FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 10, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudine Battisti

UNITE-LA ISSUES STATEMENT ON RACIST COMMENTS AMONG VARIOUS L.A. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

LOS ANGELES – UNITE-LA President Alysia Bell today issued the following statement in response to the racist comments made by various L.A. City Council members in leaked audio released to the public Sunday:

"UNITE-LA prides itself on being an anti-racist education and workforce development organization whose significant role is bringing broad coalitions together to promote equity and dismantle systemic racism that continues to disadvantage Angelenos from historically marginalized communities. We firmly believe Los Angeles must unite to ensure equity, and that only by promoting anti-racism and inclusivity will we thrive as a region—economically, socially, culturally and politically. We know well the power of collaboration and inclusivity in promoting cradle-to-career success for Angeleno youth. There is no place for racism or anti-Black racism.

The recently released conversation among some L.A. City Council members is heartbreaking, offensive, divisive and egregiously racist. Words matter, and the words of these elected officials do not show respect for the diversity of people that L.A. represents as a leading, multi-cultural, world-class city.

UNITE-LA expects more from our leaders. We expect leaders representing Los Angeles to set examples and, with the power entrusted to them, to serve well the entire community. While resignations are important, it will take more than resignations to move Los Angeles toward becoming a true, welcoming multi-racial metropolis. Our strength lies in uniting communities together, not tearing one another down. UNITE-LA supports Angelenos wrestling with this latest racist behavior and its underlying mindset. We are committed to collaborating with partners, communities and institutions as we strive to create an anti-racist region. Together, we are at our best."

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About UNITE-LA
Over the past 25 years, UNITE-LA has been a trusted education-business intermediary, dedicated to supporting the development of an effective local public education system, so that all children and youth succeed in school, college, career and beyond. Through the intersection of programming, policy, and systems change efforts, UNITE-LA works to increase equity and access to high-quality early childhood education, improve college access and success, and ensure workforce readiness, especially for individuals facing systemic barriers into the workforce. Visit www.unitela.com.