First Latino and an Incumbent Start Inglewood Council Terms

Jose A. Fernandez, a Cuban immigrant who says he has been working toward public office since his teen-age years, became the first Latino on the Inglewood City Council Tuesday, representing a district he describes as among the most ethnically diverse in the South Bay.

Fernandez, 29, a graduate of Lennox High School and UCLA who works as an aide to state Sen. Cecil N. Green (D-Norwalk), surprised the Inglewood political Establishment in April when he outpolled four opponents for the District 3 seat. In the June 6 runoff, Fernandez defeated former two-term councilman Bruce U. Smith, 63% to 37%.

Fernandez fills the seat of Ann Wilk, who died of a heart attack last December. But another vacancy developed Tuesday when Ervin (Tony) Thomas was forced to step down from the District 4 seat. Thomas will face a special election against challenger Garland Hardeman in the fall.

The election, a rematch of a disputed 1987 council race between Thomas and Hardeman, was ordered by a Superior Court judge who ruled that Thomas campaign workers had violated the Election Code by intimidating voters. The election will be scheduled for a Tuesday sometime between late September and mid-October, city officials said.

Also sworn in at Tuesday’s meeting was Councilman Daniel K. Tabor, a two-term incumbent who fended off an aggressive challenge from John Gibbs, an aide and son-in-law to the late Assemblyman Curtis Tucker.

Political observers in Inglewood, where 40% of the population is Latino, called Fernandez’s rise to prominence a signal that a politically dormant community is beginning to awaken.

“It’s an indication that we’re a melting pot,” said Mayor Edward Vincent. “The people of Inglewood have shown that they can elect someone regardless of race, creed or national origin.”

Fernandez, acknowledging that his election may motivate other Latinos to become involved in city government, called his victory noteworthy for another reason.

‘Historic Moment’

“It’s a historic moment because all ethnic groups came together,” Fernandez said. “I think Inglewood is among the most diverse cities in the South Bay and my district is among the most diverse in Inglewood. That means I’m representing one of the most diverse districts of any elected official in the area.”

Fernandez, whose mother, brother and grandparents attended Tuesday’s council meeting, called Inglewood’s image one area that he will concentrate on during the next two years.

“We have to reinvigorate the community’s pride in itself,” he said. “We want to have clean streets. We want people involved in government. We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.”