Dear LA Civil Rights Family,
This month, we celebrate Mother's Day, and recognize those who step up as parents during Foster Care Awareness Month. Families worldwide come in all shapes and sizes, and should be treated with respect, which is a key emphasis of International Civility Awareness Month.
Here in Los Angeles, we’re proud to celebrate the beautiful mosaic of diverse cultures, faiths, and languages. This month, we are hosting various events to showcase the heritage and many contributions of our Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Jewish American communities. On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, I will join City Councilmembers Yaroslavsky, Blumenfield, and Park in Council Chambers to provide remarks on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). Mayor Bass, the City Council, and all of Los Angeles lift all cultures as we fight hate, discrimination, and inequities. Click here to learn more about our LA For All campaign and our civil rights enforcement.
Keep the faith and keep the fight!
Capri Maddox, Esq.
Executive Director
LA Civil Rights Department
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May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month | |
Last Friday, the City of Los Angeles kicked off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month with an opening ceremony celebrating the mosaic of Asian cultures through music, dance, and cuisine at LA City Hall. LA Civil Rights Executive Director Maddox was proud to join host Councilmembers John Lee (Council District 12), Nithya Raman (Council District 4), Councilwoman Heather Hutt (Council District 10), City Controller Kenneth Mejia, and several AAPI City commissioners serving Los Angeles.
Executive Director Maddox also sat down with Commission on Civil Rights members Abigail Tapang Zelenski and Hoàng Nguyễn for a robust and poignant discussion about the importance of recognizing AAPI Month. Watch the video on YouTube.
One event you won't want to miss is our Community Day of Service on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Choose one of several locations to kick off this day of unity and beautification from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, and join us at the Community Resource Fair at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Thai Town between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM (1552 N. Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027).
Kick-Off Locations:
- Chinatown (Intersection of New Deport St. & N. Bunker Hill Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012)
- Historic Filipinotown (1644 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026)
- InChrist Community Church (19514 Rinaldi St., Northridge, CA 91326)
- Koreatown & Little Bangladesh (981 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90006)
- M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi (18011 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335)
Let's honor, uplift, and amplify our voices together! Happy AAPI Heritage Month!
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Councilwoman Park Joins LA Civil Rights and
Positive Results Center to Uplift Survivors
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Last month, to honor survivors of sexual assault, Executive Director Maddox and Councilwoman Traci Park (Council District 11) were proud to join Positive Results Center CEO and Commission on Civil Rights member Kandee Lewis in conversation to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In response to brutal attacks near the Venice Canals in April, and the disproportionate levels of crime against Black women, the esteemed panelists gathered at the "Let's Talk About the Impact of SA on Women and Children" webinar on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
During the webinar, attendees learned how they can find local service providers in LA Civil Rights' resource guide, Blooming Beyond, collaboratively created with Councilwoman Heather Hutt, and Councilmembers Harris-Dawson and Price (Council Districts 10, 8, and 9, respectively). Additionally, Councilwoman Park highlighted several free resources for survivors of sexual assault or other forms of abuse and gender-based violence.
To watch the conversation and learn more, click here. To request copies of "Blooming Beyond:"
- Email civilandhumanrights@lacity.org
- Email ore@lacity.org
- Call 213-978-1845
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Volunteer Corps Deadline Extended to May 24! | |
Do You Want to Get Involved with LA Civil Rights? | |
The deadline to join our Volunteer Corps has been extended to May 24! Apply to volunteer with LA Civil Rights.
The LA Civil Rights Volunteer Corps is for Angelenos who are passionate about civil rights, racial equity, and positive change for a more equitable Los Angeles. The fight for equity and inclusion does not belong to just one person; it takes all of us working together to create the Los Angeles that we know is possible. If you are 18 and older, and have ever wondered how you can make a difference, apply to join the LA Civil Rights Volunteer Corps today.
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This MCLE event convened attorneys and interested community members to delve into the initiatives of our Civil Rights Enforcement Unit and to participate in a panel discussion focusing on the recent inclusion of a MENA (Middle Eastern North African) category in the census. | |
During the final weekend of April, more than 8,000 families participated in Healthy Kids Day, organized by the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
LA Civil Rights teamed up with community leaders from several of Los Angeles' leading organizations to unveil "Together in Service," a groundbreaking volunteer movement commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2029. Watch this short LA This Week video to learn more about the initiative.
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In honor of Dr. King's birthday, and his enduring legacy of service, “Together in Service” will work toward reaching the five-year aspirational goal of 100 million recorded volunteer service hours across the region. | |
Register now for the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department's 2nd Annual Camp ReadyLA! |
Applications are now open for Camp ReadyLA!
The City of Los Angeles' Emergency Management Department is hosting its second annual Camp ReadyLA: Emer-Gen-Z. Camp ReadyLA is a week-long program for young adults who are 17-22 years old.
Camp ReadyLA provides a look into the life of an emergency manager. Campers will learn about disaster preparedness and participate in fun activities that will improve their team-building and leadership skills, to pave the way for their professional success. Several careers in the Public Safety field will be showcased, highlighting emergency management coordination and capabilities for City response.
The program will run from Monday, July 29, to Friday, August 2, 2024, and will occur daily between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM at the City’s Emergency Operations Center in Downtown Los Angeles.
Applications are open now through Monday, June 3, 2024.
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Zócalo Public Square & Destination Crenshaw Partnership Event | How Do You Grow a Rose from Concrete? |
When plans for a new Metro line threatened to slice through the Crenshaw corridor without a stop, community members felt a familiar sting of disregard. But this time, they turned anger into action. They lobbied not just for a station, but for something transformative: the world’s largest open-air Black public art project, Destination Crenshaw. Featuring works by esteemed artists, like Charles Dickson and Kehinde Wiley, it celebrates Black cultural permanence.
Join the conversation in person or online on Thursday, May 9, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Crenshaw High School's Zócalo stage. Architect Gabrielle Bullock, Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson (Council District 8), and Destination Crenshaw's Senior Art Advisor V. Joy Simmons.
Register today.
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LA Civil Rights Department
www.LAisforEveryone.com
201 N. Los Angeles St., Suite 6
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1845
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