This is the day many take stock of the significant events of the past year. Unfortunately, when we do look at the past, many of us reflexively count the tragedies that befall us and not the triumphs that lift us. It's easy to see why many of us are doomsayers.
In this era when murder, mayhem and sexual hijinks masquerade as news and snatch top TV ratings, many believe the world is an evil place. But in my year-end review, I will count the significant public policy triumphs that community leaders made happen in 1999 which had a profound effect on residents of the Crenshaw and Inglewood areas.
* Margaret Laverne Mitchell. She was the frail, emotionally disturbed, middle-aged, homeless woman slain by a Los Angeles police officer during an altercation over a shopping cart. The protests over the shooting prodded city and state officials to shell out more money and initiate more programs to aid the mentally ill and the homeless, forced the LAPD to take yet another look at its crude and archaic policy on the use of deadly force, and the Justice Department to launch a deep probe into local police shootings.
* Three Strikes Law. This ill-conceived law is wasteful, socially divisive and racially biased. It picks billions of dollars from taxpayers pockets to build prisons to lock up mostly petty offenders for nonviolent, nonserious crimes. The overwhelming majority of them are minorities and many are from the Crenshaw, Inglewood and South Central Los Angeles areas. Anger over the law compelled more of the public and some lawmakers to have second thoughts about the effect of the law. A ballot initiative effort is afoot to amend the law to apply only to violent crimes.
* Racial Stereotypes. Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy and NAACP leaders finally listened to those of us who pound away against the perpetuation of stereotypes by blacks. Magic's theater chain pulled the plug on the crime, drugs and gangsta glorification film, "Belly." This sent a message to those black filmmakers who still peddle ancient and degrading stereotypes about black life that the curtain has come down on their tired act. It was also reported that Murphy will cleanse his sitcom, "The PJs" of its racially offensive characters. And the NAACP dropped gangsta rappers from its list of nominees at next year's Image Awards.
* HIV/AIDS. Many Crenshaw and Inglewood residents finally woke from their slumber of myth and denial and realized many victims of the dreaded disease are black. This stirred elected officials, community leaders and, especially, black ministers to do more to combat it.
* The Los Angeles city schools. No issue has caused more personal and social heartache than the horrible mess of many Crenshaw district schools. It was way past time to remove those who helped make that mess. The hope is that Genethia Hayes, and the other new players on the school board and within the LAUSD administration, can lift the schools from the quagmire of decay to the pinnacle of excellence.
* New Leaders. Our community desperately needs them. Fortunately, several organizations -- the New Leaders, Project Islamic Hope, Mad Dads, FACTS, the Community Coalition and ad hoc groups -- stepped forward to battle against dope dealers, tobacco, alcohol, freaky-sex rap billboards, economic deterioration, absentee city services and inferior products in stores and supermarkets.
They bury the phony notion that politicians and sound-popping, photo-grabbing opportunists are the only ones who are leaders. Also, I'd like to say congratulations to Port Chicago survivor and Crenshaw resident Freddie Meeks and TV newscaster Larry Carroll. They won their respective titanic legal battles to clear their names.
As we stand on the frontier of the new millennium, I am reminded of the African proverb that to stumble is not to fall but to go forward faster. Many in our community have gone forward faster in 1999. My hope and my prayer is that more will do the same in the future.
by earl ofari hutchinson los angeles times
