Dear LA Civil Rights Family,

During the Thanksgiving Week, my heart is full of gratitude for Mayor Bass, City Council, the LA City Family, and all of our community partners who help make the work at LA Civil Rights happen! Thank you to everyone who leans in for our small department of about 50 team members. With your ongoing support, LA Civil Rights has strength and resources to work toward making Los Angeles more equitable.

I also want to thank the Team LA Civil Rights, including our volunteers and 41 commissioners, for showing up to make a difference for Los Angeles! This work isn't easy, but our small - and mighty, team continues to step up to fight for justice and inclusivity.

Lastly, I want to thank YOU! We appreciate you telling your friends, family, and neighbors about our civil rights work, sharing our messages on social media, and joining us at our community engagement events. Together, we have accomplished so much but we cannot ignore the fact that discrimination and violence continues to rise. For this reason, let's keep the momentum going to show the world that we will not tolerate hate in Los Angeles!

Keep the faith and keep the fight,

- Capri Maddox

Executive Director

LA Civil Rights Department

Grant Proposals Due in 9 Days!

There are only 9 days left until grant proposals are due for the City's first participatory budgeting program. Back in September, community members shared their ideas of what they want to see in their neighborhoods. Now, based on those ideas, it's your turn to create a proposal, which could become a community improving program. When we're finished, $8.5 million dollars will have been distributed directly to community based organizations and nonprofits to improve some of Los Angeles' most underserved communities.

If you missed the Grant Opportunity Information Webinar, you can still watch it here or click below to learn more about the application process.

LA Civil Rights Commemorates Transgender Day of Remembrance

On Friday, LA Civil Rights and its Transgender Advisory Council held a vigil and community gathering at the City Hall South Lawn to commemorate the lives lost due to violence on Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which was created in response to the 1998 murder of Rita Hester, a transgender Black woman who was murdered in her own apartment, 25 years ago. Her killer has yet to be found. Transgender women of color experience some of the highest life-altering and life ending violence. At LA Civil Rights, we continue to work toward creating a safe and inclusive Los Angeles for all.

Special thanks to Councilmember Traci Park for sponsoring the event, as well as the Department of Cultural Affairs, Channel 35, and our various community partners who joined us for TDOR, the City Council presentation, and our Gallery Bridge Exhibit.

Join Our Upcoming Fall Reparations Event

Join our Reparations Advisory Commission on December 2, 2023 at Charles Drew University: 1721 E. 120th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM for the next reparations event.

At this event, you can participate in our survey and hear our reparations commissioners explain the next steps in making recommendations for reparations in the City of Los Angeles. If you are unable to make this event, you can always join on our Virtual Fall Webinars LIVE Series.

Our goal is to receive 4,000 surveys, and we need your help! Former and current Los Angeles residents are welcome to complete the survey by clicking here.

Demystifying Homeownership

After our first homebuyer event, several attendees told us that they purchased homes in Los Angeles thanks to the LA Civil Rights Department, and last Saturday, we did it again!

We held our second virtual event in partnership with LA Partners in Home Ownership to provide tips and tools for potential homebuyers. We know taking the first step to buying a home can be intimidating, especially for first time homebuyers. However, at this webinar, LA Civil Rights provided over 100 participants with information on the home buying process, resources, and government assistance programs to help eliminate the barriers to home buying in Los Angeles.

Thank you to LA Partners for taking the time to provide information on homeownership and an avenue to help Angelenos have a chance to make their dreams come true.