SpecialReport Simmering Tensions Continue to Constrain Black/Asian Relations

ent-up anger and divisiveness between Blacks and Asians in Los Angeles traces back to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and a tension that had been broiling beneath the surface for years as Korean immigrants began occupying many of the businesses in South Central left by Jewish owners in the aftermath of the Watts riots of 1965. Experts say, Black residents felt Korean merchants were taking revenue earning opportunities from them.

Hostility had ensued earlier in the Black community when convenience store co-owner Soon Ja Du shot and killed 15-year-old Latasha Harlins in 1991. Du claimed self-defense saying she spotted Harlins putting a bottle of orange juice in her backpack. Following a verbal altercation, Harlins allegedly assaulted Du in the face before walking away. Ultimately, Du was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, but only received a sentence of five years’ probation and 400 hours of community service. The penalty frustrated many in the Black community further exacerbating tensions between the two groups.

In 2020, both the Asian and African American communities faced their own national high-profile confrontations with hate. Asians were targeted as responsible for the invasion of the virus sparking the COVID pandemic that led to 103 million cases in the US, and nearly 7 million deaths globally.

A recent survey shows that more than three out of four Asian Americans worry about experiencing hate crimes, harassment, and discrimination because of COVID-19. Among Chinese and Asian Indians, the figures are even higher at 84 percent and 80 percent, respectively.

Yet, according to research conducted by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernar- dino, “the majority of hate crimes against Asians in America in 2020 were by white folks.”

Black Americans continue to take the brunt of racist attacks and incidents at two to four times higher than all other groups in Los Angeles County, a report released by the county Commission on Human Relations (CHR) indicates. Further, Blacks have been disproportionately killed by the police, while Asian Americans are among the least likely to be harmed in police encounters, multiple studies reveal.

“The rise in hate crimes across Los Angeles County is deeply distressing,” laments Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn in a statement. “Our most vulnerable neighbors are facing enough challenges, and now they have to worry about a greater risk of being attacked or harassed because of who they are. That is unacceptable.”

For years, Black and Asian community members have often viewed each other with suspicion in highly populated cities. Since the incidents of 2020–which include the killing of eight people at Atlanta-area spas, six of whom were Asian women–the tensions boiled down to one major disagreement: policing.

While Black Lives Matter activists have called for reducing police budgets and decreasing cities’ reliance on law enforcement, Asian leaders say that police are crucial to preventing attacks on their community.

“Asian Americans see the police as protectors of private property rather than instruments of social control,” said Dr. Claire Jean Kim, a professor of political science and Asian American studies at the University of California, Irvine. “There’s more criticism and more skepticism about the police among Black people than Asian Americans.”

More than 200 Black people have

Headlines From Africa

Botswana: Religious groups are holding demonstrations in Botswana’s capital city, Gabo rone, to voice their opposition to a bill that would make same-sex relations legal.

Burkina Faso: Amid a spike in violence and rights abuses, the UN refugee agency is stating that civilians fleeing attacks by extremist groups in Burkina Faso be allowed to shelter in neighboring countries and not be sent back. The UN estimates that 4.7 million people across the country (upwards of 20 percent of the country’s population) are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Congo: An attack on the Democratic Republic of Congo's army by Rwandan forces cross ing Congo’s border has escalated tensions between the central African neighbors. A statement released by Congo’s army read as follows: "The ensuing clashes enabled the Armed Forces of the Demo cratic Republic of the Congo to repel the Rwandan terrorists who perpetrated this intolerable provocation."

Eritrea: Grave concern is being voiced by UN-appointed independent human rights experts over hostile conditions impacting Eritrean refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Ethiopia, including targeted arrests and prolonged detention. According to the UN refugee agency, as of May 31, there were around 165,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia, having fled violence and hardship in their country.

Ethiopia: Ethiopia remains on the brink of renewed ethnic conflict as thousands of displaced people stage protests demanding to be resettled in the country’s volatile northern regions and Tigrayans and Amhara con tinue to fight over regional borders.

Gabon: The candidacies of 19 people—including President Ali Bongo —have been validated for a presidential election next month. Bongo’s candidacy was approved despite opposition claims that he is unfit for the presidency due to health issues. Bongo—who has ruled the country for nearly 14 years—is running for a third term.

Ghana: A bill passed by Ghana’s parliament —prompted by the lynching of a 90-year-old woman accused of been killed by police of ficers in California since 2013, according to Mapping Police Vio lence data.

Conversely, some 3,000 self-reported inci dents of anti-Asian vio lence has been documented by 47 states in America since March of 2020. From stabbings and beat ings, to verbal harass ment and bullying, to being spit on and shunned. These acts of anti-Asian violence that have garnered national attention, have also invoked anti-Black sentiment and reignited Black-Asian conflict. For instance, Asian businesses and merchants continue to press the issue for increased policing for fear of black theft and vandalism.

