Both officers were responding to a call at a convenience store around 12:35 a.m. July 5 after receiving an anonymous tip that a man in a red shirt who was selling CDs had pointed a gun at someone.

A short cellphone video captured by a bystander shows what happened next: Two police officers yelled at Sterling to get on the ground. The officers then pulled him to the ground, pinning Sterling on his back. An officer yelled, “He’s got a gun!”

The video shows an officer holding down Sterling’s left arm, one officer aimed his gun at Sterling’s chest — at what seems to be point-blank range. Within seconds, at least one officer opened fire. Sterling was pronounced dead shortly after.

Shop owner Abdullah Muflahi told numerous media outlets that the officers were “aggressive” from the start, and that Sterling had his permission to sell CDs in front of the convenience store, and that Sterling wasn’t reaching for a gun.

Both officers are on administrative leave, per Baton Rouge Police Department policy, and an investigation, led by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, is now underway. Both officers were reportedly wearing body cameras, and the police car had a dashboard camera as well.

The legal standard for use of force requires officers to reasonably perceive a threat at the moment of the use of force. Since Sterling was seemingly immobile in the video, he was not a threat and this shooting is another example of excessive use of force against a black man.

Ezell Ford, Tyisha Miller, Joe Joshua, Margaret Mitchell, Irving Landrum Jr., Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Alyana Stanley Jones, Rekia Boyd, Sean Bell, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Ron Settles, Amadou Diallo — the list seems endless of African-Americans who have died in confrontations with police or in police custody. Black people are much more likely to be killed by police than their white peers.

An analysis of the available FBI data shows that U.S. police kill black people at disproportionate rates: They accounted for 31 percent of police killing victims in 2012, even though they made up just 13 percent of the US population. Although the data is incomplete, since it’s based on voluntary reports from police agencies around the country, it highlights the vast disparities in how police use force.

Black teens were 21 times as likely as white teens to be shot and killed by police between 2010 and 2012, according to a ProPublica analysis of the FBI data.

“One way of appreciating that stark disparity, is to calculate how many more whites over those three years would have had to have been killed for them to have been at equal risk,” the analysis said. “The number is jarring — 185.”

There have been several high-profile police killings since 2014 involving black suspects. In Baltimore, six police officers were indicted for the death of Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody. In North Charleston, South Carolina, Michael Slager was charged with murder and fired from the police department after shooting Walter Scott, who was fleeing and unarmed at the time.

In Ferguson, Missouri, Darren Wilson killed unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown. In New York City, NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo killed Eric Garner by putting the unarmed 43-year-old black man in a chokehold.

One of the major problems in police reform is that officers rarely get prosecuted for shootings, and not just because the law allows them wide latitude to use force on the job. Sometimes the investigations fall onto the same police department the officer is from, which creates major conflicts of interest.

Other times the only available evidence comes from eyewitnesses, who may not be as trustworthy in the public eye as a police officer. If police are charged, they’re very rarely convicted.

The National Police Misconduct Reporting Project analyzed 3,238 criminal cases against police officers from April 2009 through December 2010. They found that only 33 percent were convicted, and only 36 percent of officers who were convicted ended up serving prison sentences. Both of those are about half the rate at which members of the public are convicted or incarcerated.

The killing of Alton Sterling remains chilling and one of the most disturbing videos of a human being killed I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not sure whether justice will be found in this case.

History has proven otherwise. But I do believe that if these unjust killings continue, it’s going to be a long, hot, bloody summer, and African-Americans won’t be the only ones bleeding.

Congratulations to Cynthia McClain-Hill. Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated the local attorney to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. Her nomination is subject to City Council confirmation.

“We are at an important moment in the history of the Los Angeles Police Department — a time when we are putting more emphasis than ever on building stronger relationships between officers and our communities, and putting transparency and accountability at the center of everything we do,” Garcetti said in a statement issued by his office. “Cynthia is a respected attorney, whose impressive record of service — including at the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, on the California Coastal Commission, and as a leader in the National Association of Women Business Owners — will bring valuable experience to the Police Commission.

“She is an independent thinker with a sharp and analytical mind, and shares my vision for an LAPD that fully embraces the demands of 21st century policing and gives officers the steady support they need to keep our streets safe.”

McClain-Hill is the co-founder of Strategic Counsel, and leads the firm’s land use, environmental law, and regulatory practice. In this capacity, she guides clients through California’s complex regulatory maze, while deftly anticipating and navigating the sophisticated legal issues that arise.

McClain-Hill’s legal, regulatory and public policy expertise has been sought by a number of public-sector boards and commissions throughout the state. She has served on the California Coastal Commission, the California Fair Political Practices Commission, and CalEPA Environmental Justice Advisory Working Group.

In addition, for the city of Los Angeles, she has served on the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Small and Local Business Advisory Commission, and the Los Angeles Mayor’s Economic Advisory Council.

McClain-Hill has also held a variety of civic and private sector leadership positions representing the business community, including president of the National Association of Women Business Owners’ National and Los Angeles Chapters. She also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

McClain-Hill received her juris doctorate  the UCLA School of Law in 1981 and was admitted to the California Bar that year. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA in 1978.

On a personal note, Garcetti’s nomination of McClain-Hill is huge for our community, which now has two African Americans on the commission. Commission President Matt Johnson will have a more than qualified new ally to help him and his colleagues in the quest for continued LAPD reform.

McClain-Hill is an icon in our community. And I would be remiss if I didn’t personally thank Deputy Mayor Jeff Gorrell, Supervisor, Mark Ridley-Thomas, Project Islamic Hope, National Action Network, Pastor Kelvin Sauls and a coalition of civic leaders from our community who helped in the selection process of McClain-Hill. Thank you, Mayor Garcetti, for being open to our advice.

You can get much more done on behalf of your community with dialogue and key relationships than you can yelling, screaming and making a fool out of yourself at Police Commission meetings. Keep yelling if it makes you feel good. I know were putting great people from our community in seats of power and influence. That’s what true, authentic and effective leadership is all about.

For news tips, email BrotherNajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter@Najeeali.

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The chamber was partway through a comatose daily ritual of mundane speechifying known as “morning hour” on June 22 when a gaggle of House Democrats gathered at the podium in the well of the chamber and refused to move.

At their center was Lewis, whose savvy in orchestrating sit-ins made him one of the most effective foot soldiers of the civil rights movement. Here he was again, leading an outnumbered group bristling at the restrictions of a body dominated by majority rule, at the helm of a different sort of fight.

A tussle about gun restrictions in the aftermath of the Orlando massacre does not hold a candle to the centuries-long struggle over civil rights equality in America. And Lewis’ critics maligned his movement, which ultimately failed to force a vote, as a cheap publicity stunt that traded on his history. But, for the 76-year-old Lewis, it was a return to his roots.

The protest was fluid, but it was not impromptu. It was planned over the course of several days by Lewis and more than a dozen of his political allies, and it soon ballooned to incorporate virtually every member of the Democratic caucus.

