Clinton to Get Place on Watts Walk of Fame

His accomplishments outweigh his frailties.

That was the reasoning Monday by a group of South-Central community activists about President Clinton.

So, on a day when Clinton’s videotaped grand jury testimony was released to the public, they announced plans to enshrine him on a Watts walk of fame.

James Mays, spokesman for the Promenade of Prominence Walk of Fame, said Monday that although his group does not condone Clinton’s sexual escapades, the president’s accomplishments in South-Central make him worthy of a place in the walk of fame.

“He has such influence in minority communities that he’s the only man I know that can cut welfare, and people know that he is cutting welfare, and they still like him,” said Mays, flanked by a dozen community members in the promenade.

The organizers of the promenade, who in the past have honored community leaders from county Supervisor Kenneth Hahn to LAPD Chief Willie Williams, want the president to appear in South-Central this weekend during his scheduled visit to Los Angeles.

“We’re standing by him at this time, and he needs us,” Mays said. “What we want the president to do, while he is at the peak of his problems, is to come through Watts. We’ll put 10,000 people in this park.”

Edna Aliewine, founder of the Promenade of Prominence, showed letters dating to August 1996, in which she wrote to the president telling him that he had been selected for the Watts walk of fame.

Regardless of whether the president appears this weekend, a plaque honoring Clinton will be formally installed inside a heart on the sidewalk in October, said Mays, a South-Central cardiologist.

The president would not be the first controversial figure to be honored with a place in the walk of fame, located on the boundary of Will Rogers Memorial Park at 103rd Street and Central Avenue.

In 1993, two days after then-Dodger outfielder Darryl Strawberry was arrested on suspicion of beating his wife, he was enshrined there. Baseball player Eric Davis was honored the same day, despite having made comments that were considered insensitive about a firecracker incident.

“Since being honored, Strawberry and Davis have done better,” Mays said. “Darryl has rehabilitated while Davis has become a genuine hero. They’ve become more responsible. I think it’s a moral motivation”

Mays said the president has helped South-Central by funneling federal grants to health care projects, education and more police officers.

Arturo Ybarra, board member of the Watts-Century Latino Organization, agreed with Mays that Clinton has helped South-Central, although Ybarra was not aware of the walk of fame plans.

Asked by an observer her reason for supporting the president in spite of the scandal, Aliewine quoted the Bible, saying: “He who is free of sin, cast the first stone.”

“The Bible also condemns adultery,” replied the observer.

“Some people have told me that we shouldn’t have Darryl Strawberry’s plaque, that we should pick it up,” said Mays.

He added: “If you’re going to pick up Strawberry’s and Davis’, then think of all the people who are in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.” In that case, he added, the Hollywood sidewalks would resemble those of Beirut during the devastation of the Lebanon civil war.