Our Mission Is To Maintain And Strengthen The City's Diversity, Equity, And Accountability.
LA Civil Rights Executive Director Capri Maddox in a blue dress with a lapel pin that says "LA."
Greetings!

Last Tuesday would have been John Lewis’ 83rd birthday. The congressman and civil rights leader defined “good trouble” — and inspired a generation of activists to bend the arc of history toward justice.

On his birthday, we welcomed Mayor Karen Bass — LA’s first Black woman Mayor — as she joined us in our new John Lewis Conference Center, a space for community collaboration and creation of  justice.

This historic moment symbolized how far we’ve come as a city and nation, but this is no time to rest. We face crises of hate, discrimination and growing inequity. The justice that the late Congressmember Lewis spent a lifetime fighting for is still within reach,and it’s on us to achieve it.

With a new mayor, new programs, and a growing team at LA Civil Rights, we’re working harder than ever before. I know we can get there together.

Keep the faith and keep the fight,

- Capri Maddox
Executive Director
Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department
Standing Together Against Anti-Semitism
LA is For Everyone written in Hebrew
The Jewish communities of Los Angeles contribute so much to our city with a deep and vibrant history is influential to out cultural, political and economic life. Unfortunately, the scourge of antisemitism, which is rising around the world, is felt here among Angelenos as well.

The LA Civil Rights team joined city, community and faith leaders last week at a forum hosted by the Jewish Federation to condemn the recent shootings of two Jewish men leaving synagogues. This brazen and hateful attack goes against everything we stand for in Los Angeles, and we all must stand together across faiths, backgrounds and communities to make it known: Los Angeles is for Everyone.

We will not accept attacks against our Jewish residents or visitors. LA Civil Rights is proud to stand with our Jewish community to create an #LAForAll.
Locking Arms with Mayor Karen Bass
LA Civil Rights staff and Mayor Karen Bass in the LA Civil Rights John Lewis Conference Center.
Last week we welcomed Mayor Karen Bass to our John Lewis Conference Center to hear her vision for Los Angeles, which allowed her to meet the LA Civil Rights team that pursues justice and equity in our city. Mayor Bass has hit the ground running since her first day in office to address homelessness, inequity and injustice, and we are excited to join her in this work.

It was an honor to welcome Mayor Bass and her team to our space, and to lock arms for a better Los Angeles!
Black Business Equity in the Valley
Dozens of people, mostly women, are seated in Mardis Gras restaurant smiling at the camera. The front row includes LA Civil Rights Executive Director Capri Maddox, Economic Workforce Development Director Carolyn Hull, among others.
We joined Black San Fernando Valley business owners at Mardi Gras Tuesday for a discussion hosted by City Councilmember Nithya Raman and Black in the Valley on supporting Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in LA. The event featured Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember John Lee, Sonya Kay Blake of The Valley Economic Alliance, and Carolyn Hull of the city's Economic and Workforce Development Department. These leaders are working to build a more equitable and inclusive business climate that supports small and minority-owned businesses.

Last year, LA Civil Rights hosted a live TV event on the same issue, “How I Made It,” with Black entrepreneurs, and we’re proud to continue this work through the city's RENEW Program, and support Black businesses and workers.
Women work on a community garden outside CCNP.
Peace & Healing Blooms
Our Peace & Healing Centers are now open, and hope is already blooming across our nine REPAIR Zones.

In Westlake, we stopped by Central City Neighborhood Partners to see the planting of their community garden, funded through our Peace & Healing Center program. More than a dozen families came to take part!

In Leimert Park, Bryant Temple AME Community Development Corporation put their Peace & Healing Center toward youth mentorship and services for justice-involved veterans. Their first event brought families and veterans together for a day of fun, free COVID vaccines, and services. We’re thrilled to see these Peace & Healing Centers in action!
LA Civil Rights staffer Diamond James with Reparations Advisory Commissioner Virgil Roberts outside in Leimert Park. Tables behind them read "Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department."
Reparations Commission in the Community
This weekend, our Reparations Advisory Commission was at Freedom Festival in Leimert Park, meeting Angelenos and talking with the community about its work for reparations in LA.

The Reparations Advisory Commission is a blue-ribbon task force comprised of leading voices in activism, academia, law, and racial justice that will advise the city on a future reparations pilot program for a group of Black residents.

Through community outreach and academic research, the Commission will build its reparations plan. Thank you to Councilmember Marqueece Harris Dawson, as well as Councilmembers Heather Hutt and Curren Price, for hosting Freedom Fest as long as the weather would allow!
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