The main goal was to force the chamber’s GOP leaders to agree to hold votes before the July Fourth recess on two bills the Senate had already rejected earlier that week: one that would expand background checks for gun purchases and another that would bar people on the government’s terror watch list from buying firearms.

Amid vocal opposition from gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association, Republicans held their ground. They dismissed the sit-in as a “publicity stunt,” in the words of House Speaker Paul Ryan, and a breakdown in House decorum, a hissy fit by cranky Democrats who lacked the votes to win outright.

Republicans ultimately denied the Democrats’ request. Ryan in the wee hours of June 23 adjourned the chamber for its July Fourth recess.

But Democrats did secure a consolation prize: increased public interest and attention thanks to their runaway social media campaign. Party members vowed to fight on in their districts and in Washington but were vague about what exactly would come next. What’s clear is the pressure won’t die down.

The party’s extraordinary 26-hour takeover of the House floor had little modern precedent and shocked even the most seasoned and jaded of Washington hands.

It spanned from the solemn — speeches that simply listed the names and ages of the recent Orlando victims — to the surreal, punctuated when dozens of Democrats stormed the well of the House during a late-night vote, chanting “no bill, no break” at their Republican colleagues, drowning out Ryan as he sought to reassert control of the chamber.

In other words, the events were not unlike the protests of Lewis’ youth. But instead of sit-ins protesting segregation and racial inequality, the civil disobedience this time was sparked by the lack of congressional debate and votes on stricter gun measures in the wake of one of the largest mass shootings in modern U.S. history.

Lewis first made his name in the civil rights movement in 1963 as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, but it was three years earlier when, as a college student in Nashville, Tenn., he began organizing sit-ins and protests. Each was timed for lunchtime for maximum effect.

In 1965 came his most famous protest, the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. He was beaten, gassed and left to die by state troopers. He woke up in a hospital with a fractured skull, not remembering how he got there. That violent fallout helped President Lyndon Johnson persuade Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act.

Lewis has been in Congress since 1986, a daily reminder of the toll of divisive politics and hate. He’s not known for his success in passing legislation but as a standard-bearer for equality whom President Barack Obama calls the “Conscience of the Congress.” This November, he faces token Republican opposition in his deep-blue district, but he’s mum on whether he plans to stand for another term in 2018.

Symbolism in the face of impossible odds isn’t new in Congress. The Republican House has voted to repeal Obamacare more than 60 times since winning control of the chamber in 2011, even though its leaders know the president would never sign such legislation.

It was precisely Lewis’ legacy of civil disobedience that helped inspire House Democrats frustrated by the gridlock after a gunman in Orlando shot dead 49 clubgoers on June 12. Democratic aides and lawmakers interviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said rank-and-file members of the party were searching for a powerful way to take a stand in the days after the attack.

Their counterparts in the U.S. Senate were successful in forcing votes on new gun restrictions after a 15-hour filibuster — both attempts were ultimately rejected — but House Democrats were immediately stymied on the other side of the Capitol. A caucus-wide conference call June 20 set the wheels turning for many members, including John Larson of Connecticut and Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, who quickly pulled Lewis into the mix. The 15-term Democrat, never the most high-profile leader of the gun control movement but the recipient of an “F” rating from the NRA, came on board immediately.

Plans for the sit-in were finalized June 21. Party leaders were informed during a caucus meeting the next morning, and they quickly blessed the idea. The rest played out on the House floor, resulting in what Larson described as “an old-fashioned ’60s sit-in combined with modern-day technology.”

Democrats sang “We Shall Overcome,” replacing some lyrics with “we shall pass a bill someday.” And, after House leaders cut the C-SPAN camera feed, they broadcast images live to the world from their cellphones. The debate echoed in social media, with dueling hashtags (#holdthefloor for Lewis and Co. and #stopthestunt for their critics), images and celebrity endorsements.

For much of the sit-in, Lewis flitted between the podium, the floor and the nearby Statuary Hall, where he spoke to reporters and television cameras about the unfolding events. No longer the nimble man he was in his youth, he sat gingerly on the carpeted House floor and sometimes needed help from his colleagues to stand.

In the chamber, Democratic lawmakers crowded around Lewis, who held court at the center of the room, his back up against the desk typically used by the House clerk, his feet out in front of him.

As I continued to watch the sit-in on the various cable news outlets, I have to give a special shout out to the Southern California delegation. Reps. Maxine Waters, Karen Bass and Janice Hahn were front and center, taking a stand against gun violence. They should all be commended for that type of leadership.

On July 4, from noon to 10 p.m., join KJLH, along with Councilmen Curren Price and Marqueece Harris-Dawson at Exposition Park as they present a day of family fun, music and fireworks. The event will have food trucks, carnival rides and info booths plus a music stage featuring Timothy Bloom, Joshua Ledet, Gourdan Banks, Andrew Gouche and Band of Brothers, Rory Darvel and the Ultimate Tribute to Prince, Shaun B, Zeia King and N’Sessions, Markees Williams and Divine Destiny and so much more. It’s free and open to the Public.

And finally great news from Los Angeles City Hall. Mayor Garcetti will announce a new police commissioner this week. I’m sworn to secrecy for now but more to come on this brilliant and dynamic sister in next week’s blog.

For news tips, email BrotherNajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter@Najeeali.

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According to figures released last month by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the homeless population jumped 5.7 percent over the past year. Within the city of Los Angeles, the numbers were even worse with a 5.2 percent increase in the homeless population.

As I drive throughout South L.A neighborhoods on a daily basis I can see firsthand how homeless has spread, especially in the Leimert Park Village community which is essentially the prized jewel of South L.A., a home to the arts and the scene of numerous social and political events for decades.

Leimert Park is my stomping grounds and essentially my headquarters. I have been very disturbed by what’s going on in the Village and throughout South L.A.

That’s why I wanted to have an exclusive dialogue with Alisa Orduna, one of the most influential African American women in the city who was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as the city’s new homelessness policy director in March. I had a chance to meet Alisa last year and have kept up with her work at community meetings and via social media.

Important things that our community should know about Alisa is that she’s a seasoned community development practitioner with close to 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit and government sectors. Alisa brings a rich understanding of homelessness services and policy, urban affairs, neighborhood development and planning, and community mediation.

Her most recent professional experience includes working as a program officer at United Way of Greater Los Angeles as a member of the Home For Good team.

Alisa is an L.A. native. She is also a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in community psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she is researching the disproportionate representation of African Americans within L.A.’s homelessness system.

With that type of resume anyone would be impressed, but perhaps Mayor Garcetti said it best when I asked him for a comment concerning Alisa.

“Alisa Orduna brings a rich understanding of homelessness services and urban affairs to our policy team,” Garcetti said. “Smart, strategic and deeply empathetic, Alisa has more than 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit and government sector, and her accomplishments and advocacy for vulnerable communities will bring valuable insight to our fight to end homelessness in Los Angeles. I am proud to have her on my team.”

Our community of South L.A. should be extremely proud of Alisa, who lists Philadelphia City Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, author /activist Paulo Freire, feminist Bell Hooks and Angela Davis among her role models.

