"F*ck That Guy... He's with the Blacks."
"- Nury Martinez on DA Gascón
As I sat down for lunch, the events of the past weeks weighed heavily on my mind. To me, it was the casualness of the racism that was the most jarring and I was thinking about how deep this bigotry lies within the halls of power. After eating my corporate Chinese food I opened my fortune cookie and was struck with how appropriate its message was to this moment in our city's history:
Ever the optimist, I still have hope that the status quo can eventually be broken. America's greatness lies not in our historical record but in what we aspire to be. I believe that the same can be said about Los Angeles. Yes, we have made progress toward equality for all, but this last week is a reminder that our journey has just begun.
In order to achieve change, we must be demanding of our leaders. That starts with our selections in the voting booth. I believe the following candidates are the change agents that we need and hope that you will consider giving them your vote. Even better, contact their campaigns and find out what you can do to help get them elected. Change is not a passive endeavor.
EDUCATION
LAUSD District 2: Dr. RocÃo Rivas
Dr. Rivas is an LAUSD parent who earned a doctorate in Comparative and International Education from Columbia University. This background gives her the foundations needed to understand the changes that are needed in the district to strengthen public education and to provide better support to our students so that they can reach their full potential. She understands the challenges facing students with special education needs and her empathy with these families gives her the drive to follow through.
Riva's opponent, Maria Brenes, is embedded within the corruption that prevents change within our political systems. Not only was she a member of the redistricting commission that provides the foundation for the current scandal, but her husband drew the boundaries of the district where she is now running. She has not answered the allegation that she has promised Monica Garcia the position of Chief of Staff in exchange for her support. In fact, she did not answer any of the questions that I sent to her throughout the campaign.
LAUSD District 6: Marvin RodrÃguez
Serving the students of the LAUSD on the school board would be just one more example of RodrÃguez serving his adopted country. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was part of the military operations in Iraq after the September 11th attacks. Upon his return, he completed his college degree and became a teacher. He is currently in his 18th year of teaching and also has two students in LAUSD public schools. His wife, Janette, has previously worked in the district in special education programs, which helps to inform his views on how to help our district's most vulnerable students.
RodrÃguez's opponent is incumbent Board President Kelly Gonez. Gonez was elected to the board with the financial support of the charter school industry. She used the power of her presidency to ensure that the Parent Engagement and Special Education Committees were not allowed to meet during the pandemic. Gonez has also been at the forefront of limiting the public's ability to speak during board meetings and has done nothing to solve the problem of her fellow board members ignoring what is said during public comment.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond
I actively campaigned for Thurmond when he first ran for office but have been disappointed in his lack of action during his term. That being said, a record of inactivity is better than actively destroying public education the way his opponent would. Republican challenger Lance Christensen is a certified culture warrior who "railed against Newsom, teachers' unions, comprehensive sex education, [and] critical race theory". Even worse, he has endangered lives in families with members that are medically fragile by opposing masks in schools during COVID-19. This makes Thurmond an easy choice.
Proposition 28: Yes
As a struggling high school student, looking forward to band class is often what got me through the day. Studies have shown that there are strong links between music and achievement in both math and reading. Yet, music programs are often the first to get the ax in rough economic times. Voting for Proposition 28 helps to ensure that this will not happen in the future.
Los Angeles Community College District Seat 7: Nancy Pearlman
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