Hahn Isn’t Welcome, Black Leaders Say

Angry at Mayor James K. Hahn over his opposition to a second term for Police Chief Bernard C. Parks, Los Angeles black leaders revoked an invitation for Hahn to speak at the Urban League’s annual awards dinner Thursday in Century City.

And that was just a start, said John W. Mack, president of the Los Angeles Urban League.

Unless the mayor changes his position on Parks, some Los Angeles black leaders, including many who backed him during his campaign, have vowed to continue to exclude Hahn from their parties, political rallies and Sunday pulpits, according to a letter sent to Hahn by a coalition of black leaders.

“This is some big-time stuff and it is not to be taken lightly,” Mack said. “He has burned a major political bridge that will come back to haunt him.”

Hahn, like his late father, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, has been a frequent visitor at black churches in South Los Angeles. But since the mayor came out against Parks’ bid for a second term as chief in February, black leaders have looked upon him with anger and betrayal.

The Los Angeles Police Commission is set to decide Parks’ fate next week.

In a March 12 letter, black leaders, including Cecil Murray and Charles Blake, warned the mayor that he was no longer welcome “in pulpits, at annual dinners and other events.” Matt Middlebrook, a Hahn spokesman, said the letter had not shaken the mayor’s resolve to reform the Police Department.

“It’s unfortunate that these community leaders express this view based upon a single decision,” Middlebrook said. “Regardless of their views, the mayor will continue to fight to ensure the public safety for the entire community.”