Juneteenth Is Just A Start

High props go to 94-year-old Opal Lee, the Texas woman determined to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Thanks to her efforts and those of others like Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Senator Cory Booker (DNJ), Juneteenth is now a federal holiday, the eleventh national holiday, and the first since Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday was made a holiday. For federal employees, it means a paid day off work. Some private employers will also make Juneteenth a paid day off. I chuckle at the irony of Klan members getting a paid day off work to commemorate Juneteenth. Perhaps that will help them with the concept that the South lost the Civil War! While I am buoyed by the new holiday, I’m not jumping for joy nor dancing in the street. The Senate passed the holiday legislation unanimously. How come they can’t do the same for the George Floyd bill or voting rights. While the Juneteenth holiday is impactful, the ease with which it got Senate passage ought to give us all pause. It is easier to support a holiday than to support the principle of democracy, which is allegedly at the foundation of our democracy. It is easier to support a holiday than to abolish the use of the chokehold. It is easier to support a holiday than to support SB 40, the Senate’s reparations bill. Juneteenth reminds me of justice and equality denied. Those Galveston enslaved people didn’t find out they were free until nearly two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Their exploiters were the beneficiaries of thousands of hours of free labor. They intended to game the system and exploit Black people for as long as they could. Fast forward. The exploiters are still gaming the system with prison labor, substandard wages, and other forms of economic injustice. It will take something more than a holiday to right those wrongs. If Juneteenth goes the same way other American “holidays” do, it will be commercialized. Consider Dr. King’s birthday and the sales that holiday motivates. I cringe to think what might be sold to commemorate Juneteenth, but capitalism is the mother of exploitation, so I’m sure the evilly creative will come up with something. No, I’m not jumping for Juneteenth. President Biden gets credit for signing

Not Jumping this legislation, just as he gets credfor it for going to Tulsa at the hunJuneteenth dredth commemoration of the destruction of Black Wall Street. While both these things are primarily symbolic, these are symbolic gestures that he did not have to make. If Biden doesn’t “get” race and racism (and honestly, what white person does), he’s spent enough time with Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond and Vice President Kamala Harris to communicate his affinity for Black people and his commitment to some progress. It’s up to us, now, to push him on what needs to happen next. Julienne Malveaux We aren’t likely to get the John Lewis Voting Rights Act passed unless the filibuster is eliminated. Still, President Biden has shillyshallied about getting rid of the filibuster, and West Virginia’s DINO (Democrat in Name Only) Senator Joe Manchin is no help. He says he values bipartisanship, but he seems to appreciate nothing more than the attention he gets by “negotiating” with recalcitrant Republicans who love the former president more than they value justice. Sure, they voted unanimously to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Still, several in Congress voted against it, and several others voted to withhold the Congressional Medal of Honor from the capitol police officers who bravely defended them on January 6. Some of them still adhere to the big lie that the previous won the election. But they voted to make Juneteenth a holiday. I’m not jumping. Juneteenth represents more than symbolic progress, though. While most of white America had never heard of Juneteenth, now they have. They now have the opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history in ways they haven’t reflected on it before. Annually, there will be a flurry of newspaper articles and television specials focusing on Juneteenth. The ignorant can change the channel or flip the pages of their newspapers, but commemorating Juneteenth begins the process of fully embracing our flawed history. Julianne Malveaux continued to page 20 Headlines From Africa

Botswana: Government officials have announced that the discovery of 1,098-carat diamond is believed to be the third largest diamond mined in history. Cameroon: The U.S. is calling for both the Cameroon government and separatist armed groups to end the ongoing conflict and to engage in dialogue without preconditions. It is urging all relevant stakeholders in Cameroon and in the diaspora to engage constructively and seek a peaceful resolution to fighting. The U.S has also imposed visa restrictions on those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis. Central African Republic: Fighting against forces loyal to the government has sparked a humanitarian crisis with 57 percent of the population in need of assistance. The looting and militarization of civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, have hindered already inadequate access to basic services and undermine the protection of civilians and assistance.

