Hard Heads and Tender Hearts for L.A. : Leadership: Dr. King’s legacy often falls afoul of distractions and confusions. In this decade, we must do better.

Today marks the fifth national observance of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Los Angeles has been one of the nation’s leading communities in celebrating this important day of reflection and action. There is no city or county in the United States of America that has organized so extensive and diverse a series of events, activities, ceremonies, litanies, breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and mass demonstrations. So Los Angeles, for the most part, does very well when it comes to celebrating the holiday in honor of the drum major for peace and justice.

Regrettably, one of the most important banks in the city, Security Pacific, has decided to stay open for business on this day. This act of retrenchment (Security Pacific reversed an earlier decision to close for the day) makes clear that the peace and justice agenda must be a perennial project, not just an annual acknowledgment.

Los Angeles still has a lot to do to make the legacy of Dr. King meaningful. The fulfillment of his dream, so eloquently etched in hearts and minds of millions, is the mandate of the 1990s. This decade, the last of the 20th Century, poses real possibilities and challenges, and it warrants candor about where things are, particularly for the African American community.

Public policy is one of the first areas in which substantial focus must be placed. In the words of Dr. King: “We must be hardheaded and tenderhearted.” There is too much going on that could have a positive impact on the quality of life in the African American community that does not do so, because of confusion, inattention, distraction and self-interest.

A few examples will suffice. First, what was a reasonable proposal to build a criminal justice center in South-Central Los Angeles, to better serve those who now have to go downtown and elsewhere, has been distorted--wittingly and unwittingly--and now the prospects for such a facility are remote at best. It was rumored that the center was nothing more than a dishonest way of building a big jail. The rumors took on a life of their own, and innuendo and suspicion smothered the bill that might have provided the funding for the center.

Today, the needs of those who could benefit from such a center go unmet. Why? Largely because of a lack of clarity and leadership. Further, the very notion of literally building a jail in a community that feels that it’s already jailed evokes a visceral reaction that rational debate could not begin to address. The residents of South-Central are justifiably sensitive about the stigma associated with jails. South-Central does not want to be viewed as a place where a bunch of criminals hide-out or a place where too many residents--young men in particular--are lurking about to do their dirty deeds.

Part of the King legacy is that the African American community has the right to view itself, and have others view it, in the best light, rather than by racial stereotypes, for prospects of peace and justice emerge out of a constructive view.

Redevelopment is another issue of concern. In this decade, major redevelopment schemes will be implemented in the inner city, largely because it is the most undeveloped part of Los Angeles. One developer said, “It’s as good as virgin land.” Economic justice should be at the heart of the discussion about redevelopment. However, there can be no sense of justice without active citizen participation and the involvement of those who are directly affected by plans that portend neglect at best and rip-off at worst.

Why isn’t it possible to have more affordable housing in Los Angeles? Why can’t the city-designated agencies make South-Central and East Los Angeles the priority they ought to be and then show clear results? Why can’t those developers who traditionally relate to those agencies on behalf of underdeveloped communities broaden the circle, train more people and share the wealth? This arena needs more hard heads and tender hearts that will not compromise those who are most deserving and the most neglected. The quality of life of the city as a whole is at stake. Redevelopment must be high on the peace and justice agenda.

Finally, the matter of public education is a source of constant concern and even dismay. There are simply too many functional illiterates in the Los Angeles community. This problem has reached crisis proportions in the African American community and substantially contributes to a decrease in the quality of life and to the high drop-out rates and the attendant problem of gang activity.

The recent initiatives on arresting low achievement, made on behalf of African American students, have not been successful in most instances and have been diluted to the point of meaninglessness in others. The peace and justice agenda in public education has to be one that inculcates critical thinking, for this is the key to liberation.

The heirs of the King legacy have our work cut out for us, and there is plenty of it. More so than in decades gone by, the 1990s will require increased integrity, ingenuity and tenacity.