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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2023 SERVING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1973

Abbott takes home the Golden Globe!

LOS ANGELES—JAN. 15: (L-R) William Stanford Davis, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Randall Einhorn, and Lisa Ann Walter accept the Best Comedy Series for “Abbott Elementary” onstage during the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association).

• For more photos from the Golden Globes, see page 12 •

Los Angeles Urban League appoints new chief operating officer

LOS ANGELES, CA—Cynthia Mitchell Heard, a highly respected leader in nonprofit, has joined the Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) as its chief operating officer (COO). The announcement was made by Ambassador Michael A. Lawson, President and CEO of the perennial civil rights organization. The appointment is a historic one for the iconic organization, with Mitchell Heard becoming the first woman to hold this leadership position at LAUL. “We are excited to have Cynthia Heard as our new chief operating officer,” said Lawson. “Ms. Heard has an extensive background and experience in the non-profit world and her accomplishments in bettering the lives of disenfranchised communities in Los Angeles are admirable and remarkable. We are looking forward to her leadership as we move the Los Angeles Urban League into its second 100 years of service.”

Mitchell Heard previously served as Vice President of Business Development and Communications for the YWCA Greater Los Angeles (YWCA, GLA), creating and helming unprecedented social impact campaigns which serve as a blueprint for systemic change. Mitchell Heard created a myriad of public/private, state, local and federal partnerships to design innovative community and operational collaborations throughout Los Angeles County to fund supportive services. During the COVID 19 pandemic, she developed key funding mechanisms through her steadfast efforts and assisted with promoting economic stability through public private workforce development, community engagement and securing resources to improve disenfranchised communities that experienced lack of access. Prior, Mitchell. Heard served as senior executive vice

president of Programs for Children Uniting Nations (CUN) where she developed national collaborative stakeholder partnerships and created statewide bi-partisan advocacy initiatives that focused on new avenues to break down the barriers that surround at-risk/foster youth and marginalized families. “It is my honor to join President & CEO, Michael Lawson, and the entire team at the Los Angeles Urban League,” said Mitchell Heard. “I am truly looking forward to embracing the mission of LAUL and the commitment of this stellar team as we continue the advancement of the ongoing community engagement programs, economic stability/self-reliance, civil rights advocacy and the workforce enrichment of our marginalized and disenfranchised communities throughout Los Angeles.”

MLK’s Day of Service means fighting for freedom and equality

By Sylvia Ghazarian

M

LK’s Day of Service theme this year is Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems. What better way for us to start 2023 then to continue to fight for our human rights and freedom from sex discrimination. This year would have care. Initially the individual has marked the 50th anniversary of Roe. However, the re- to do research to find a clinic cent Dobbs decision by the outside their state and book Supreme Court tossed out an appointment. That is not the right to a safe and legal always easy to do since many abortion that people who be- out of state clinics are workcome pregnant have come to ing hard to navigate a surge expect and instead left these in patients. The person also vital rights in the hands of has to look at taking time off each state to decide. This has from work, childcare and be resulted in unequal, unfair able to afford gas and/or travel and unjust consequences for expenses. Once the individual people that happen to reside finds out the cost which can in a state that now bans or range anywhere from $700— restricts abortion access. The $1,500 depending on the state consequences are especially they then have to figure out severe for low-income, Black, how to pay for their abortion Indigenous, and other people and any travel related expenses. of color. At WRRAP we have a Imagine finding out you are pregnant and your part- streamlined system that allows ner all of a sudden disappears” us to work directly with clinand you are working full time ics on a daily basis to provide in a low-income job. You al- the funding support necessary ready have 2 children) and live for a person seeking abortion in a state that has now banned care. We also work in solidarabortion. What do you do? ity with other funds that proWhere do you begin? This is vide “practical support (gas, a common scenario for most airfare, child support, etc.)”. Since Dobbs, the need patients that Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance for these services has grown and we have continued to Project (WRRAP) serves. Although abortions are stand strong in our ability to one of the safest and most fund patients from Coast to common (1 in 4) health care Coast. In fact, this past year procedures in the US commu- we pledged out over $1.4M nities of color and those with to over 6,000 patients, many low-income face huge barriers (38%) having to travel to anwhen it comes to access and n MLK Days, see page 2


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