I asked Alisa why was she so passionate about homelessness and she responded that it’s the new frontier of civil rights. And if you view it through a racial lens, you would understand the concern. African Americans compose 43 percent of the total homeless population in L.A. City, yet only represent about nine percent of the total population. Within certain communities such as Skid Row, African Americans compose close to 90 percent of the unsheltered homeless residents.

When I asked Alisa why, she states anecdotally that there are still large segments of the African-American community, particularly those who experience inter-generational poverty, that are disenfranchised from the mainstream economy. Far too many African Americans of working age lack access to skills training and employment opportunities to enable them to compete in today’s job market.

It is imperative that we break the silos between our homelessness delivery system and our WorkSource network to increase access to employment skills training and entrepreneurship opportunities for people exiting homelessness. That is why the city’s Economic and Workforce Development’s L.A. Rise program, a transitional work initiative, is a priority in the 2016-17 budget.

She also believes that there is an overlap with the phenomena of mass incarceration whereby persons incarcerated during the war on drugs, are now being released through various programs, while the community base has significantly shifted as the historic core of the African American community is now dispersed to the Valley, Inland Empire, and other communities outside of South L.A.

As such, people returning “home” to find everyone has left and are in need of support for housing, income and social connection to help transition back after being institutionalized for long periods of time. Mayor Garcetti created the Office of Re-Entry led by colleague Kimberly Guillemet to start coordinating resources to provide for these supports.

Alisa also believes that African Americans who seek to exit homelessness through various housing opportunities such as the HUD-VASH program for veterans or a Section 8 voucher or even the city’s Rapid Rehousing program may be facing housing discrimination in a complex relationship between class and race.

Far too many landlords in this “hot” rental market still refuse to participate in the housing voucher programs. While Alisa understands the fear that potential landlords may have based on stigmas related to homelessness, it is also important that landlords understand the incentives such as security deposits, unit holding fees, a damage mitigation fund, and ongoing client case management that come with these voucher programs.

She hopes that through education more landlords will open doors.

The resources to address these solutions will be provided through the city’s historic passage of a $138 million Homelessness Budget. This funding will pay for new facilities, housing supports, case management, and will seed new capital development of permanent supportive housing. This funding is only a down payment however, and a new ongoing revenue source must be found with the public’s support to continue this investment for at least the next 10 years to make an impact in this crisis.

At the end of the day, Alisa believes that homelessness represents the disconnections in larger society— often created out of fear of difference. This could be one’s mental health disease, physical disability, age, race, life experience, accent or country of origin, and sexual identity.

If L.A. is truly serious about ending homelessness, she believes we must address our unconscious biases that put up “borders” and instead embrace our rich diversity through building “bridges” that allow us to see people — including those experiencing homelessness. For only when we see ourselves as an inclusive community under a shared vision for a better way of life for all, then will our actions create homes where people can “be.”

To get involved with homelessness, please sign-up to be a part of the Mayor’s Welcome Home Project at: http://www.lamayor.org/join-welcome-home-project.

More good news from City Hall and for activists like myself who for over two decades have fought the LAPD tooth and nail demanding police reform and accountability. Body camera’s and funding has been approved by the Los Angeles City Council. This won’t be a total cure for police abuse and racial profiling but I do believe that it adds an extra layer of transparency to protect community members and officers.

“Today’s action by the City Council is an investment in my vision of a Los Angeles Police Department that leads in transparency and accountability — values that protect officers and everyday Angelenos, and that are fundamental to policing in the 21st century,” Garcetti said in a statement. “This is a historic moment for the LAPD, and I am proud of the leadership shown by everyone who played a part in getting us to this day.”

For news tips, email BrotherNajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter@Najeeali.

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Metro’s recently released blueprint for spending $120 billion in the next three decades to build-out the county’s mass transit system is an excellent start. But will South Los Angeles residents, stakeholders and business owners benefit?

Many from our community are still upset at the decision the MTA Board made last year by refusing to put more of the Crenshaw rail line underground, which means the Crenshaw line will run above ground near schools and businesses, a safety concern for many in our community.

But real leaders don’t stay upset, pout or whine, they keep fighting on behalf of the community. That’s why more than 5,000 signatures from South Los Angeles residents of support to finish the lines were recently delivered to the Metro Board of Directors by the All on Board Coalition, a grassroots group of South Los Angeles leaders, residents, business owners and various stakeholders.

In 2008, voters were told their support for Measure R would — among other things — fund construction of the Crenshaw light rail line, running north from just outside LAX to the future Purple Line station at Crenshaw and Wilshire boulevards. Measure R also promised to extend the existing light rail Green Line to Redondo Beach and parts of Torrance.

But those promises have not been kept and, as usual, the residents of South Los Angeles continue to get played. It seems our needs and desire for a better quality of life is always delayed. And the current Metro proposal would continue to keep those promises on the back burner.

Construction of the Green Line extension would not begin until 2026 and construction of the Crenshaw line extension — going from the Crenshaw-Expo lines station just south of the Santa Monica Freeway (the northern-most terminus of the existing Crenshaw Line) all the way to Hollywood — would not start until 2041.

That’s unacceptable to our community. That’s why community leaders and residents are supporting the, “Finish the Lines” plan, which would have construction on these two extensions begin in 2018, a strong commitment to fulfill the promises originally made by Measure R.

There is a large segment of South Los Angeles residents who are transit-dependent. Those working-class communities would be served by these lines The “Finish the Lines” plan would finally fulfill the promises of Measure R, the 2008 voter-approved Metro expansion plan.

The Crenshaw and Green lines are two light rail plans that deserve to be finished. Our community deserves better. A “Finish the Lines” plan would entail a north-south light rail route that would allow riders to board a train in Hollywood and West Hollywood (on the Crenshaw Line) and travel all the way to LAX (where the train would continue onto the Green Line tracks) and to Torrance, without riders ever having to leave their seats.

The extension of the Crenshaw Line is an opportunity to optimize the MTA’s existing network. The northern extension of the Crenshaw/LAX Line would enhance regional connectivity and would be a critical north-south transit alternative between LAX and Inglewood to Hollywood and beyond.

The All On Board Coalition along with the city of West Hollywood are continuing to work to obtain support from the MTA Board to include the Crenshaw Line northern extension (San Vicente to Santa Monica boulevard alignment) in Measure R2, and to complete the Crenshaw Line and optimize the regional network by constructing the project within 10 years of passage of Measure R2.

Our coalition wants the MTA to complete the Crenshaw Line to Hollywood. We also support efforts for streetscape improvements on the southern portion of the line. We support the entire line and want it to be a top-notch reflection of the region because for tourists who take the line from LAX, it will be their first impression of the city.

A recent study has shown that just building the northern extension of the Crenshaw Line alone, through West Hollywood to Hollywood itself, would add another 39,900 riders. But there’s more.

Completing the north-south line would also enable riders to connect to the Red Line, Purple Line, Expo Line and the Green Line. The greater the connectivity, the greater the options. The more options, the more riders.

