L.A. Riots: Rev. Cecil Murray Sees Progress In Inclusive Society
Rev. Cecil Murray inside the church where he tried to calm the storm 20 years ago. (Catherine Green/Neon Tommy)
Scanning the anxious faces of some 2,000 South Central Los Angeles residents packed inside his sanctuary, the Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray of First African Methodist Episcopal Church knew he had a difficult task before him.
It was April 29, 1992. Earlier that day, a county clerk inside a Simi Valley courthouse some 50 miles away had read the verdict in the case against officers from the Los Angeles Police Department accused of using excessive force on Rodney King in a 1991 confrontation. All four had been acquitted, and the people’s outrage had begun to boil over.
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Police-Teen Advisory Board Bridges The Gap In L.A.
Isaiah Alexander, founding member of Teen CPAB. (Catherine Green)
Ten o’clock in the morning is still considered early for most college students. Isaiah Alexander, a founding member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Teen Community Police Advisory Board, is no different.
“Hello?” a groggy voice answers when I call on a recent Tuesday.
“I’m, uh, standing on your porch,” I say. The spitting mist has just turned into a steady rain outside the suburban Sacramento house, and I’d like to be indoors.
“Oh, for real? Hang on.” The line goes dead. A moment later, Isaiah opens his front door.
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The Big Leagues: Buscaino Joins The Horseshoe
Councilman Joe Buscaino seemed already at ease in his new role. (Catherine Green)
It’s the morning of his first committee meeting, and Councilman Joe Buscaino can’t get into City Hall.
“I knew it—it’s not gonna work,” he says. Standing outside the executive elevator in the depths of the parking garage, he holds his access card up to the sensor once, twice, three times—nothing.
He’s not surprised, but Buscaino isn’t grumbling. Despite the snafu on this already hectic Tuesday morning, he maintains the good-natured attitude that’s become part of his public persona. It’s not lost on him that this is the perfect illustration of his touted status as a political outsider.
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In The Aftermath Of Eviction, Occupy L.A. Looks To Relocate
The lawn of city hall, as cleanup crews nearby start to pick up after the raid. (Catherine Green)
The most striking thing about city hall lawn Wednesday morning was the noisy din in the absence of protesters.
Beeping, crashing and scraping from heavy machinery made for more of a commotion than the demonstrators of Occupy L.A. had in the last two months of their encampment.
The debris strewn across the lawn was almost overwhelming, as if demonstrators had chosen trash and discarded camping supplies as their last-ditch effort to leave a mark on the city. As cleanup crews carried out their arduous task, police officers stood bored around city hall, guarding against its former occupants.
Blocks away, what remained of the movement struggled to regroup.
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Road To City Hall: The Morning Commute
AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Joining Councilman Joe Buscaino, District 15, on his morning commute from San Pedro to City Hall in downtown L.A
Teen CPAB: Bridging The Gap
ANCHOR:
SIX YEARS AGO… THEN-SENIOR LEAD OFFICER JOE BUSCAINO APPROACHED HIS SERGEANT WITH AN IDEA.
WHY NOT ASK THE KIDS OF SAN PEDRO WHAT THEY THOUGHT WERE THE COMMUNITY’S BIGGEST ISSUES?
AND THOUGH BUSCAINO HAS MOVED ON TO CITY COUNCIL… HIS BRIGHT IDEA LIVES ON.
CATHERINE GREEN HAS AN UPDATE ON THE L-A-P-D’S TEEN COMMUNITY POLICE ADVISORY BOARD IN SAN PEDRO.