性视界传媒

LOS ANGELES 性视界传媒� The two dozen volunteers gathered on a Saturday morning at the appropriately 性视界传媒� almost cinematically 性视界传媒� named Unity House got the message over and over and over again as they reviewed what to tell voters about Sade Elhawary.

Her bid for the 57th Assembly District, a historically Black swath of South Los Angeles that is now predominantly Latino, aims to build Black and brown solidarity and the political power of both groups. Elhawary, a 36-year-old former teacher and community organizer seeking public office for the first time, is herself biracial, the daughter of Guatemalan and Egyptian immigrants.

性视界传媒淚f people learn that stuff,性视界传媒� the deputy campaign manager said as she flipped through a Powerpoint presentation, 性视界传媒渢hey性视界传媒檒l vote for us every time.性视界传媒�

Elhawary is running against Efren Martinez, a 44-year-old business consultant and fellow Democrat, at a dynamic and sensitive moment for South L.A., whose complex ethnic politics were central to a leaked racist recording about redrawing council districts that shook the city two years ago.

The neighborhood that elected the first African-Americans to the California Legislature a century ago is now, after decades of immigration, finally poised to send a Latino member to Sacramento 性视界传媒� a triumph for the local Latino community, which has long lagged in political representation, but one that could come at the expense of a platform for the state性视界传媒檚 shrinking Black population.

Race is not the main campaign issue in a district where housing affordability and homelessness, unemployment and crime are everyday concerns. It性视界传媒檚 also unavoidable. Both candidates are making explicit overtures to the diverse electorate 性视界传媒� Martinez visits Black churches on Sunday mornings, Elhawary hands out posters declaring that she is 性视界传媒渦niting our Black & brown community性视界传媒� 性视界传媒� that they can be trusted to represent everyone and won性视界传媒檛 leave Black or Latino residents behind.

性视界传媒淭he world expects you to choose,性视界传媒� Elhawary said in an interview in her upstairs office at the Unity House, surrounded by memorabilia from her youth. A certificate from her Assembly member recognized teenage Elhawary for helping organize a college and career conference for Latina high schoolers in 2007.

性视界传媒淭here are definitely times and places where people say, 性视界传媒榃ell, if you性视界传媒檙e part of this, that means that you only care about Black people. And if you性视界传媒檙e a part of this, that means clearly you don性视界传媒檛 want to be a part of us.性视界传媒� And I think that that性视界传媒檚 totally not true. That性视界传媒檚 not who I am,性视界传媒� she said.聽

性视界传媒淚f anything, it means that I get to bring a Latino perspective into Black spaces, too, and remind folks that if we want to do this work, we have to be in solidarity because you don性视界传媒檛 build power in silos.性视界传媒�

The birth of 'Black-brown politics'

Building solidarity between Black and Latino residents has been a project in South Los Angeles for more than three decades.

The neighborhood originally became a core of African-American culture and political activity in California during the first half of the 20th century, when聽聽forced Black migrants arriving in Los Angeles from the South to settle there. But after middle-class families began moving away in the 1970s and 1980s because of a shrinking industrial sector and rising crime, they were replaced by waves of immigrants escaping economic crises and wars in Central America.

This transition led to explosive tension over jobs and resources 性视界传媒� and the establishment of civic organizations to ease the conflict, such as聽, a racial and economic justice advocacy group founded in 1990 by now-Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

性视界传媒淭here性视界传媒檚 a lot of attention to Black-brown politics,性视界传媒� said Manuel Pastor, a professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California, who聽聽in South L.A. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 present, but it性视界传媒檚 not always spoken.性视界传媒�

Even as the population of the area has radically changed over the past 50 years 性视界传媒� from 80% Black to more than two-thirds Latino now 性视界传媒� representation has not. State and local officials are still mostly African-American.