The exponential opportunity of filling this gap in the network is easy to understand. That’s why this plan should be an integral part of Metro’s new Long Range Transportation Plan and Expenditure Plan that the board is expected to ask Los Angeles County voters to approve in November.

The MTA is currently building the 8.5-mile long Crenshaw/LAX Rail Line. This $2.1 billion light rail line consists of eight stations. At one end is the Green Line/LAX connector. At the north end is the Expo Line’s Exposition Boulevard Station in the Crenshaw District.

It’s important that our community support this current project. The MTA’s latest plan actually expands on the promise of Proposition R and envisions a light rail line that does not stop at the Wilshire corridor (Proposition R’s original promise) but goes several miles farther north, all the way to the heart of Hollywood. That should be something our community should fight and push for.

According to a recent study, the route would serve 324,000 people, many of them low-wage workers living along the alignment, and attract nearly 40,000 average daily riders.

More importantly, the job opportunities that can be accessed with this route are huge. According to a recent study, there are 14,171 retail jobs within easy walking distance of stations along this route, 20,117 office jobs, 58,420 service jobs and 24,202 entertainment jobs.

For the transit-dependent African-American community, the route maximizes their access to jobs, health care complexes and to some of the city’s top entertainment and shopping destinations. By completing this extension to the Red Line along San Vicente, the Crenshaw Line would connect people to over 700 regional destinations, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center — (with 13,000 jobs, the region’s sixth biggest employer), and a major health care provider — the new NFL stadium in Inglewood, and the surrounding development, and connects LAX to the stadium to the Sunset Strip.

Our campaign to “Finish the Lines” has been embraced by civic leaders in Inglewood including Mayor James Butts, West Hollywood’s City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath, and by a large segment of community groups ranging from the South Bay to South L.A.

The project to finish the Crenshaw Line would fill a gap in the MTA’s existing network, optimizing the regional transportation investments that have already been made and send a strong message that our community is tired of getting played.

Terror in Orlando. The recent hate crime attack against the members of the LGBT community is something that all decent human beings should be outraged by. I’ll continue praying for the victims and family members who were murdered in Orlando, standing in solidarity with members of the ‪‎LGBT community.

Hate against any group or anyone is evil. A real Muslim, who practices the religion of Islam, can never justify the killing of innocent people. Islam and the Muslim community of believers reject murder and terrorism. As our nation and city continues to mourn, statements denouncing this act of terror and hate have been sent out from numerous leaders and organizations. I leave you with this particular one that moved me

“Our hearts go out to the victims and survivors in Orlando, an attack not just on our LGBT brothers and sisters, but on all of us. As we mourn the dead and tend to the injured and bereaved, we redouble our commitment to the essence of America — diversity and inclusion make our nation strong.

“Once again, a shocking act of violence forces us to reflect on the price of allowing easy access to fearsome weaponry. We must distinguish between the freedom to bear arms and the irresponsible policies that open the way, again and again, for our enemies to turn their hatred into explosions of deadly mass violence.

“LAPD is coordinating with local and federal partners, and will be increasing patrols, as well as visible and plainclothes presence at critical locations. We are in communication with our partners at the L.A. Sheriff’s Department and across law enforcement and will provide all support needed to ensure the safety and security of everyone attending today’s events.

“And, as always everyone should remember, ‘If You See Something, Say Something.’” – Mayor Eric Garcetti

For news tips, email BrotherNajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter@Najeeali.

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His death on June 3 from septic shock due to unspecified natural causes left many in mourning across the globe. Ali spent the final hours of his life surrounded by his family after initially being hospitalized in the Phoenix area on June 3.

On a personal note, I was devastated. Ali was the greatest man I’ve ever met in my life. When I embraced Islam 25 years ago and changed my name, I wanted it to be after someone I admired. Jazz saxophonist Najee was my favorite musician. Muhammad Ali was the man I wanted to be like.

My last name is in honor of Ali. As a member of the Muslim community, I eventually met Ali several times and became close friends with several family members. One of the highlights of my life was at our annual Islamic Convention in Chicago. I was walking with Ali to the VIP backstage section with his children and his longtime friend and photographer, Howard Bingham.

I was carrying my infant son with me. Ali looks over at me and extends his arms over. He wanted to hold my son and kiss him.

I handed my son to him as Ali gently held him and kissed him. I’ll never forget that moment. I then continued to escort Ali backstage to meet his longtime friend and my deceased father-in-law, Imam W.D. Mohammed. That was the last time I would ever see Ali alive.

Ali was a devout Muslim, who lived and died as a Muslim. There are some who want to demonize Islam and Muslims. But the Muslim community could always point to Ali as our champion who was the Muslim community’s greatest ambassador.

In the aftermath of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, Ali said, “What’s really hurting me — the name Islam is involved, and Muslim is involved and causing trouble and starting hate and violence. Islam is not a killer religion, Islam means peace. I couldn’t just sit home and watch people label Muslims as the reason for this problem.”

By no means was Ali perfect, but he was sincere.

What made Ali great was that he had the courage and conviction to stand up for his religious beliefs. When he refused the United States demand that he be enlisted in the military draft he responded with “I ain’t got no quarrel with the Viet Cong. … No Viet Cong ever called me nigger.”

Ali also responded with quotes such as, “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?

“I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over.”

Ali didn’t stop there. He continued his verbal truths with quotes during that time period that included “Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn’t choose it, and I didn’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name, and I insist people use it when speaking to me and of me.”

“I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize, but get used to me. Black, confident, cocky. My name, not yours. My religion, not yours. My goals, my own. Get used to me.”

“We were brought here 400 years ago for a job. Why don’t we get out and build our own nation and quit begging for jobs? We’ll never be free until we own our own land. We’re 40 million people and we don’t have two acres that’s truly ours.”

Ali’s militant stand cost him. He was banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career and lost millions of dollars in boxing and endorsement income until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction and ruled in his favor.

When Ali returned to boxing with a vengeance, he still never wavered in his blackness. Before Ali’s fight against Jerry Quarry in 1970, he said, “Nobody has to tell me that this is a serious business. I’m not fighting one man. I’m fighting a lot of men, showing a lot of ‘em. Here is one man they couldn’t defeat, couldn’t conquer. My mission is to bring freedom to millions of black people.

“I’m gonna fight for the prestige, not for me, but to uplift my little brothers who are sleeping on concrete floors today in America. Black people who are living on welfare, black people who can’t eat, black people who don’t know no knowledge of themselves, black people who don’t have no future.

“I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin’ hell, but as long as they ain’t free, I ain’t free.” Those are just a brief handful of quotes that help make Ali the Great of All Time.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was among those who chimed in on Ali’s death. The city, he said, was mourning with the fighter’s family.

“Muhammad Ali gave us incredible skill as a fighter, an incomparable gift for words, and a peerless legacy as a sports and cultural icon,” Garcetti said in a statement. “He also modeled the extraordinary power of self-determination — inspiring millions to treasure their humanity, claim their dignity, and give all they have to the global causes of peace, justice and equality. … ‘The Greatest’ is no longer with us in body, but his spirit lives in the hearts of all who were touched by his grace and strength.”