“Bottom line is this kind of inter-ethnic conflict is a terrible thing,” Levin asserts. “This is like a scar that just keeps blistering. And in my heart, I believe our communities can be a rainbow of resilience.”

Reconciling the two ethnic groups has not necessarily fared well. There have been local and national initiatives to unify Asian and Black Americans, but they remain divided by ongoing racial tensions, discrimination, and socioeconomic inequality. In fact, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, the average income for an Asian adult in America is some $20,000 higher than Black adults. In Los Angeles, the average salary for Blacks is about $3,000 less annually than their Asian counter parts.

“Because Asian people don’t trace their roots in America to slavery they are often compared with white people in socioeconomic status,” Dr. Kim points out.

Capri Maddox is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department. Her organization has launched the “LA for All” campaign to combat the skyrocketing Anti-Asian hate seen post pandemic. Maddox, who is African American, acknowledges her deep concern for antiBlack hate noting that hostility against blacks has been normalized after centuries of discrimination dating back to slavery, Jim Crow laws, and redlining.

“I would’ve never thought that this would be something that the city would have to spend so much effort fighting. However, we are where we are,” Maddox remarked on a KBLA talk show. “The FBI has been tracking hate crimes for 30 years and the consistent number one population of victims are African Americans.”

Note: This article is part of a twelve part series from the “Stop The Hate Campaign”-- a joint venture of the California State Li- brary and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Af- fairs (CCAPIAA) and administered by the California Department of Social Services in response to the significant in- crease of hate-related activity that has been recorded over the last few years.

A look at current news from the continent of Africa

witchcraft in 2020— makes it a crime to abuse people accused of witchcraft or banish them from communities.

: A series of protests over cost of living and tax increases have prompted Kenya’s government and opposition to establish a joint committee with the goal of resolving their differences.

: A day after soldiers announced they’d overthrown Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s democratically elected president, Niger general Abdourahamane Tiani appeared on state television as the country’s new leader. The coup has sparked widespread condemnation. Nigeria: Labor unions in Nigeria planned to strike to demand a reversal in petrol price hikes and lower public school fees. However, the unions— which represent millions of workers across most sectors of Africa's biggest economy— called off the strike following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Senegal: Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been charged with plotting an insurrection. Just weeks ago, the 49-year-old politician’s conviction on a separate charge of immoral behavior and subsequent two-year prison sentence sparked deadly riots across the country.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's new parliament is celebrating a new milestone with the largest female representation in the country's history. The number of women lawmakers now total 41, which is more than double that of the last election.

South Africa: A new law to help close the racial economic gap in South Africa has sparked public debate with the country’s main opposition taking to the streets in protest. The law sets out “equity targets” to accelerate racial equality in the business sector, given that decades after the end of apartheid, inequality persists with an estimated 40 percent of Black South Africans unemployed.

Uganda: Nearly a dozen members of the U.S. Congress have asked the World Bank Group to suspend loans to Uganda in response to the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act.

hen Judge Dale S. Fischer sentences Mark Ridley-Thomas (MRT) on August 21, it has the potential to bring an ignoble conclusion to an otherwise stellar career of public service. According to federal sentencing guidelines, Dr. Ridley-Thomas could face 97 to 121 months in federal prison and a monetary fine commensurate with the value of the bribe derived from his action – directing a $100,000 sponsorship from USC to a non-profit organized for public benefit and a contract extension for the benefit of USC that did not increase from the original amount.

Last month, Fischer sentenced former USC Dean Marilyn Flynn to three years probation–including 18 months of electronically-monitored home confinement–and a fine of $150,000 for her stating that she had arranged for the funneling (through USC) of $100,000 to the United Ways in the high profile bribery case involving Ridley-Thomas.

The government did not seek a custodial sentence, noting competing factors, including Dean’s advanced age of 84, her health and personal history and her acceptance of responsibility.

The recent sentencing of Flynn has potentially significant implications for Ridley-Thomas who did not accept a plea deal, opting to go on trial to prove his innocence. A mountain of letters attesting to Ridley-Thomas’ legacy, deeds and character have been submitted to the judge and will stand in juxtaposition to a daunting prosecution portrayal of the veteran civil servant.

In reaching her decision, Judge Fischer will consider the “nature and circumstance” of Ridley-Thomas’ offenses as well as his “history and characteristics.” On these variables, supporters of MRT have considerable hope.

Mark Ridley-Thomas was acquitted on 12 of the 19 counts (or 63%) in the government’s indictment. The twelve counts on which MRT was acquitted were the most damning in the October 2021 grand jury indictment. These counts pertained to the most readily understandable allegations of corrupt intent and personal financial gain by the public. Pursuit and

LISA COLLINS Staff

receipt of benefits for his son – graduate school admission, paid tuition and an adjunct professorship – in exchange for support of County contracts constituted the best demonstration of “quid pro quo” proof of bribery and conspiracy.