Black political power remains outsized in South L.A. because many of the Latino residents are immigrants who are not U.S. citizens and cannot vote, while Black homeowners who have remained are deeply civically engaged. The 57th District is about 71% Latino and 17% Black, according to聽, but that gap shrinks to 48%-29% among voting-age citizens.

Younger generations of Latinos also grew up surrounded by Black culture, Pastor said, and are comfortable with African-American leaders. Local politicians adapted by fostering ties to the Latino community, including by聽.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 not as monochromatically simple,性视界传媒� said Pastor, who has donated to Elhawary性视界传媒檚 campaign. Rather than the traditional political model of ethnic succession, he said, 性视界传媒渨hat seems to be going on in South L.A. is ethnic sedimentation 性视界传媒� building on what性视界传媒檚 there.性视界传媒�

Yet it性视界传媒檚 not all harmonious. There are Latinos restless for more political power and a real fear that the Black community is being erased as displacement and gentrification continue to transform South Los Angeles.

Those were undercurrents of a 2022 scandal in which three Latino Los Angeles city councilmembers were caught making racist comments about Black people and disparaging remarks about their colleagues. In a聽, they expressed frustration about the once-a-decade redistricting process and discussed keeping economic assets in heavily Latino districts, including USC and Exposition Park, which two Black councilmembers in South L.A. had been fighting over.

It was a painful moment for the community, said Raphael Sonenshein, the director of the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, who has written books about the racial politics of Los Angeles. But it also underscored, by contrast, how deliberate political leaders in South L.A. have been about maintaining their multiracial alliance.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 not a surprise. There性视界传媒檚 been plenty of time to think about it,性视界传媒� Sonenshein said. But, he added, 性视界传媒淣othing is smooth when you have different groups at play that have different interests.性视界传媒�

Though representation may not be at the forefront of voters性视界传媒� mind in the 57th Assembly District, the political class is certainly thinking about it.

In Sacramento, ethnic caucuses are engaged in an enduring 性视界传媒� and still unfinished 性视界传媒� push to diversify the Legislature to fully reflect California性视界传媒檚 population. It性视界传媒檚 a simple idea that has proved difficult to achieve; change can come slowly when incumbents are able to spend more than a decade in office before terming out and gains for one minority group may be at the expense of another.

Latinos, now the largest ethnic group in California with about 40% of the population, still comprise fewer than a third of the 120 seats in the Legislature. State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Long Beach Democrat who leads the California Legislative Latino Caucus, declined an interview request, but said in a statement that the caucus is 性视界传媒渄edicated to promoting diverse representation in the Legislature. This includes striving to ensure that the proportion of Latinos in the Legislature mirrors their proportion within the state性视界传媒檚 population, as well as achieving gender parity, parity for other minority groups, age demographics, and diverse backgrounds.性视界传媒�

Meanwhile, there are no majority 性视界传媒� or even plurality 性视界传媒� Black legislative districts left in the state, where the Black share of the population has fallen to less than 6%. A handful of districts where Black voters still make up a quarter or more of the electorate do remain in Los Angeles and Oakland.

The California Legislative Black Caucus, which now has 12 members, has consequently had to rethink its campaign strategy, including by recruiting and developing candidates in areas that might not typically elect Black representatives.

性视界传媒淲e are saying every district is a Black district, every district needs representation, every district has Black voices,性视界传媒� said Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Suisun City Democrat who leads the caucus. It has endorsed Elhawary.

Though the caucus is trying to 性视界传媒渄o a better job of educating our colleagues on what the issues are and how to be a good ally to us,性视界传媒� Wilson said it was important to maintain enough Black representation in Sacramento so that they have 性视界传媒渁 critical mass there to enact change.性视界传媒� But she doesn性视界传媒檛 want it to come at the expense of Latino members; she said it was 性视界传媒渂eautiful性视界传媒� that Elhawary could bridge both groups with her mixed heritage.

