As temperatures increase and natural disasters like fires and mudslides occur more and more frequently, low-income communities, communities of color and those who live in pollution burdened areas are hit hardest. Prop 70, a misleading initiative on the June ballot that is backed by just a handful of Republicans, would make it harder for our…
Continue ReadingAuthor: Gloria Walton
Continuing the Fight for Equitable Investment in South LA
For over a decade, the link between economic and environmental injustice has been a part of the fabric of SCOPE’s work– from the Green Jobs campaign in 2006 to the development of accessible pre-apprenticeship programs at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in 2011 to our current work on climate justice and transitioning…
Continue ReadingFrom The LA Uprising To The People’s Climate March: Building Power When You Are Under Threat
As a native of Mississippi, I often think of the famous words of Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer: “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Twenty-five years ago, a predominantly white jury acquitted the California Highway Patrol officers involved in the brutal beating of Rodney King─an act of police violence that was caught…
Continue ReadingRealizing the Promise of Solar for South Los Angeles
I recently wrote a piece for Capital and Main about how the Department of Water and Power’s residential rooftop solar initiative has left South L.A., along with Wilmington, Boyle Heights, Pacoima and other communities behind! Read on! Find out where LADWP’s solar incentives actually went and how SCOPE wants to see LADWP’s newest renewable energy…
Continue Reading Three Questions About Poverty the Republican Presidential Candidates Should Answer
The Center for Community Change asked me, along with long time SCOPE member and grassroots leader, Pat Jones, what we would like to see the Republican candidates debate. This piece continues a campaign at TalkPoverty.org where advocates and people struggling to make ends meet will ask 2016 presidential candidates about how they would significantly reduce…
Continue ReadingTen Years After Katrina, Low-Income Communities Are Still Vulnerable to Disaster: Here's Why
Hurricane Katrina survivors wade through water on the street on Aug. 31, 2005, two days after the storm made land fall. Photo Credit: News Muse, flickr It’s been 10 years since my mother lost the only house she’s ever owned. A warehouse worker in Jackson, Mississippi, one of the poorest American cities, my mother lost…
Continue ReadingWhy LA is the Country’s Fulcrum for Change
July kicked off to a great start when my colleague and fellow-organizer Marqueece Harris-Dawson was sworn in as 8th District City Councilman. It reminded me of the incredible political opportunity in Los Angeles. Here in L.A., we are at a pivotal moment and that could mean big things for California and the country. We all…
Continue ReadingFostering a Space to Support the Social Justice Movement with Rea SJ
Envisioning a sustainable social justice movement comprised of grassroots groups, community based organizations, and researchers; the Resource Alliance for Social Justice (Real SJ) fosters a space in which networking and collaboration come together to strengthen the capacity of those fighting for social justice. As a SCOPE initiative with the UCLA Labor Center, Advancement Project, Research…
Continue ReadingThis Mother’s Day, Honor Your Mother’s Commitment to Putting Your Family First
Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, I remember seeing my mom, a single mom, struggle to support us three kids by working multiple jobs, mostly manual labor in shipping and receiving at large warehouses. My mom worked incessantly, but because of abysmal wages, those long hours never paid off. We still relied on government assistance to…
Continue ReadingFundraiser for SCOPE Member Chris Nixon
It’s with a heavy heart to share that long time SCOPE family member Chris Nixon suffered a severe heart attack and passed away. This sudden loss is one we are all still coming to terms with. Chris was a passionate advocate for social justice and leader at SCOPE and in the South LA community. Growing…
Continue Reading