Mark Ridley Thomas was found not guilty on these counts.

Not so easily quantifiable is the increased value of the L.A. County Department of Mental Health Telehealth contract extension he was convicted of in exchange for School of Social Work Dean Marilyn Flynn’s dispatching a $100,000 sponsorship from USC that originated from funds controlled by Ridley-Thomas in a legal donation. The government offered no evidence that USC received any increased monetary benefit from the contract extension. And neither MRT nor his son received any personal benefit from USC’s $100,000 sponsorship.

Thus, the conspiracy and bribery convictions won by the government hang on a Mark Ridley-Thomas request to expedite a legal contribution to a non-profit for the purpose of facilitating the timely employment of unrelated staff.

Government prosecutors themselves offered evidence that the intent of the $100,000 sponsorship of the Policy, Research and Practice Initiative (PRPI) Ridley-Thomas “orchestrated” was for the purpose of facilitating the timely employment of unrelated staff. MRT’s effort to expedite a contribution to a non-profit think tank–to “funnel” as it is characterized by the government–was stated as an attempt to ensure that the political preferences, opinions and behaviors of African Americans would be taken into consideration during the 2018 election year cycle – in short, Black political empowerment!

PRPI was established as a think tank devoted to surveying and analyzing the political preferences, priorities and perspective of African Americans. The effort was part of a decades long effort to study, analyze, understand, organize, motivate and mobilize his primary political base: African Americans–an effort that had resulted in the registration of 200,000 voters, mainly in South Los Angeles.

Ridley-Thomas consciously cultivated his base of support within the African American community through civic engagement and faith-based outreach and mobilization, voter registration, education and participation over his four decades of public service.

There are lots of people who believe that the entire investigation, prosecution and conviction are Illfounded, and in some ways, politically and racially motivated and I think for those people they will never this conviction will not tarnish his reputation or anything that he has accomplished...

Other than that, there are those, particularly his political enemies who are celebrating what they see as his downfall. People who have weighed in to say he was always arrogant. For those people, sentencing will be the cherry on top of a victory they will claim is what he deserved.

Those political enemies who continue to criticize and support the narrative disseminated by USC and the mainstream media.

Carson Councilman Jawane Hilton characterized him as a real-life superhero for the Black community because of his transformative work.

“MRT has undoubtedly been a man for the people, and this is shown through his actions, impact, and the legacy he has created.”

But some wonder how this conviction and impending sentence will impact his storied career and legacy.

“There are lots of people who believe that the entire investigation, prosecution and conviction are ill-founded, and in some ways, politically and racially motivated and I think for those people they will never this conviction will not tarnish his reputation or anything that he has accomplished,” observed attorney, CNN commentator and KBLA radio host Areva Martin. “They will always view him as one of the most effective African American elected officials in the modern era of California politics.

“Other than that, there are those, particularly his political enemies who are celebrating what they see as his downfall. People who have weighed in to say he was always arrogant. For those people, sentencing will be the cherry on top of a victory they will claim is what he deserved. That this is the perfect ending for a person who they believed was not for the people or perhaps more appropriately not for them

“So those political enemies who continue to criticize and support the narrative that has been disseminated by USC and the mainstream media,” Martin continued. “They're people who don't ask any questions or challenge the lies I believe should be troubling to everyone.

“Whether he's your enemy or not, so much of the prosecution's case did not match the narrative that has been fed to the public for two years even down to the sentencing memo for Marilyn Flynn. Comments made by the prosecution in that sentencing memo don't match any of the evidence produced at trial. One of the most striking things said in the memo is that she was somehow intimidated and pressured by him…that he was somehow like a kingpin and had a monopoly on contracts in the second district. That was never ever, ever said or introduced.”

Pastor K.W. Tulloss, who serves as president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference believes there will be little impact.

“I don’t believe a conviction can erase over 30 years of great leadership that Mark Ridley-Thomas provided to the city of Los Angeles and his vast body of service, including the Martin Luther King hospital, the expansion of the Metro Line–particularly the Leimert Park Station, and his battle against homelessness.

“Mark Ridley-Thomas has been on the front line of the serious issues our communities have faced,” Tulloss continued. “He's not been afraid to champion policy for the least of these. So, his service, his achievements, and his love for people should be a reflection on those who will be sentencing him within the next few weeks. The other night at a community event, Mark Ridley-Thomas was given a standing ovation. This community knows the work he’s done and will not forget.”

Indeed, the veteran lawmaker has been greeted with love and appreciation in the form of standing ovations on those occasions where he has attended public events and been acknowledged for his service.