Ethiopia: Late last month, Ethiopia declared a unilateral cease-fire in the Tigray region which has been the site of deadly clashes and has withdrawn troops as Tigrayan forces seize the regional capital. Thousands have been displaced and at least 300,0000 face famine.

Ivory Coast: Former rebel leader and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia on charges he plotted a coup against President Alassane Ouattara in 2019.

Ghana: Ghana aimed to plant at least five million trees in a single day to help regrow the country’s lost forests and curb the impacts of climate change. Over 7 million seedlings were distributed to parks, schools and businesses as planting kits were handed out at malls in major cities with participants able to choose from fruit, crop or ornamental trees.

Kenya: Kenya is banking on the speedy administration of COVID-19 second doses to tame the virus spread amid surges in western parts of the country that have exerted strain on public health infrastructure. Liberia: The World Bank approved $40 million in funding to support and enable inclusive growth, development and reforms in Liberia, including economic and social inclusion. Nigeria: A militant group that nearly crippled Nigeria’s economy during the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari—cutting oil production to less than half—has once again set its sights on undermining the nation’s economy and targeting political actors believed to be collaborating with the government to sabotage the interest of the Niger Delta people. Rwanda: Rwanda plans to deploy troops to help Mozambique fight an insurgency that’s left more than 2,900 people dead and halted Africa’s biggest private investment. Senegal: Tensions were high in the capital city, Dakar, ahead of a vote on a controversial anti-terrorism law that the opposition fears would be used to ban protests and criminalize dissent and amid uncertainty over whether President Macky Sall will seek a controversial third term. L.A. Focus/ July 2021 South Africa: Despite South Africa’s embracing same-sex marriages for all and polygamy for men, a proposal by the South African government to legalize polyandry — the practice of a woman having more than one husband at the same time— has led to protests from conservatives. Zambia: The nation of Zambia mourned the passing of its founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, last month at the age of 97. Kaunda—who led the nation for 27 years—championed Africa’s struggles against apartheid and HIV. Zimbabwe: Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has announced that getting a COVID-19 vaccine will soon 8 become mandatory in public markets such as Harare as the government intensifies its vaccination campaign.

The good news is that Juneteenth is a federal holiday. The bad news is that Black people still need that freedom, which a June 19 celebration fails to provide. And while we should not trivialize the symbolism of a federal Juneteenth holiday, it is no substitute for federal legislation that would help make Black people truly free. In what can only be described as an unexpected move in 2021, on the tail end of a historic pandemic, President Joe Biden signed the law making Juneteenth a national holiday. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously, with all but 14 Republican white men in Congress approving of the new holiday. And while Texan lawmakers Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat, and Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, made the Juneteenth holiday possible in a rare show of bipartisanship, it is worth noting that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott just signed a law banning the teaching of critical race theory. Texas is also one of the numerous white nationalist-led states pushing bills to suppress voting rights for Black people and cement white minority rule for generations. In other words, they will give us Juneteenth, and hope we are not looking as they ban any curriculum that teaches Americans about the history of Juneteenth, and pass laws – 389 bills in 48 states – stripping Black Americans of their citizenship rights. Juneteenth, which began in Texas, is our Independence Day. Because on July 4, 1776, Black people remained in a state of enslavement. Juneteenth is a day of celebration and a day of commemoration, a day to remember the ancestors and lost family members, a time to build ourselves up, reclaim our history and center ourselves and our experiences. Further, Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom has always been a precarious proposition for Black folks in America, filled with conditions and dashed hopes, shifting goalposts, backsliding and lots of bloodshed. And justice has always been