性视界传媒淲e cannot be divided,性视界传媒� Wilson said. 性视界传媒淭his is not the oppression Olympics. We性视界传媒檝e both been oppressed.性视界传媒�

The district性视界传媒檚 Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who is Black, represented South L.A. for 12 years and terms out in December. He said he occasionally heard talk about needing to put a Latino representative in his seat, but that it wasn性视界传媒檛 aggressively pursued because he had a strong track record of supporting Latino issues 性视界传媒� such as bills providing overtime pay for farmworkers and resources for undocumented immigrants 性视界传媒� that was even better than some Latino legislators.

性视界传媒淢y vote was very important to the Latino Caucus,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淚 think that saved me over the 10-plus years of trying to get reelected.性视界传媒�

He did face a fight for his political survival in 2020, when Martinez upset him in the top-two primary. Jones-Sawyer said he organized a focus group with the district性视界传媒檚 Latino voters, who were more concerned about being able to access public services and get food on the table amid the coronavirus pandemic than the post-George Floyd civil rights protests dominating the political discourse at the time.

性视界传媒淚t was like a lightning bolt,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淓verything we thought was the appropriate way to act was wrong.性视界传媒�

Jones-Sawyer said he refocused his campaign on food distributions and other direct services, which helped him fend off Martinez in their nasty runoff campaign.

性视界传媒淭hat性视界传媒檚 what won people over. Not the racial politics,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淚 hope we don性视界传媒檛 start a war. Because if Latinos and African-Americans are fighting each other over resources in an area that性视界传媒檚 impoverished, we both lose.性视界传媒�

Does a multiracial message still resonate with voters?

It was the racist tape scandal 性视界传媒� which suggested precisely such a battle coming to a head in city politics 性视界传媒� that sparked Elhawary性视界传媒檚 Assembly bid.

A longtime youth organizer with Community Coalition who was working on Bass性视界传媒� mayoral campaign at the time, Elhawary said she felt compelled to speak out both 性视界传媒渁s a Black person who knows that this is wrong性视界传媒� and 性视界传媒渁s someone who understands that Latinos also need to kind of bring our community together.性视界传媒� Her experience commenting at a city council meeting on behalf of the Black Los Angeles Young Democrats emboldened her to lead in a different way and a few months later, she decided to run for office.

Her campaign has so heavily emphasized her biracial identity in part because Elhawary said it was important to help voters understand her focus on solidarity and social justice. She believes she could play a unique role in the Legislature, providing a Latino voice to help build support around Black issues, such as reparations, and vice versa.

性视界传媒淔olks see every day the way that we have been underinvested, underserved and just the ways that this particular community has had less resources,性视界传媒� she said. 性视界传媒淎nd I think because of that, it means that folks know that we性视界传媒檙e in this together.性视界传媒�

But her background is also something that Elhawary said she性视界传媒檚 always had to justify 性视界传媒� including to the voters whose support she is now seeking.

In the March primary, Martinez put out an ad calling Elhawary 性视界传媒渟hady性视界传媒� for going by her middle name, Sade, instead of her first name, Zeinab; allies聽聽that message for trying to 性视界传媒淏lacken性视界传媒� Elhawary to scare off Latino voters. Another candidate, the reparations advocate Tara Perry, campaigned as the 性视界传媒渙nly African American woman性视界传媒� in the race, implying that Elhawary was not Black because she was not a descendent of slaves.

性视界传媒淓specially if you can性视界传媒檛 be plugged in, you vote based on what性视界传媒檚 familiar to you,性视界传媒� Elhawary said. 性视界传媒淔or someone like my uncle, who grew up not too far from here, he性视界传媒檚 like, 性视界传媒榃ell, I go down based on names. Like whoever sounds like they性视界传媒檙e Latino, I性视界传媒檓 voting for them because that性视界传媒檚 what feels good.性视界传媒櫺允咏绱綕

It性视界传媒檚 unclear exactly what exactly will sway voters in what is likely to be a close race. In the top-two primary, Martinez, whose campaign has emphasized public safety, received nearly 33% of the vote, and Elhawary, running as an unabashed progressed, won about 31%, while three other candidates split the rest.

