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Human Relations Commission

Minutes of Regular Meeting
March 14, 2002
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The Human Relations Commission of the City of Los Angeles met for its regular meeting on Thursday, March 14, 2002 at 9:05 a.m., City Hall, 10th Floor, Room 1070; Los Angeles, CA 90012.

(Note: Minutes are recorded out of order of the discussion)

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY 3, 2002 COMMISSION MEETING

M/S/C- Steinberg – Houston-Unanimous- That the Minutes of the Commission Meeting are approved with any noted corrections to be made.

2. PRESIDENT'S REPORT

President Pérez waived the President’s report.

3. INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Interim Executive Director Piña indicated that he would brief the Commission on the main topics of his report and then discuss other items as the Commission wished.

He updated the Commission on the status of the Venice Arts project, which included a trip to South Africa in September 2001. The photographs taken by the youth have been displayed at several venues in Los Angeles and are currently displayed in City Hall outside Council chambers. The exhibit also includes Los Angeles photographs and a comment book. Director Piña extended an invitation to the Commissioners to visit the exhibit after the meeting. Director Piña also indicated that some photos contained anti- American slogans.

Director Piña reminded the Commission that his past reports have included the possibility of utilizing Days of Dialogue to facilitate dialogues on topics other than the 9/11 Attack on America. Possible topics of city-wide concern include reappointment of Chief of Police Bernard Parks, secession and immigration. Staff is currently focusing on April 4, 2002 as a potential date to engage community members in dialogue surrounding Chief Parks’ reappointment. The purpose will be to dispel misinformation surrounding the chief’s performance review and to foster productive civic engagement among community members.

President Pérez inquired about the current and future involvement of the Commission in the implementation of the Consent Decree and expressed a concern that the involvement be substantive rather than advisory.

Director Piña informed the Commission that staff has picked up where former Executive Director Joe Hicks left off by being part of the review panel that has now selected RAND to evaluate LAPD’s training program. In addition to the Commission and LAPD, other participants on the panel are staff from the Mayor’s Office, the City Administrative Officer (CAO) and the Chief Legislative Analyst. The contracting process will be expedited since a final report from the contractor will be due in November 2002.

President Pérez questioned how the Commissioners would actively engage in the Consent Decree process and suggested that there needs to be a structure in place to define the Commission’s role. He mentioned the Commission’s past and recent active involvement in police/community relations should continue, but that it should not take a less than appropriate, analytical approach to various issues. President Pérez indicated a desire to clearly understand the Mayor and LAPD’S expectations of Commission involvement.

Director Piña mentioned that once the contract has been executed, the Commission would participate in regular meetings that LAPD staff will be having with RAND. Dr. Robin Greene, from LAPD Training Division and Michael Prendergast of the Police Commission staff will be the LAPD contacts for this contract. Director Piña also said that the Police Commission is very excited about working with our Commission and continuing collaborative efforts that have already been established with LAPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force and Community Relations Division.

President Pérez requested a staff report that shows a matrix of the Commission’s points of interface with LAPD on a variety of issues including the Consent Decree implementation and the Grobeson case. This report should include a tentative date to discuss this at a future Commission meeting and tentative meeting dates with RAND and LAPD. He requested that staff begin working to gather information before or by the next Commission Meeting.

President Pérez asked about the status of the Commission’s interfaith activities that were reported on at a previous meeting. Project Coordinator Henrietta Williams reported progress has been delayed due to religious leaders’ involvement with the Chief Parks issue, but that the resource guide could be ready to go to the publisher in two months.

Commissioner Al-Marayati indicated that the resource guide was just one of several ideas proposed at the January 2002 meeting he attended with Rabbi Feinstein and staff from the USC Civic and Religion Department. He expressed his opinion that publishing another resource guide might not be productive due to the Internet and existing published resource guides. Another thought from this meeting was to bring together people and to have conversation about the mosaic of Los Angeles and its religious diversity, Such a meeting could be held in cosponsorship with USC which already has the resources to gather such a group. He further indicated that disagreements between the clergy and Mayor Hahn should not preclude the clergy from engaging in activity that the Commission would sponsor.

President Pérez echoed Commissioner Al-Marayati’s thoughts and stated his opinion that many resource guides exist of faith-based organizations, but what doesn’t clearly exist is documentation of people’s investment in interfaith activities. He indicated that in the San Fernando Valley, the Interfaith Council has done good work for a long time, but needs to be recognized and highlighted. The Commission could use their example as a model for other organizations on how to bring religious leadership together in Los Angeles. The Commission should investigate who else is doing similar work.

Ms. Williams asked the Commission for direction on how to proceed. Commissioner Al-Marayati indicated that a staff report should also indicate goals and objectives for the proposed interfaith activities that were discussed today and that were offered at the January meeting. These activities should include information concerning the work of other interfaith organizations such as the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council and be in line with the Mayor’s instructions on September 14, 2001. Commissioners Al-Marayati and Feinstein will meet with Ms. Williams for further clarification.

Commissioner Al-Marayati raised the issue of April 29 as the anniversary date for the 1992 Civil Unrest and inquired about activities being planned by clergy and others. He indicated that Fernando Guerra is publishing a study that looks at what we have learned in the past ten years and where we are today from the Center for the Study of Los Angeles. Commissioner Al- Marayati offered his opinion that it would be damaging to this Commission if we are not visible and that whatever we do as an organization should have substance. Director Piña concurred and agreed that planning required considerable thought given the sensitive nature of the event. He indicated that the County HRC and MultiCultural Collaborative are separately collecting information about other organizations’ scheduled events and will disseminate that information.