delayed if not denied. When President Abraham Lincoln enacted his Emancipation Proclamation on New Year’s Day in 1863, that did not impact the millions who were enslaved by the Confederacy. Even when the Civil War ended in April 1865 after secessionist General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union Army, Black people were enslaved for another two months. It was not until June 19 when Union Major-General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston and notified the enslaved they were free. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the Reconstruction-era civil rights laws also freed Black people, until Jim Crow wiped them away. So, too, did the Civil Rights David A. Love and Voting Rights Acts a century later. Now, white supremacist lawmakers hope to enact a Jim Crow 2.0 and erase all Black progress. The moral of the story is that none of us are free, until we are all free. Whether back in 1865 or in 2021, when America tells Black people they have been emancipated, one must read the fine print. Today, the police murder of George Floyd and countless other Black souls, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol have forced the nation to focus on systemic racism in policing and the criminal justice system, the body politic, our institutions, and everywhere in American society. Although Black people were supposedly emancipated and have lived in this country for over 400 years, we still live in a hostile environment. The remnants of slavery are in our laws, policies, practices, procedures and customs. Racism is systemic and institutional, not merely a few bad apples or a small group of people doing harmful things. This is not simply a matter of a few neo-Nazis or Proud Boys burning Black churches, but an issue of power and white privilege, and the microaggressions Black people face in schools, in the workplace and daily life. The U.S. has not come to terms with its legacy of racism and white supremacy, including a history of slavery and how it denies Black people of their humanity, dignity and equality. Now is a perfect time to honor Juneteenth, and we need this. However,

Juneteenth federal holiday is a start, but Black America isn’t free

David A Love continued to page 20 A look at current news from the continent of Africa

Cal Unemployment System Backlogged With More Than 200,000 Claims The High Cost of Preserving Childbirth

QUINCI LEGARDYE

California Black Media

California may have reopened June 15, but for many unemployed workers, the economic struggle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere near over.

Many Californians are still waiting for the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD) to clear their backlog of claims, with the department’s data page showing over 221,000 claims are pending past 21 days as of June 12.

On May 28, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) hosted a press conference featuring constituents from his district who are seeking immediate help from EDD. Three spoke about their struggles trying to get their unemployment benefits–experiencing extremely long wait times and difficulties trying to verify their identity or correct claim amounts.

The difficulties mirrored complaints the department’s service and call centers have been reporting since the pandemic began last year.

Roneisha Williams, a Gipson constituent, is waiting on an appeal after receiving an incorrect benefit amount.

She said that she received conflicting information from the EDD and representatives asked her for a different set of documents each time she called.

“When you call and speak with someone regarding the solution, you're not given the same information. You can call one representative and they'll tell you to submit a documentation. You submit that documentation. You call to confirm that it has been received. The other representative will tell you that not only you weren't supposed to submit that documentation, but really you need to go to this step, and we need to see this documentation.”

Williams also spoke about her difficulties going through the ID verification process with the third-party company ID.me.

EDD launched the ID.me verification process in October 2020 as part of an effort to crack down on fraud. The department also suspended 1.4 million accounts last December and made some claimants verify their identities. Since, unemployed Californians directed to ID.me have faced delays and technical issues. Willams also expressed concern for less technologically-savvy claimants who may have to use ID.me.

“Having to contact a third party to qualify for your unemployment benefits is very stressful, especially when they do not have any human contact customer service available. With the ID.me verification, everything is done through your phone. I know how to work technology but what about the constituents that aren't familiar with it, who don't have a high-powered or accurate camera on their phone to send a copy of their ID?” Williams said.

Roger Lozoya, a pipeline welder who also lives in Gipson’s district, lost his job five months ago, and has had no income since. He said his identity was stolen and used to receive EDD benefits. So, when he tried to get benefits, the EDD told him that he owed them money. Without income, Lozoya said that he has sold his possessions, including his work truck and tools, to support his family.

During the press conference, Gipson called on the EDD to take measures to get through the claims backlog. He also urged the EDD to extend working hours and keep phone lines open during evenings and weekends.

