Jackie Robinson and the Legacy of Racism in Pasadena

Jackie Robinson was a stellar athlete, a change agent, a civil rights silent/present leader, and a Pasadena resident. Despite his gifts and talent, the city’s leaders and built environment long denied the Robinson family and other families of color access, equity, and respect. Fast forward past the Civil Rights movement and an outstanding MLB career, the city sought to jump on the Robinson bandwagon to no avail. The deep racism embedded in Pasadena city politics and culture kept Jackie Robinson away and gave him the foundation to deny the city’s requests to honor his legacy.

Courtesy of the LA Times

Now, in 2009 the city still has not gotten the message and is in a heated debate over the (re)naming of a Pasadena Park situated right next to the infamous Rose Bowl. Read more here

Recap

After several months of hiatus, infinite days of observation, and roaming the streets of Los Angeles, I am ready to get back. A few critical things that I want to reflect on:

1. The mayor was re-elected at a margin that questions his ability to truly carry the gubernatorial race. (Side Note: I hope Newsom does not have the same fate).

2. MRT persevered and conquered the old LAPD chief, in a win that will implicate LA County for much of the next decade (Note: Hello MLK, when will you be operating, open, and sustainable?)

3. Secretary Solis has been able to deconstruct the traditional norms of the President’s cabinet to head one of the preeminent agencies in the country, the Department of Labor. It’s about time this department has a voice from within instead of being facilitated by power structures advocating for the opposition. 

4. California is in a budget deficit. Enough said. 

5. The UC and CSU systems are facing large scale cutbacks that are directly interfering with their ability to represent the demographic changes of California in their student body. If things continue on this path, both institutions, but mostly the UC system will exhibit a large degree of homogeneity in terms of class and racial background. The time to make changes are now, unless we want to time travel back to Kent State and walk on the decades-old path of white privilege in access and representation. 

6. Finally, the MTA in Los Angeles continues to be a source of great pride and inspiration for my thoughts and observations. The situations, faces, and events that transgress on the bus are unmatched anywhere in the city. I hope to elaborate more with fluid stories and character development. True knowledge. 

 

-sd

Fiscal Crisis in Cali

With an estimated 14 billion dollar state budget deficit, Californians are worried about their future. Seven in 10 residents say California is in a recession and three in four expect the state to have bad economic times during the next 12 months. This comes at the height of a housing crisis, a record high unemployment rate, and major spending cuts in social services. Moreover, nearly half of likely voters say they prefer to deal with the budget gap through a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Solid majorities say major changes are needed in the state’s budget process. However, the Governator has proposed major budget cuts to all state departments except the department of corrections and the department of business. The future of California is grim, as the youth are predominantly of color and low-income, meaning they are at the heart of the cuts to education, health services, and more. Please contact your State legislators today and voice your opinion! To find your elected official click here.