Black History Month / Today’s Voices : Perspectives on the Past--and the Future

From the African American who owned much of what is now the San Fernando Valley in the 1790s to the high school student who has devoted himself to keeping his peers out of gangs, people of African descent in the Valley have a long, proud history.

In this special report, we look back at some of that history and--with the help of several voices from the present--turn to the future.

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RAY JACKSON / ‘We Are Not Being Taken Seriously’

Ray Jackson, 62, is president of the Northeast Community Improvement Assn., comprising about 400 households in the northeast section of Pacoima.

“I’ll tell you the truth, when it comes down to minorities in the Valley, there are so many related problems that are being overlooked by the authorities. I feel we have terrific problems over here with the maintenance of streets, that have not been improved since 1961, when we had the last major street project here. Then we have housing problems.

“Jobs, I imagine everyone will holler jobs, but I would say street improvements and police protection. If there’s an emergency and you call 911, you’ll eventually see police here. Not right away, but eventually. As for regular patrols, you don’t see a lot of that here. . . . What we need is a general patrol of this area, like in any area, a car coming through--and street repairs. I know most blacks, (jobs) will be the first thing they’ll hit you with, and I think jobs are a high priority, but I think the NAACP should be working on it.

“We are being ignored. We are being overlooked. We are not being taken seriously. Except when it comes down to time for the ballot box. . . . We are still here waiting for something to happen. I guess we’ll be waiting until the moon turns blue. What we need is street improvements, police patrols and for the citizens to get up off their rear. . . . What most people don’t understand is when you improve and bring up your area, everyone is affected. I think a lot of whites don’t understand that. They think if we improve, they lose.”