Discussion of possible courses of action included:

	Commissioner Steinberg suggested that the Commission collaborate with the County Commission to hold a joint event. He also pointed out that Kimberly Hall, HRC Advisor, is a contact for information relating to the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council where she works.
	President Pérez indicated that the media needs to be considered in the Commission’s approach. Since the media will decide whom to approach, can this Commission contact those persons first to suggest that their comments focus on the issues rather than rhetoric? Commissioner Al-Marayati offered that community based and ethnic newspapers are better contacts for spreading the word about human relations work than the major media. Xandra Kayden, a professor at UCLA Public Policy Department is an excellent resource for further information about Ethnic Media.
	Commissioner Al-Marayati suggested that the Commission review the Christopher Report and its recommendations. President Pérez indicated that the efforts of ReBuild LA should also be revisited as well as former Mayor Bradley’s Neighbor to Neighbor program which was implemented after the Civil Unrest.
	Commissioner Steinberg raised the idea of having guest speakers at the next Commission meeting to address different areas of concern. Areas of concern include the census, human relations agencies that were created in the aftermath of the Unrest, changes in the LAPD, etc. Vice-President Boorstin expressed similar sentiments.
	Commissioner Bartenetti suggested that the Commission consider using different ways to approach the subject that would not be purely clinical or statistical. He said that community views about the event have been crystallized in terms of addressing the current status today. The Commission could be the key to bringing people together for community discussions and providing them the opportunity to challenge their preconceptions and open their minds to realizing that a 1992 Civil Unrest could happen again if we don’t learn how to respect one another.
	Commissioner Steinberg suggested the upcoming anniversary as an opening for the Commission to approach the Mayor about concerns regarding the City’s preparations for this event as well as the Commission’s current status of having Commissioners who serve, but were appointed by previous Mayor Riordan. President P.rez agreed to do that.

It was the general consensus of the group that the next Commission meeting should focus on community comment on the 1992 Civil Unrest.

4. RUBY TURNER/BUDGET REDUCTIONS/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH

Mrs. Turner reported that the City reopened the filing period for the Executive Director position on March 1, 2002 and did not indicate a closing date. The applicants from the first filing period are still under consideration. The Mayor is looking for a larger pool of highly qualified people to evaluate prior to making a final decision. This decision making process will include this Commission and the Mayor’s Office.

As previously reported, the Commission offered to return approximately 10% of its current budget back to the General Fund in response to the Mayor’s request to do so. Current programming will not be affected because the 10% was a combination of salary savings and funds for a youth program that was not implemented. 5% has been returned to the General Fund and the additional 5% will also be returned.

For 2002/03 staff has previously informed the Commission that the Mayor had requested city departments to reduce its budget proposal by 10%. The reduction was not specifically discussed in staff’s meetings with the CAO and the Mayor on January 22, 2002 and February 12, 2002 respectively. However, on the evening prior to the Mayor’s Budget meeting staff was informed that the item for discussion would be the elimination of all funds for programs. The next day at this meeting Director Piña informed the Mayor of the impact of this reduction. There has been no information forthcoming since then on the status of our budget. Per Charter, the Mayor’s proposed budget must be submitted to Council by April 20, 2002.

In response to Commissioner Steinberg’s question concerning the Commission’s ability to raise funds to support Commission activities, Director Piña indicated that is a function of the Assistant Executive Director’s position. Those funds are typically placed in the Commission's Trust Fund, which has a balance of $42,000.

5. FIELD TEAM REPORT/HENRIETTA WILLIAMS/CD9 SHOULDER TO SHOULDER PROGRAM

Project Coordinator Henrietta Williams introduced Joseph Salvo who is the mosaic artist working with students participating in the Central Avenue Jazz Park Project which is located near the historic Dunbar Hotel. The Commission is partnering with Councilmember Jan Perry’s Office, the Dunbar Economic Development Corporation, Cultural Affairs and the Department of Recreation and Parks to implement this project.

Forty high school youth, predominantly from Council District 9, will participate in six Saturday classes to be held at the Hotel. In addition to the artist’s instruction and human relations curricula, jazz artists who still live in the area and remember when Central Avenue was an entertainment area for African-Americans who were restricted from going elsewhere will be invited to speak. The fact that this area is currently undergoing major demographic changes in its population increases the importance of the human relations aspect of this program. The first class be held on March 30, 2002 and continue for six sessions on Saturdays.

The students will create a jazz theme as a backdrop for the mosaic artwork that will be installed at the Central Jazz Park.

Although the Central Avenue Jazz Fest will be held July 27-28, 2002, the finished product will be unveiled to the students on August 24, 2002. Local youth music groups will be asked to participate.

Mr. Salvo displayed photos of his previous work and explained how mosaic art is created. He explained in detail what the students would do in order to create the design for the project.

President Pérez echoed Commissioner Bartenetti’s suggestion that a future Commission Meeting be held in the Central Avenue area.

6. FIELD TEAM REPORT/EMILY WILLIAMS/STATUS ON REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSENT DECREE

Discussed under Item 3 of the Executive Director’s Report

7. PUBLIC COMMENT

Mr. Piña reported that the Commission has three new Advisers. Rosa Alva from Council District 9 was scheduled to attend the meeting, but had a prior commitment. The other two advisors are Michelle Kleinert and Dee Gelb from Council District 6. All Advisers have been sent a letter to schedule a meeting with Vice-President Boorstin and Commissioner Steinberg.

Commissioner Steinberg stated that his son Donald Steinberg, former Ambassador of Angola, who has recently received honors for distinguished service in the Middle East, was offering to speak to the Commission on human relations issues. Commissioner Al-Marayati suggested that Ambassador Steinberg might be able to speak at the Islamic Center of Southern California. President Pérez extended an invitation for Ambassador Steinberg to be a guest speaker at one of the future Commission Meetings or that the Commission cosponsor one of his local speaking engagements.

8. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 10:55 a.m.