Mayor Garcetti couldn’t have said it better. Maryum May-May Ali the champ’s eldest daughter just know that our prayers go out to you and your entire family. We’ll always love and remember your dad. Muhammad Ali will always be the Greatest of All Time.

As I predicted months ago, it’s now officially Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump. I want to congratulate Bernie Sanders and all his supporters. My heart was with Bernie because I was feeling the Bern. But ultimately my support and vote went to Hillary. She’s more than qualified to get the job done. Let’s unite the Democratic Party and keep the White House.

Congratulations to Van Brown, Mayor Aja Brown, Urban Vision and Cross Connextion, in conjunction with the city of Compton’s My Brother’s Keeper, for helping the city’s male youth. They will be attending a free mentoring overnight summer camp this weekend in the mountains of San Bernardino.

This is a three-day event to help middle school students understand the meaning of manhood. Male students will be mentored in the basic steps to accept responsibility, explore resources and opportunities vital to their success as an emerging young man. Students will gain insight on how their experiences (negative or positive) can be used to create positive change within their personal lives, family, community and future.

In addition to the workshops being provided the camp will provide various youth activities including a giant water slide, bouldering room, zip line, tree climbing, giant swing, mountain biking, rec room, disc golf, arts and crafts, hiking, swimming and a skate park.

Now this is the type of leadership that makes the city of Compton so special. The registration fee was waived by an anonymous donor who enables low-income families and those who registered to attend the camp for free. The mainstream media is always in a rush to cover any negativity concerning the city but we rarely hear of positive stories concerning the city and leaders like Van Brown who are making a positive change in young people lives on a daily basis.

For news tips, email BrotherNajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter@Najeeali.

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California has the largest percentage of the nation’s chronically homeless — 36 percent. In addition, 24 percent of the nation’s homeless veterans live in California. Our state is in a homeless crisis and it faces many hurdles and obstacles in trying to overcome this issue.

But Los Angeles is being hit the hardest with homelessness, particularly among African Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2015 annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, Los Angeles City and County have the highest number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation. In addition, it has the highest rate of unsheltered homeless.

Between 2014 and 2015, Los Angeles experienced a 55 percent increase in chronically homeless individuals — the largest increase in the nation. But is also an issue tainted by race. African Americans are only 12.6 percent of the country’s population and yet account for more than 40 percent of its homeless population. That’s why Harris-Dawson work on this issue has been so important and critical for our community.

Harris-Dawson and the city’s Homelessness and Poverty Committee identified 60 strategies they believe will help alleviate the magnitude of the issue.

In February, Harris-Dawson hosted a “Homelessness in South L.A.” forum to increase community input from service providers, community leaders and clergy on how to address challenges facing the homeless population in South Los Angeles, and published a position paper on Homelessness in South Los Angeles, which is a deep analysis of economic, housing and social policies that have led to the loss of a social safety net and exacerbated homelessness.

The report lays out policy recommendations for the city in order to combat homelessness in South Los Angeles, including employment programs that connect residents with a living wage, increased and improved re-entry services, more housing options for people of all incomes, and supportive services for individuals with mental illness or drug addiction.

The paper pointedly highlighted a sad reality.

“The current homelessness crisis is decades in the making. For nearly 60 years, policies at every level of government have contributed to a disappearing social safety net, the loss of affordable housing, the rise of mass incarceration, the reduction of middle-class jobs, and the destruction of public mental health care.”

The demographic trend in homelessness in Los Angeles is the unfortunate baseline for homelessness in both the state and nation. According to the report, throughout the city and particularly in South Los Angeles and along Skid Row — “black” is the face of homelessness. In Los Angeles, blacks are only nine percent of the city’s population and yet account for 47 percent of the homeless population.

The concentration of homelessness in South Los Angeles is a growing issue that must be brought to public attention. Homelessness is often linked to places like Skid Row and Venice.

However, in South Los Angeles, homelessness continues to grow at rapid rates. Additionally, African-Americans are disproportionately impacted by homelessness across the city. We must create better policies to bring homelessness to an end.

Harris-Dawson has been very vocal on this issue.

“I’ve spent years working in South Los Angeles focusing on joblessness, poverty, and lack of public services,” he said. “I am dedicated to the issues facing working families of color in South L.A., which has made the challenge of addressing homelessness a valuable one.”

The more he engaged with this crisis, he added, “I saw time and again that the face of homelessness was a black one, and saw firsthand that institutionalized racism amplifies the effects of economic inequality.”

The councilman believes it is of vital importance to raise the issue of homelessness in South Los Angeles and the particular need to focus on black homelessness. “The committee,” he said, “wanted to take a comprehensive approach to dealing with homelessness in Los Angeles.”

According to Harris-Dawson, “These wide-ranging approaches provide the city with a foundation to address many of the issues facing homeless individuals. From there, we needed to determine which strategies are short-term and which are long-term that will take time to develop.”

He believes the short-term strategies will provide a bridge while working to create more housing and provide services necessary for long term stability to the homeless in Los Angeles. The councilman also believes the committee’s efforts to end poverty and homelessness in the black communities of Los Angeles can be used as a model/best practice in other communities.

“The unprecedented coordination among the city and county provide us an opportunity to impact homelessness on a scale that Los Angeles has not yet seen,” Harris-Dawson said. “As the city continues to garner the resources needed to impact homelessness, I want to lift up the issue of race and work on solutions to problems that impact black homeless individuals and families.”

He expounded, “For example, the long legacy of discriminatory policing and sentencing has substantially impacted the black community. Many people exiting prison and jail do not have a support system to house them as they re-enter society and try to find a job. Many did not have stable housing before their incarceration, and many will struggle to find employment with their conviction history.”

He concluded, “Those who have paid their debt to society should have an opportunity to create a life without facing high barriers. This is the type of leadership we need in our city. The full position paper can be found on the Harris-Dawson’s website. www.mhdcd8.com.

With homelessness in South Los Angeles, being such a critical issue I wanted to let the community know more about our local champions who have been at the forefront of this pressing issue and the organizations they lead.

Janet Denise Kelly has been a shining star and beacon of hope in our community with more than two decades of accomplishments in the housing and the nonprofit sector. Beginning her career in fair housing, Kelly developed a strong interest in housing issues and parlayed this interest into addressing homelessness, implementing community and economic development initiatives and building affordable housing opportunities for the homeless and low-income people.

Leveraging an impressive portfolio of experience in nonprofit management, operations, mergers, and strategic planning, Kelly has proven to be an adaptive and responsive leader in the community. She is the founder and executive director of Sanctuary of Hope (SOH), a youth development organization that provides housing and education stabilization services for transition age youth, ages 16 -25, who are homeless, in foster care or at-risk in South Los Angeles. South L.A. has the second largest foster care and homeless youth population in the county.

SOH has provided services for over six years and serves over 300 youth annually with an array of services that include housing resources, education support, emergency or safety net services, life coaching and mentorship.

