by elected representatives poses more than simply a moral dilemma. It sets the tone by which discriminatory policies and practices can permeate the highest levels of LA City government policymaking.

We demand accountability and an investigation to determine any specific violations of legal or constitutional rights.

We also demand accountability and an investigation into all potential policy decision impacting Black residents of LA that may have been influenced by the racism of these elected leaders. We demand an immediate and full legal investigation into the following items:

• • The legality and constitutionality of the redistricting process which was overseen by Ms. Martinez.
  • The potential for a Brown Act violation related to the backroom collusion by these public officials.
  • Any and all other potential legal violations by these public officials, especially those rooted in racism toward Black children and families.

Equally important, we demand an investigation into policy decisions that may have been technically legal but were rooted in racism, including:

• • Policies restricting access of Black children and families to emergency city services during the height of the Covid pandemic.
  • Policies formulated at the expense of Black children, like Mr. Bonin’s child whom Ms. Martinez demonstrated such distain for.
  • Supporting the closure of LAUSD schools for over a year during the pandemic, indelibly harming an entire generation of Black children, despite Ms. Martinez, Mr. DeLeon, and Mr. Cedillo all voting in favor of a council resolution last year that acknowledged this systemic harm and supported the establishment of a “civil right to a high quality public education” for all children.

The National Action Network demands swift justice. The resignation of these racist public officials is necessary but far from sufficient. We must not only remove racist leaders but also eliminate racist policies. We demand justice for Black children and families in their representative government. We demand justice in the distribution of city services. And we demand educational justice and call upon the city of Los Angeles immediately implement the board resolution supported by M. Martinez and her colleagues to establish quality public education as a civil right for the children of Los Angeles, espeically Black children who were demeaned by Ms. Martinez and was harmed the most by the school closures

Respectfully,

Christina Laster MBA
Los Angeles NAN Education Director
Wester Regional Education