Gipson also mentioned the state audits of EDD, and suggested that implementing the recommendations of the State Auditor would likely help address the backlog.

“We absolutely have to do everything we can to make sure people who need this help the most, get the help that they're seeking to put food on the table, clothes their children's back and also a roof over the head,” said Gipson.

In response to a California Black Media request for comment, EDD Media Services said, “We understand how challenging this pandemic has been for millions of people. Since April 2020, EDD call centers (1-800-300-5616) are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week -- among many other efforts to continually work to improve the customer experience. EDD offers useful self-help information including a 24-hour self-help line 1-866-333-4606, a YouTube channel with helpful videos, and other resources at EDD.ca.gov.“

EDD says it has also improved the online help text to clearly explain what is required by the bi-weekly certification questions to help claimants avoid delays and launched a new feature that allows a caller to hold their place “in line” when contacting the call center until the Department calls the claimant back. The agency is also continuing to monitor customer areas of confusion and trending issues and addressing them with improved public information. W ith women delaying childbirth to their late thirties and into their forties, more and more are looking into the option of freezing their eggs in an effort to offset the declining fertility that begins at age 35.

Egg freezing allows women to safeguard higher quality and younger eggs for use when and if they do decide to get pregnant.

Most doctors recommend egg freezing for medical reasons and not necessarily for delaying motherhood. However, it is not guaranteed, nor is it cheap and it is rarely, if ever, covered by insurance. In fact, just 16 states require insurance companies to offer coverage for infertility treatment. California is one of them, requiring certain insurers to offer some coverage for in-fertility diagnosis and treatment.

One single egg freezing cycle–including tests, medications and the surgery to retrieve the egg–ranges anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000, with the average somewhere in the $10,000 - $15,000 range. And that doesn’t include the fees to store the eggs, which can start at $600 per year, with eggs being viable for 10-15 years or more.

While each cycle can yield an average of 10 eggs, not all of them will be high quality enough to freeze, for that reason, most women require more than one cycle, ofttimes doubling the fees.

Success rates depend on who you ask. They are as low as 5% and as high as one in five.

Experts advise that when considering egg freezing as an option, it is important to note that the ideal age for egg freezing is under 35 years of age with the general rule being, the younger, the better. Men can also consider freezing their sperm, though most do for medical reasons. It is much cheaper (averaging up to $1,200), which may or may not include the cost for storage. Once again, however, age is a factor as semen quality decreases with age and the risks for autism, schizophrenia and other conditions increase.

Biz News Briefs

Tyler Perry is expanding his empire with the addition of 37.5 acres to the existing 330 acres of Fort McPherson property that his studios now occupy. However, the property is not an extension of his studio. Instead, he intends to use the land to create an entertainment hub open to the public complete with retail stores, restaurants and a theater district. “Today is a good day,” said Perry. “I’m grateful for the opportunity this gives Tyler Perry Studios to extend our footprint in Atlanta and create more opportunities for the people of Southwest Atlanta with restaurants, entertainment venues and other business opportunities. I’m looking forward to collaborating with my friend T.D. Jakes on his separate but adjacent project and I also want to thank Governor Kemp and Mayor Bottoms for their continued efforts to make Atlanta a better place.” In a separate deal, the Local Redevelopment Authority Board of Fort McPherson approved the sale of approximately 94.5 acres of remaining land on the historic army base to T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, LLC after nearly two months of negotiations, clearing the way for the Dallas-based firm to redevelop the property for

T.D. Jakes and Tyler mixed-income housing and retail. The development is

Perry Announce part of Jakes’ long-term vision to cultivate quality affordable housing for the underserved in a model that will be

Significant duplicated across the country.

