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Friday, January 25, 2013
CHURCH & RELIGIOUS NEWS The Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement Collaborate with Faith Based Leaders to Help Find 1000 African American Apprentices By Gloria Zuurveen Editor-in-Chief LOS ANGELES—The room at the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement meeting room on Thursday evening was filled to overflow as African American faith-based leaders met to discuss with officials from the City of Los Angeles and MTA about strategies to find more than 1000 apprentices for reinstatement in the Los Angeles Building and Construction Trades. A key piece of workforce development activity generated by the City of Los Angeles, in partnership with the Building Trades, city departments, local agencies, and a number of non-profits including the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), the United Job Creation Council (UJCC), the UAW WorkSource Center, and the LAUSD We Build Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program. The main focus of the discussion on Thursday was on strategizing MTA job opportunities on the Crenshaw line with USC, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, Rev. Cecil L. Murray and Rev. Mark Whitlock along with staff members representing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa including: Larry Frank, Deputy Chief of Staff, JC Lacey, Transportation, Senior Manager and John Reamer, Executive Director of Public Works. Questions were asked by faith based leaders referencing whether an all out effort will be put forth to ensure that African Americans are seriously consid-
Photo by Gloria Zuurveen Rev. Mark Whitlock and Rev. Cecil Murray closing out the meeting.
Rev. Murray listens as one of the Pastors ask question about the program.
ered for the potential jobs coming to the City of Los Angeles. Rev. Murray questioned how is the poverty level deter-
2157 to become construction apprentices since 2006, over 1000 have dropped out of the program for lack of hours because of the
mined since many of the requirement are to hire from the local community with low income. Although there have been
Photo by Gloria Zuurveen Big John, IBEW, listening as a Faith Based leader speaks during the meeting at the Cecil Murray Center.
Black Leaders Supports Jan Perry for Los Angeles Mayor Southland Partnership Corporation, said, “Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry is the most excellent mayoral candidate because she truly cares for South Los Angeles residents to achieve greater access to quality jobs, training and career opportunities as en elected official for the city she ushered in the new millennium with proven leadership and skills by attracting and expanding her district toward becoming the sports and entertainment capitol of the world. There is no doubt that Ms. Perry will add incomparable value becoming the top executive of Los Angeles.” Jacquelynn Hawthorne, Chairwoman, Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee said she is supporting Perry because she is the most viable candidate. “I based that on the probusiness work she has done creating beautiful city skyline meaning LA Live, bringing jobs to the city of Los Angeles,” Hawthorne said. Hawthorne said, “She is caring and sympathetic. She has done a great job for the homeless in the city.” “Jan is singularly qualified and was brought up in a home where both her father and mother were mayors. It’s in her
Photo by Gloria Zuurveen
DNA.” Carolyn Fowler said, “Jan Perry will bring together community, business and the environment to best serve the City of Los Angeles.” Rev. Murray did not hesitate to add his name to the list of Black leaders speaking in support of Perry. He said, “Jan Perry is like January, the beginning of the new cycle. She can take us to a new beginning. Vote, Jan Perry.” Listening to Black leaders, its appears Perry is the candidate with the most qualifications in spite of mainstream reports that she’s the underdog. Bobbie Anderson, of the New Frontier Democratic Club, said, “Jan is by far the best candidate for the mayor’s office given her past record and life story and I support her 100 percent to be our next mayor.” She said, “I think she is underestimated and underrated clearly, I think she is being misjudged. She is a strong, highly competent and qualified candidate.” Anderson said, “I think that her strong record on dealing with the homeless in downtown Los Angeles was a humane effort on her part. She created a strong
interest in downtown with the businesses such as LA Live. She should be credited with revitalizing the downtown area by bringing new jobs to the community.” “And last,” said Anderson, “She really brought the Ninth District coalition of African American, Asians, Latino together which helped to improve the southern part of the Ninth which had been traditionally overlooked. For example, the Dunbar Hotel and the Jazz Festival on Central Avenue.” Reports that candidate Wendy Greuel worked as an aide for Mayor Bradley some 25 years ago is to be commended for her to have served under such a great leader, however, 40 years after Mayor Bradley historic victory to become the first African American mayor of Los Angeles by reaching over racial and ethnic lines, it appears to be the consensus of Los Angeles Black leadership that the one and only one to compare Mayor Bradley achievements in the 2013 mayoral race is Perry, who when elected, will, like, Mayor Bradley, make history as the first African American woman to lead a metropolis like Los Angeles.
recession. These are the one the meeting was addressing sinking the help from faith based leaders to get the word out about opportunities for jobs in the community. Speakers on the “The Campaign to Reinstate Apprentices” panel discussion were: Jackie Cornejo, LAANE; Kimberly Freelow, We Build; Larry Frank, Mayor’s Office; Roy Kim, UAW and Big John, IBEW. Rev. Murray opened and closed in prayer while Rev. Whitlock welcome everyone who took the time to come out and learn how they can benefit themselves and others by getting the word out about quality job opportunities. For construction worker who desire to connect for training and immediate work, they can visit Southeast L.A. Crenshaw WorkSource Center located at 3965 S. Vermont Ave., LA, CA 90037. Phone number is (323) 730-7900.