To that end, it is clear that his absence on the political stage leaves a huge void, especially in the African American community.

“No other politician wielded political power across

Mark Ridley-Thomas Career Milestones

Led effort to reopen the Martin Luther King Hospital Campus

Spearheaded Crenshaw LAX Transit Line and Leimert Park Metro Station

The innovator of the Rail-to-River Corridor

Authored the Motion for the zoning and infrastructure of the Staples Center

Expansion of the L.A. Convention Center (Financing with a Black investment banking firm)

Authored the county’s minimum wage ordinance

Negotiated historic project labor agreements, ensuring targeted hiring for thousands of construction jobs

Massive Redo of the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station

Championed Measure H: a quarter-cent sales tax increase to fund chronic homelessness services and assistance for those at-risk of becoming homeless.

Registered more than 200,000 voters through his Voter REP Project Helped to broker the South Vermont Corridor revitalization and SEED school

Oversaw the first Mental Health Urgent Care Center in South L.A.

Established the Empowerment Congress the broad spectrum of issues so effectively”, former staffer Vince Harris wrote in a previously published opinion piece. “While the built environment in South Los Angeles bears the physical imprint of his advocacy, the pocketbooks of his constituents have benefitted as well.

The cultivation of support in and among his African American base explains this sense of loss.”

It is the reason why so many supporters–including L.A. Department of Water and Power chair Cynthia McClain-Hill, KBLA owner Tavis Smiley, SCLC president William Smart, actor Glynn Turman, author and professor Cornel West and California Endowment President/CEO Dr. Robert Ross–were among those packing out the courtroom during his trial.

The sentiments of actor Glynn Turman perhaps best describe how many of them felt.

“A community runs on those who care and those who are in position to take that care from just concern to movement,” observes the famed actor Glynn Turman. “This man has always been about movement with the concern that he has for his community. I will always support him because I'm part of that community.”

Mayor Karen Bass characterized him as “a champion for our city, a civil rights activist, thought leader and policy maker who made real impact on this city.”

Said Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, “Mark Ridley Thomas has given life as a sower. He has sown seeds of progress into the soil of our community. He has sown seeds of dignity into hearts and minds of a coming generation. He has sown seeds of vision and resilience in our entrepreneurial community builders. These seeds have been planted deeply. The harvest will come forth for generations to come”.

In the minds of some–particularly those cynical about politics and politicians or who may not have liked Ridley-Thomas–his legacy will suffer, says Rev. Norman Johnson, who leads the South Los Angeles Clergy for Public Accountability.

“Will his legacy be tarnished? Of course, it will in the minds of some. This is the injustice of it all and why the conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas for a victimless crime–no evidence of self-gain or criminal intent– is a travesty for many. There is a line in the Bible about the Servant of Isaiah 53 being counted with the transgressors. However, the legacy of Mark Ridley-Thomas will survive. The conviction cannot erase the work and achievements of a 30-year stellar career in public office.”

His biggest battle and impassioned priority was in fighting homelessness.

"Mark sounded the alarm on homelessness before most understood we faced a widespread crisis – and he took action,” said Congresswoman Sydney KamlagerDove. “I don’t know that the public understands how much worse the crisis would be today without Mark’s leadership. With his determination to get Measure H passed, Mark effectively helped 84,000 people off the streets and helped prevent another 22,000 from falling into homelessness. Obviously, we need to expand our efforts, but Mark Ridley-Thomas’ efforts continue to benefit the people of Los Angeles, making all of us safer.”

It is a passion that has continued even as he awaits sentencing through the Praxis newsletter, which is funded by the Mark Ridley-Thomas Committee for a Better L.A and serves to not only spotlight efforts against homelessness, but to provide information to the community about resources for everything from housing and rental assistance to mental health programs.

Said one legal observer, “Mark Ridley-Thomas constitutes no threat to public safety or public integrity. By virtue of MRT’s felony conviction, he has been stripped of his job, his pension and his reputation – his political achievements and legacy diminished.

“Again,” Martin reiterated, “those people who are willing to be objective, willing to understand and read the transcripts and the facts, would have to be suspect of the entire process and the outcome, even if you don't like him for personal or political reasons. I just believe all of us should be concerned about prosecutorial overreach and misconduct of authority because we know as a black community, we continue to be the ones most impacted by this.”

In the meantime, former staffer Vincent Harris contends, “The public – his constituent ‘victims’ on the other hand have lost a gifted, once-in-a-generation servant leader whose work ethic, competence and ability to ‘get things done’ is indisputable.”

The impact of that loss, many believe to be immeasurable.

“His is a remarkable, important legacy of a man who got things done,” said SCLC-LA president William Smart. “Just as his work speaks for him now, I believe it will speak for him in the future.”