Investments in “In my travels across all of America, I see too many Black and Brown working-class people still falling victim Atlanta to the continued gentrification of our neighborhoods. This project will bring solutions to the quality-of-life problems and elevate the lives of the Atlantans that will live, work and play there," Jakes said. “We share in the City of Atlanta’s belief that the redevelopment of this fertile neighborhood is criticaal to the future growth of Atlanta,” Jakes continued. “My vision is to develop an oasis within our cities for working families, walking them toward economic viability through financial literacy programs, live-work spaces, mixed income housing and multigenerational options that are so imperative to the betterment of our society.” “This agreement marks another monumental chapter in the history of Fort Mac,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Thank you to Tyler Perry and Bishop T.D. Jakes for their vision and investment in the Southwest Atlanta community. The positive impact will be felt for generations to come.”

SBA Launches Community Navigator Pilot Program To Help Hard Hit Small Businesses

Navigator Pilot Program. Established by the American Rescue Plan, the program will leverage a community navigator approach to reach our nation’s smallest businesses, with a priority focus on those owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, as well as women and veterans. Applications will be accepted through July 12, 2021 at grants.gov., with award decisions to follow by August 2021. Competitive grant awards will range from $1 million to $5 million for a two-year performance period. Selected partners will engage in targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities to help small businesses get the resources and support they need to get back on track as the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Community Navigator Pilot Program is a crucial addition to our SBA programs because it helps us to connect with small businesses that have historically been underserved or left behind. These businesses — the smallest of the small in rural and urban America, and those owned by women, people of color, or veterans — have suffered the greatest economic loss from this pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “If we’re going to build back better, we need to ensure that all entrepreneurs have the support they need to recover.” The Community Navigator Pilot will provide counseling, networking, and the assistance needed during this time of economic recovery. For more information on the Community Navigators Initiative, please visit www.sba.gov/navigators.

LISA COLLINS Editor-in-Chief

P

erhaps it is LADWP Board President Cynthia McClainHill’s law firm motto that best encapsulates her meteoric rise on L.A.’s civic and political landscape. “There are forces beyond economic at work in today’s marketplace,” it reads. “We know how to use them.” It is a bold statement from a woman who is known for making them and most importantly

can back them up. Says McClain-Hill, “There are not that many people that look like me who have been willing to get in the arena and fight it out and have learned how to navigate in a way that can move an agenda forward”. Her prowess at moving an agenda forward has landed her at the helm of the nation’s largest municipal utility–the L.A. Department of Water & Power (DWP) with more than 9,000 employees and an annual budget of $6 billion. In a statement announcing her nomination, Mayor Eric Garcetti said, “Cynthia never stops fighting to move L.A. forward – and I know that she will bring those same values to the job of overseeing a DWP that powers our households, empowers ratepayers, and leads the charge toward a sustainable, clean energy future.” In an L.A. Daily News op-ed entitled, “Who Should Be the Next Mayor of Los Angeles?”, her name was mentioned among the civic leaders who would make an extremely effective steward. And she has the credentials to prove it, from National President of the National Association of Women Business Owners to appointments on the California Coastal

Commission and California Fair Practice Commissions to the Board of the L.A. Police Commission and as founder of Strategic Counsel, a land use law firm that is well-versed on public policy and government regulations. Many feel, however, that it is at the helm of the L.A.