Martinez did not respond to repeated interview requests from CalMatters.

In conversations with voters, housing comes up as the top issue. But the campaign has also been flooded in recent weeks with millions of dollars in outside spending 性视界传媒� from labor unions, trial lawyers and Uber for Elhawary, from oil companies, law enforcement groups and the dialysis clinic operator DaVita for Martinez. A significant portion is funding attack ads that hit Elhawary for not growing up in the district and Martinez for his connection to an abusive campaign worker.

Eating lunch with her congregation after services at St. Patrick性视界传媒檚 Catholic Church on a recent Sunday, Isela Aguirre said she ultimately decided to vote for Martinez because he seemed trustworthy and genuine. The 51-year-old South L.A. native, a regional property supervisor for homeless and low-income supportive housing, said Elhawary性视界传媒檚 slogans about unifying the Black and brown communities seemed too canned.

性视界传媒淭he community wants to look out for a leader who性视界传媒檚 looking out for them. But just because someone is the same ethnicity doesn性视界传媒檛 mean they性视界传媒檙e looking out for them,性视界传媒� Aguirre said. 性视界传媒淲e need to see someone who can work with everybody.性视界传媒�

Aguirre said a shared racial identity was important for older generations of minority groups that needed to stick together for their survival, but it causes division when emphasized too much. As a voter, she looks instead at what organizations and officials a candidate is associated with.

性视界传媒淲hile it gets you in the door, your ethnicity, if you don性视界传媒檛 do something that helps that community, don性视界传媒檛 expect longevity,性视界传媒� she said.

After dispatching her volunteers to knock on doors, Elhawary attended the Taste of Soul, an annual street festival along South L.A.性视界传媒檚 historic Crenshaw Boulevard that is a massive gathering for Black Angelenos.

Between music performances on the main stage, the emcee introduced a parade of politicians, including Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democrat who is likely to be California性视界传媒檚 next U.S. senator, several gubernatorial hopefuls and a video message from Vice President Kamala Harris. During remarks urging attendees to get out the vote, Bass, who has appeared in campaign material endorsing Elhawary, called her out as 性视界传媒渁 young woman that represents the future.性视界传媒�

Then Elhawary waded into the crowd to make her pitch to voters, taking selfies with people who recognized her from digital ads that have been running nonstop.

性视界传媒淪he性视界传媒檚 for the people, and that alone tells me should be a good representative,性视界传媒� said Ronald Taylor, a 62-year-old Caltrans worker, who was pleased by her 性视界传媒渞ainbow coalition性视界传媒� message. 性视界传媒淪he性视界传媒檚 going to be an ambassador to us.性视界传媒�

A small group of older Black men wandered by carrying a poster with the faces of the California Legislative Black Caucus crossed out. Frustrated by the failure of major reparations bills in the Legislature this summer, they are among a group of activists now campaigning for the opponents of Black Caucus members, including Republicans. They asked Elhawaray if she would support reparations.

性视界传媒淎bsolutely,性视界传媒� she told them, responding so quickly it was almost instinctive. 性视界传媒淲e性视界传媒檝e got to be in lockstep.性视界传媒�

Trailing steps behind them was Kamilah Moore, chairperson of the California Reparations Task Force. Elhawary pulled her into a photo, but after she walked away, Moore confessed that she hadn性视界传媒檛 really wanted to pose together.

Moore, who does not live in the 57th Assembly District, said she recently attended a taco meet-and-greet with Martinez and was considering whether he might provide 性视界传媒渞eal representation性视界传媒� for the cause of reparations.

性视界传媒淲e want Black representation,性视界传媒� Moore said, 性视界传媒渂ut we don性视界传媒檛 just want a Black face in a high place.性视界传媒