Prior to Sanctuary of Hope, Kelly was chief operating officer a d executive director of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), where she helped hundreds of homeless individuals and families become safely housed and developed the affordable housing arm of the organization, PATH Ventures.

Throughout her career, Kelly has fostered good relations with the community. She has won many community service awards including being selected by former state Sen. Curren Price as a 2010 SHero for California Senate District 26.  She serves on youth service boards, is a member of local, state, and national housing organizations and participates in economic revitalization activities.

Kelly’s greatest passion is South Los Angeles’ youth. She seeks to change the landscape of their future by bringing capital and social resources that will help them become successful and live independently. Kelly earned her bachelor of arts degree from UCLA and holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

As someone who know Kelly personally and has watched her commitment for years, our community should salute her and others like her who are in the trenches fighting the homeless crisis in South Los Angeles.

Next week: A candid conversation with Alisa Orduna, who was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as the city’s new homelessness policy director in March. Mayor Garcetti told me exclusively that “Alisa Orduna brings a rich understanding of homelessness services and urban affairs to our policy team. Smart, strategic, and deeply empathetic, Alisa has more than 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit and government sector, and her accomplishments and advocacy for vulnerable communities will bring valuable insight to our fight to end homelessness in Los Angeles. I am proud to have her on my team.”

Send news tips via e-mail to Brothernajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on twitter@Najee Ali.

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While sitting having a wonderful lunch at Mexicano restaurant at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, Mayor Garcetti began his remarks about the tremendous job growth that has occurred under his administration as well as his plans to continue to make South Los Angeles a priority.

The mayor was handed a message by aides during the question and answer session of the program and broke out in a broad smile. Soon everyone in the room would be smiling and filled with joy.

Garcetti announced that Los Angeles was just awarded the Super Bowl in 2021. That announcement was a coup for the city of Los Angeles and technically for the city of Inglewood as well. Inglewood Mayor James Butts,  who did the heavy political lifting to ensure the Los Angeles Rams returned to our community, can now add another historic milestone to his legacy. The 2021 Super Bowl will be played in Inglewood.

That enables the NFL to raise its profile in the country’s second-largest media market after making a celebrated return to the city with the relocation of the Rams franchise to the West Coast starting next season. The National Football League also announced the 2019 and 2020 Super Bowls would be played in Atlanta and South Florida, respectively, returning to those areas for its championship game, one of the most-watched television events of the year.

The Super Bowl’s move back to Los Angeles will also give the City of Angels a welcome boost as it bids to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“We are honored that the NFL is bringing the Super Bowl to Los Angeles in 2021,” Casey Wasserman, who is chair of both the Los Angeles Super Bowl bid and LA24, said in a statement. “The league’s selection of Los Angeles is a testament to its commitment to innovation and diversity, and I couldn’t be prouder of our winning bid.

“Stan Kroenke’s vision for the Rams stadium and the surrounding campus makes Inglewood an ideal venue for staging the Super Bowl of the future and we look forward to inviting the nation and the world to L.A. for an historic fan experience.”

The Los Angeles area has hosted the Super Bowl seven times, including the first game at the Memorial Coliseum in 1967. The 2021 edition, which will be the 55th Super Bowl, will be held in the $2.6 billion stadium being built by Rams owner Kroenke.

Kroenke is moving the team back to Los Angeles after two decades in St. Louis. The Rams previously played in L.A. from 1946 to 1994. Their new 80,000-seat, glass-roofed stadium, to be built in Inglewood on the site previously occupied by Hollywood Park race track, is expected to open in time for the 2019 season.

The last time the Super Bowl was played in the L.A. area was 1993, when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

“Los Angeles is built to host the Super Bowl,” Garcetti said in a statement that was sent out to the media after the chamber meeting. “We helped forge this great American tradition as its very first host in 1967; and now, at long last, we’re bringing it back where it belongs.”

L.A. is already welcoming a record number of visitors from around the world, and Super Bowl LV will bring even more economic prosperity to our region. The league previously picked Houston to host the Super Bowl in 2017 and Minnesota is set to host in 2018. But in 2021 all eyes will be on the city of Inglewood and Los Angeles as we will have the biggest global sporting event in the world right here in our backyard. I’m saving my ticket money now.

…

Comedian Bill Cosby, now called Pill Cosby by some, must stand trial. A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday ordered comedian Bill Cosby to stand trial on accusations of sexual assault, the most serious setback so far for a man who epitomized the all-American dad on the 1980s sitcom “The Cosby Show.”

Judge Elizabeth McHugh found that prosecutors presented enough evidence to support allegations that he drugged and assaulted a woman in 2004. The judge rejected arguments from Cosby’s defense lawyers that the case should be thrown out. As the hearing concluded, McHugh wished Cosby luck, to which the 78-year-old entertainer responded, “Thank you.”

The decision followed a 3-1/2 hour preliminary hearing in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where prosecutors introduced statements that Cosby and the woman, Andrea Constand, separately gave to police in 2005. Constand herself was not called to testify, although prosecutors said she is prepared to appear as a trial witness.

She told police in 2005 she was attacked as she lay on a sofa at Cosby’s Philadelphia-area home “paralyzed” by drugs the entertainer had given her, according to police. Constand, who served as director of operations for the Temple University women’s basketball team, Cosby’s alma mater, is the only woman whose accusations of sexual assault have resulted in criminal charges against Cosby.

But Cosby has been hit by sexual assault allegations from more than 50 women. He has denied assaulting anyone. Most of the cases are too old to be prosecuted, but the entertainer faces civil lawsuits from some of his accusers. A trial date in the Pennsylvania criminal case has not yet been set.

Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge against him, aggravated indecent assault. In his own 2005 interview with police from Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, Cosby confirmed some details of Constand’s account. He acknowledged giving Constand 1-1/2 pills of the antihistamine Benadryl to relax her and said the two engaged in heavy petting.

After reading the various news concerning Cosby, I’m not wasting any time or energy him. He did this to himself. He admitted in a prior court deposition that he procured drugs to use to have sex with young women. So please stop with this whole conspiracy theory.

Cosby deliberately placed himself in a position of high quality, moral standards that told the black community who they should be, while at the same time he was lying to his wife, family, fans and the entire black race. I grew up watching and loving the Cosby show.

But Cosby in my opinion is a liar and serial rapist. I’m not about to show any support or concern for him. He’s now standing trial, not because he’s a rich famous black man. He’s standing trial because he’s an alleged serial rapist.

Send news tips via e-mail to Brothernajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on twitter@Najee Ali.

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In an interview with The Daily Beast this week, Zimmerman made it clear he has no remorse about shooting the 17-year-old boy to death in Sanford, Florida, and bears outright hostility toward the parents whose son he took away forever.

“They didn’t raise their son right,” Zimmerman said of Martin. “He attacked a complete stranger and attempted to kill him. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin did everything they could to capitalize on their son’s death.