Department of Water & Power, that McClain-Hill will make the most impact and at the top of her list of priorities is racial equity. “When I joined the department, I knew that it was a coveted place to work in the city of Los Angeles,” states McClain-Hill. “I also knew that there were people that called it ‘the department of white people.’” The latter was something she set out to change, and the timing couldn’t have been better. In the wake of social unrest in the summer of 2020, Mayor Eric Garcetti issued Executive Director No. 27. This Directive instructed all City departments to create a Racial Equity Action Plan to foster efforts to promote equity throughout Los Angeles. “That caused the walls to come crashing down at DWP,” McClain-Hill recalls. “Not only did the board get seriously engaged in these issues, but we literally went into the department and surveyed our entire department about racial equity.” Determined not to just perform the perfunctory check the box report, McClain-Hill convinced her board colleagues, the LADWP General Manager, senior leadership, as well as union leaders that the department needed to have an outside entity perform a comprehensive analysis on the culture and operations of DWP. A team of minority consultants from Dakota Communications and Cordoba Corporation led the effort to produce the top to bottom analysis, which included focus groups, interviews, and an employee survey. The report–which was responded to by an unprecedented 3,400 DWP employees, about one third of the entire workforce– revealed that DWP had no real enforcement policies to punish rogue managers, supervisors, or employees for discriminatory behavior. Thus, harassment and retaliation of whistle blowers persisted. Focus groups revealed that 53% of staff and 50% of supervisors felt DWP management did not take appropriate action in response to incidents of discrimination. African Americans fared much worse than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40% of Black survey participants felt they had been discriminated against for career opportunities. Fifty-nine (59%) of Black survey participants witnessed discrimination compared to only 36% of total survey participants witnessing discrimination. Additionally, there were currently no Black executives in management. “On the day the mayor issued his racial equity directive, I was the only African-American that sat on the senior executive board and noted that was an issue the department needed to change,” McClain Hill adds. “The mayor ordered that every department create a racial equity officer, but what we've done is to create an office of diversity, equity and inclusion with significant resources and as many as 30 people reporting to it.” She pauses for a moment. “We've got to change institutions

I've learned over the years to push the envelope and not care what other people think, but I didn't start out that way. [Instead it was] being cautious, being in the background, supporting other people, pushing them forward, letting them take credit.

Been there done that. Being resilient is probably my greatest gift and I've had to lean on it a lot. You don't regret the things that you try and fail. You regret the things you don't try.

