Riordan Is Castigated at Ceremony

In one of the most public and dramatic airings of the long-festering tensions between Mayor Richard Riordan and many African American political leaders, state Sen. Diane Watson on Friday lit into Los Angeles’ white Republican mayor, castigating him in a wide range of complaints.

“This is not a feel-good session, this is a day for challenges,” Watson (D-Los Angeles) said at what had begun as a celebratory community event honoring civil rights champion Martin Luther King Jr.

Then, with a glance toward Riordan, who had spoken moments earlier, Watson let him have it.

She implied that he was part of a movement at all levels of government to turn back the clock to a time when blacks and other minorities were systematically denied full participation in all walks of American life.

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“Mayor Riordan, it’s nice to have you come here and give us the accolades. You can talk that talk, but you’ve also got to walk the walk,” Watson said, sending the largely black audience into thunderous applause and whoops of agreement.

To the accompaniment of calls of “Speak!” and “Yes, sister,” Watson proceeded to thrash Riordan for the dearth of African Americans in the upper ranks of his staff and his refusal to take a stand on a proposed state ballot initiative that would wipe out affirmative action policies in hiring and contracting.

Watson’s remarks, which she defended as “from my heart and my gut” after many months of frustration, quickly changed the tenor of the ceremony. It was sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to launch a 10-day series of observances leading up to the Jan. 15 national holiday honoring King.

Held inside the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, the ceremony started on an inspirational note. Streams of blue and white balloons adorned the makeshift stage. The multiracial gospel choir of the Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts opened the program with a rousing rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Community leaders paid tribute to King and urged listeners to keep alive his dream of equality in the face of threats from many quarters.

The mayor, to polite applause, told the same crowd: “This festival will set the tone for Los Angeles for the coming year. This can be the dawn of a new era, a future of peace, prosperity and unity throughout our city.”

Watson’s remarks came as a jarring call to action, and for the most part, people responded enthusiastically.

“Wonderful, right on! It had to be said,” said R.C. Ola Brown, an African American resident of nearby Leimert Park.

Watson also castigated Riordan for his widely known displeasure with Police Chief Willie L. Williams--the first black to hold the position--and for leading the pre-Christmas ouster of Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief Franklin White, one of the region’s highest-ranking African American government officials.

The senator went on to urge Riordan to meet quarterly with black community leaders and elected officials. “Please don’t throw your money at us,” instead of “your concern, your passion, your sensitivity,” she said, in a reference to the wealthy mayor’s contributions of computers and other donations to inner-city schools and organizations.

Riordan kept his composure, sitting stoically with arms clasped across his chest. He even nodded and applauded at one point, when Watson urged her constituents to exercise their hard-won right to vote and to hold politicians accountable by knowing their records and the issues.

But when Watson--drawing a raucous standing ovation--returned to her seat next to the mayor, the two carried on an animated discussion.

After the ceremony ended, Riordan declined to talk about that discussion, dismissing Watson’s comments as “political rhetoric.” But he did repeat his reasons for not taking a stand on the anti-affirmative action ballot proposal and said he is “colorblind” when it comes to judging the performances of public employees.

Riordan said it would be “divisive” for him to publicly take a position on the proposal, dubbed the “California civil rights initiative,” given that it may not qualify for the ballot.

Riordan also repeated his views that City Hall work force diversity has improved during his tenure and that too many city contracts have gone to wealthy or well-connected minorities instead of to disadvantaged individuals or businesses.

As for his drive to remove White, Riordan said his displeasure began with the MTA chief’s inability to redraw bus routes in South-Central Los Angeles and other heavily minority and poor areas.

Friday’s incident demonstrated that Riordan, who has been attempting to reach out to blacks, still has a way to go in building bridges to that community.

“I was elated with everything she said . . . 99% of African American elected officials in this city . . . feel exactly this way,” said Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, an outspoken Riordan critic who also participated in the ceremony.

But Jeffrey Coprich, who also is black, said he was torn between his commitment to Riordan, who got his vote in 1993, and his support for Watson’s call for recommitment.

“She was powerful and persuasive,” said Coprich, a choir director in the Crenshaw area. “It is time for a change in the city. But I do trust Riordan. Deep down, I believe he is a good person. I felt some of the bashing could have been left to a minimum. I didn’t come to hear that stuff.”