“She was never a mother figure to him,” Zimmerman said of Sybrina Fulton. “Tracy Martin couldn’t have cared less about their son. He treated him like a dog without a leash.”

Four years after Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin, the acquitted killer reportedly sold the gun he used to do it to an undisclosed buyer for $138,900 May 18. Zimmerman must have lost his mind. To me, he is nothing but a cold-blooded killer. For those of you who have forgotten this tragedy, let me refresh your memory.

On Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman was following Martin down the street of the Retreat at Twin Lakes community, a gated neighborhood in Florida, and called police to describe Martin as suspicious. The suspicion seemed only based upon the fact that Martin was black, male and wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Despite a 911 dispatcher saying he did not have to follow the teenager, Zimmerman did so anyway. Sometime later, after Zimmerman ended his call with the police, he and Martin got into an altercation that ended with Zimmerman, the coordinator of a local neighborhood watch, firing a 9 millimeter bullet from his Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol into the teen’s chest.

“It is what was used to save my life from a near-death brutal attack by Trayvon Martin,” Zimmerman said of the gun. “If it was a stick or mace, it’s the one tool I had that prevented Trayvon from killing me.”

Zimmerman was not anywhere near close to death when police arrived. He had a bloody nose and lacerations on the back of his head. He tried to stay out of the public eye after his acquittal in 2013, remaining on the fringes of American society as one of the 21st century’s greatest villains and occasionally stirring the pot of outrage as he attempted to find gainful employment and financial security.

Zimmerman was investigated by the Department of Justice for civil rights violations and lived jobless and homeless for a year after the trial. The same year of his acquittal, Zimmerman’s girlfriend alleged that he had pointed a shotgun at her and started breaking her things. He was charged with felony aggravated assault for the incident, charges his girlfriend later requested to be dropped.

A year later, Zimmerman was involved in a road rage incident with Matthew Apperson, who shot at him on a public street in a separate incident six months later. (Zimmerman was hit in the face by a ricochet.) At the time, Zimmerman was using his infamy to auction off American flag paintings he made on eBay — one even sold for $100,000.

When he wasn’t getting into shootouts or hawking memorabilia online, Zimmerman was calling President Barack Obama an “ignorant baboon” on Twitter and retweeting a photo of Martin’s dead body (caption: “Z-Man is a one-man army”).

When asked if he considers how Martin’s family feels about him requesting $100,000 for the sale of the gun he used to kill their son, Zimmerman called them bad parents.

“Sure, I’m sorry for any parent that has lost a child,” Zimmerman said. “That being said, I also believe it’s their duty to have an internal dialogue to see what they should have done better and what they should have done appropriately.”

That’s it. I’m done. I’m not a mental health professional but May is Mental Health Month. And from the research I’ve done, Zimmerman’s recent actions are prime examples of a mental condition affecting the country at large: a heteropatriarchal, white supremacist societal illness that has been permeating and abstracting the moral conscience of the people United States since its foundation.

Zimmerman is responsible for the senseless killing of Martin, which coincidentally launched several subsequent high-profile police shootings of unarmed black men and children in Ferguson, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angles and elsewhere. This has only emboldened our movement to seek justice where it doesn’t exist yet.

To my friends, Sybrina and Tracy, the parents of Trayvon, don’t let Zimmerman taunts discourage you from being a force for justice. Trayvon had the best parents any youth could have. His death was not in vain. He’s a martyr. The fight for justice will continue.

For news tips, email Brothernajeeali@gmail.com. Or follow me on twitter@najeeali.

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This is a regular occurrence for Abdullah, who many are calling the nutty professor. Abdullah is currently facing felony charges for vandalism along with eight other Black Lives Matter activists who followed her leadership and shut down the San Diego (405) Freeway right before the Christmas holidays last December.

Abdullah getting arrested again while felony charges are pending against her shouldn’t be viewed by anyone as a badge of honor. It’s a badge of stupidity.

Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti, who appoints the members of the Police Commission, hit a grand slam home run last year when he appointed attorney Matt Johnson, a board member of the Los Angeles Urban League, to the commission. Johnson is now currently serving as the president of the commission and has already implemented new procedures to help with police reform.

Johnson’s leadership has been a real game changer. But instead a small handful of activists are constantly trying to undermine Johnson and his colleagues. The reality is none of these Black Lives Matter activists have the support of anyone in a leadership role in South L.A.

Not one elected official, including U.S. Reps. Maxine Waters and Karen Bass, state Sens. Holly Mitchell and Isadore Hall, Assemby members Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, Autumn Burke, or Los Angeles City Council members Herb Wesson, Curren Price and Marqueece Harris-Dawson and County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, have ever supported any of the proposals that Black Lives Matter activists have called for which included calling on Garcetti to fire LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. That was ludicrous.

The traditional civil rights groups, which include the NAACP, Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Project Islamic HOPE, and the National Action Network have never supported any of those crazy proposals, either. So how can you say you represent African-Americans and South L.A. when you don’t have the support of the people or any of the leadership in South L.A.

During a commencement speech at Howard University last week, President Barack Obama commented on the deficiencies of today’s so-called activists.

“You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy,” Obama said. “Not just awareness, but action. Not just hashtags, but votes.

“You see, change requires more than righteous anger. It requires a program, and it requires organizing. …

But to bring about structural change, lasting change, awareness is not enough. It requires changes in law, changes in custom.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. President Obama is a former activist himself so he’s just not speaking from a position of the most powerful man in the world. He has life experience of being a former organizer on the south side of Chicago.

Los Angeles activists have been fed up with the nonsense that Black Lives Matter demonstrates in our community.

When an African-American murders another in our community, it’s been our traditional leadership and elected officials at the forefront of those issue, with our allies in the gang intervention and peace movement aiding and consoling grieving family members, holding vigils, peace marches and whatever else we can do to help bring peace to our hood.

That’s what separates us from the Black Lives Matter movement in L.A. Black Lives Matter only comes out when a cop kills a black person in a controversial shooting — which, on average is twice a year, at best — while dozens of black folk are murdered by other black folk, annually. Black Lives Matter members won’t be taken seriously until they realize all black lives matter, no matter who the killer is.

Black Lives Matter is one-dimensional and won’t be respected or taken seriously in the community if all they do is beg political leaders for meetings and protest outside their homes.

Black Lives Matter is trying to take the easy route because they are not prepared to go into South L.A. and deal with the Crips and Bloods. I salute my fellow activists who protest police brutality and gang murders. Those are the real heroes and leaders in our community, because they protest and fight against both maladies.

News from City Hall. Mayor Garcetti announced May 11 that 791 firearms were collected and permanently taken off the streets of L.A. at the city’s annual gun buyback event on May 7.

The number of firearms collected marks an increase over last year’s total, as the city of Los Angeles reaffirms its commitment to take every possible opportunity to reduce gun violence. An initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, the gun buyback program is supported by the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as by victim advocacy, faith-based and community organizations.