and that takes resources, and it takes focus. This new office will embody the transformative change that is needed to advance diversity and inclusion efforts for all stakeholders.” And it is a commitment she says that is not just top down, but bottom up. “The department’s work around racial equity since Mayor Garcetti issued Executive Directive 27 has been nothing short of breathtaking and it’s something that I am very proud of,” said McClain-Hill of an action plan that includes a workforce development initiative that creates good paying jobs and career opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities, and spearheading LA100 Equity Strategies - a comprehensive study to ensure all Angelenos, especially residents in communities of color benefit from a just transition to 100% renewable energy. She is just as clear that her presence is part of that impact. “I am unapologetically a black woman and have no difficulty being very clear about what I'm looking for in part because I don't take no for an answer and I can be very blunt; and it's easier to speak truth to power when you see someone modeling that and you think you're going to be heard.” The L.A. native concedes that navigating the challenges haven’t been easy. “We're now in a place where we're demanding that everybody squarely face the impact of systemic racism and stop pretending they haven't benefited from it and that it has improved other groups,” McClain-Hill observes. “It's sometimes difficult to take that in when you think, ‘oh, but I'm a good person’. I have to hear that, be patient with it and then get people on board and move them forward. We've been successful at doing that, but it's a work in progress.” She is just as determined about DWP’s transition to 100% renewable energy and the city's climate change efforts in a way that is equitable, understanding underserved communities aren’t there yet. “You can't talk about solar rooftops and not talk about housing, because not everybody lives in a single family home and not everybody can afford or has access to the ability to put solar on their rooftops,” McClain-Hill explains. “You have to realize that communities that are underserved are filled with renters. You've also got to figure out who's going to pay for all this stuff and what's it going to cost? “People are not talking about renewable energy, because they're talking about how they pay the rent or how to get and keep a good paying job,” she continues. So rather than talking about renewable energy, we're really talking about what the climate change future of Los Angeles is going to be and that's been decided. “We've got a governor saying that California is going to stop allowing the sale of gas combustion cars by a date certain. If that's what's going to happen, then we've got to start approaching communities with strategies about how they get connected to that. They might [instead] be interested in a conversation about the industries that will be recruiting and hiring and growing as a result of that transition.” She is sensitive enough to weigh the impact of that transition through the lens and interests of those who that will have to pay for it. “Everyone that lives in the city of LA, pays a bill to DWP. You have no choice, so since you have no choice, this affects you and the department is committed to understanding how it affects you and making sure that it is done in a way that it enhances the community, not detracts from it.” And she is fortunate enough to work in tandem with a board and executives like LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin L. Adams who agree. “As LADWP expands these programs and adds many more, we must ensure that customers who are impacted by poor air quality and have the least ability to afford higher electric bills, are able to benefit from the clean energy transformation,” Adams said. McClain-Hill’s success is equal parts strategy, opportunity and hard work. “My firm is called strategic counsel, but in terms of my own career, I've worked hard and been really clear about what was important to me,” she reflects. “I just had my first grandchild, so I am very connected to the fact that opportunity for me was created by people that marched and died and that took advantage of the law and politics to open doors. My own devotion to politics and engagement in civic affairs has been to do my bit to keep those doors open and to open them a little wider. To that extent, I've been strategic.” As the eldest of three daughters, McClain-Hill had no idea what was possible in the world, except that her parents told her that anything was possible. Thanks to them, she’s never questioned her capabilities, her self-worth or her place in the world and because of that she took advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves. Learning to redefine failure, she says, was critical to her success. “It didn't happen until my probably early 40s when I figured out that there's no such thing as perfect,” the UCLA alumnus recounts. “I've learned over the years to push the envelope and not care what other people think, but I didn't start out that way. [Instead it was] being cautious, being in the background, supporting other people, pushing them forward, letting them take credit. “Been there done that. Being resilient is probably my greatest gift and I've had to lean on it a lot. You don't regret the things that you try and fail. You regret the things you don't try.” Always fueling her passion and drive was the desire to make a difference. So much so, she recalls, “When I was a young lawyer, my goal was to get a front page obituary in my hometown newspaper to know that I made a difference. “In my law practice, I make money, which helps fuel my life, but in my other areas of work, I make a difference and I always have time for that.” It’s as if she owes it to the people who made her life possible, not just her parents, but her grandmother who was a domestic and an uncle who was a black panther. And she adds, “All of those people I don't know who marched and died. “The fact that we, as Black people, survive all we have is what causes me to do what I do. In the face of that, I can't b e afraid of anything.” Ironically, of all the positions and appointments she’s received, it was her appointment to chair the LADWP that brought the 63-year old, once recognized among California’s “Super Lawyers” to tears. “I thought about my mother and my beginnings,” she says. “My dad got his GED in the Navy and my mother had me when she was 19 and made it her mission to send me to college. So, the day I got that appointment, I thought about how hard my parents worked, how much they wanted for me and what an awesome responsibility and a pretty incredible amount of power came with this position.” With that power, McClain-Hill intends to not only lead the LADWP in modeling what effective structural change in in a major municipal utility looks like, but to set a new standard of equity that can be replicated in the city and across the nation. “In the next two years, DWP will complete a study on equity strategies that will be the first of its kind in the nation,” she states of the Racial Equity Action Plan that can be freely assessed on the DWP website. “A study that will define and quantify what is necessary in order to have an equitable climate change transition in the city of Los Angeles and it will be a model for the rest of the country to follow. Over the next five years, the DWP, I expect to see people of color at every single level of our department. DWP will not only be a pipeline for jobs into the department in the city, but we'll also have a pipeline for jobs with our third party contractors and that will change the game in terms of numbers of jobs people can aspire to. “We're intending to lead the way, not just in terms of climate change, renewable energy, but we're determined to lead the way in terms of how you engage with your community in a way that is equitable, that is inclusive, and that lifts all boats at the same time. So, DWP is going to be a model agency, and it's going to model the best in terms of technology, opportunities, service and workforce development. We're going to build a stronger L.A.”