“Fewer guns in our neighborhoods means fewer chances for them to kill, injure, or terrorize the people we love,” Garcetti said. “If we prevent a single shooting, then the gun buyback program has been a success. Our administration continues to look for innovative ways to keep our communities safe — from expanded gang intervention programs, to creating job opportunities for men and women looking to turn their lives around. We will do everything in our power to take guns — and shooters ­— off the streets of Los Angeles.”

In total, 364 handguns, 237 rifles, 144 shotguns, and 42 assault weapons were collected at two locations, with four guns classified as “other.”

A total of 15,233 guns have been taken off the street at 11 gun buyback events since the program began in 2009; of these, 47 percent were handguns, the guns most frequently used in firearm homicides.

In exchange for surrendering their weapons, gun buyback participants receive Ralphs gift cards valued at up to $200, depending on the type of gun that is relinquished. The LAPD Gun Unit determines the type and classification of the firearm surrendered.

“The gun buyback program is an important part of a multi-faceted approach to preventing gun violence,” Chief  Beck said. “The partnership with Mayor Garcetti and the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Foundation has ensured that over 15,000 firearms will never be used in a crime.” As someone who lives and works in South L.A., removing guns off the streets is an important public safety issue.

And finally, congratulations to our entire team for making the city of Los Angeles’ memorial and tribute to Prince an exceptional world class occasion that generated global news and attention. Furthermore, the event gave the fans of Prince an outlet for closure and reflection.

The fact that our city presented this event made it all-important. It was classy, in good taste, authentic and certainly was more than a concert, but a celebration. Behind-the-scenes heroes who helped us out tremendously were Bishop Kenneth Ulmer of Faithful Central Bible Church, Byron Reed of Wells Fargo Bank and Albert Lord of Councilman Herb Wesson’s staff. Without him, the Prince tribute in Leimert Park never would never have happened.

Thousands attended our memorial and tribute to Prince. Thanks to the outstanding leadership of Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and his entire staff, led by chief of staff Solomon Rivera who, along with Yvette Lechuga, did all the heavy lifting.

Councilmen Jose Huizar and Curren Price, along with Commissioner Mike Davis, also came through in the clutch and delivered. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Adai Lamar, Aundre Russell, Tammi Mac, Don Amiche, Greg Johnson of KJLH Radio, Commissioner Dallas Fowler, Sherri Terrell, Asya Shein, and musical director Andrew Gouche, who led an a team of musical all-stars that included Eric Benet, Marva, King, Faith Evans, Aloe Blacc, Rashaan Patterson, B Slade, along with so many other talented artists and former members of Prince’s band.

The best kept secret and biggest surprise of the night was when Stevie Wonder made his appearance and sang “Purple Rain,” closing out a wonderful and historic night.

I have helped organize numerous events for nearly three decades. This was the best one yet.

For news tips, email Brothernajeeali@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @ Najeeali.

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Trump assumed control of the Republican Party May 4 as its presumptive presidential nominee after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich exited the race, moving swiftly to consider vice-presidential prospects and plan for what is expected to be a costly and vicious six-month battle for the White House against Democrat Hillary Clinton, who has all but virtually clinched the Democratic nomination.

I have spent very little time covering Trump. When he first entered the crowded field of 17 challengers in the race for the GOP nomination, I viewed the whole Republican field as a clown show not to be taken seriously. Trump, the former reality TV show host, was expected to be the biggest clown of all with his funny hairstyle, outlandish statements, and comments that seemed to offend everyone from women to minority groups.

In fact I stated to tell several friends last year that hell would freeze over before Trump would win the GOP nomination. This week Trump pulled off what many of us thought was unbelievable. Trump, who has proudly touted how he has self-funded his campaign, said he would begin actively seeking donations for his campaign and raise money for the national party, part of the arduous task of coalescing a party deeply divided over his toxic brand of politics.

Party leaders are scrambling to stave off a parade of prominent Republicans endorsing Clinton, but already there were notable defections. The two living Republican past presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, have no plans to endorse Trump, according to their spokesmen.

In the swing state of Nevada, Gov. Brian Sandoval, a moderate Republican and rising Latino star, said he plans to vote for Trump despite their disagreements on some issues. But Republican Sen. Dean Heller said, “I vehemently oppose our nominee” because he disparaged women, Hispanics and veterans — although Heller insisted he would not vote for Clinton.

Democrats rushed to exploit the moment. The Clinton campaign released a brutal video mash-up of Republican rivals condemning Trump’s character and fitness for office, while the former secretary of state called him “a loose cannon” and invited Republicans and independents seeking an alternative to Trump to join her.

In states coast to coast, Democrats tried to link embattled Republican senators and other officeholders to Trump in hopes that the shrapnel from his polarizing candidacy would impair Republicans down the ballot. Some Republicans tried to keep mum about Trump, and others gave puzzling statements that sought to walk a tightrope between embracing him and distancing themselves from him.

As some conservative commentators lit up social media with images of burning GOP registration cards, some party elders called for a healing process and sought to quiet talk of an independent protest candidacy. I’m gearing up the marquee matchup now in view: Clinton vs. Trump.

There are still some wrinkles to be worked out — an independent (or minor-party) challenger might shake things up, but most people assume Clinton is the prohibitive favorite in this contest, and that’s fair. Current polling shows Trump would start the race as a historically unpopular candidate.

But nobody should be handing Clinton the keys to her old house just yet. Clinton over Trump is not a foregone conclusion — not in 2016, the year of such mistaken assumptions about the nature of American politics.

A generic sense that Trump has a puncher’s chance is now widespread. Usually, it involves a new development in Clinton’s legal troubles or a jarring terrorist attack that could change everything, and The Donald has proved sufficiently surprising by now that we are obliged to offer a heartfelt, “Who knows?”

But there are three particular factors making Trump a bigger threat to Clinton than is generally acknowledged.

• Concerns about bigotry aren’t the vote-mover you might think. Trump’s long history of outrageous statements combined with America’s current demographics, convinces many people he is dead on arrival. Should we assume that Trump will fare historically poorly among minorities, given his reputation for what many have labeled bigotry? Maybe. But then again maybe the notion that “everyone’s a little bit racist” is more widespread than politicians (and respectable commentators) often admit.

People care about bigotry most if it translates into harmful acts. There are some allegations of that: Trump’s real estate company allegedly committed some serious acts of discrimination back in the 1970s, and voters will hear a lot more about that before November. But the evidence of Trump’s racism is mostly a record of careless remarks.

Trump will surely make plenty of heartfelt declarations that there is no hatred in his heart, and then wave off his past insensitivities by saying, “Well, I’ve said a lot of things.” And so he has. That will be enough for many people — probably more than you think.

Trump also has an extremely low bar to clear to beat recent Republican performances with minority voters. In 2012, Barack Obama won a staggering 93 percent of African American votes, 71 percent of Hispanic votes and 73 percent of Asian American votes. Whatever one can say about Trump, he presents a radically different kind of choice from Mitt Romney. Can he really do much worse?

• Trump is much better at dictating the terms of engagement

That brings us to the second factor working in Trump’s favor: He has proved to be a brilliant manipulator of the terms of engagement. In terms of style and substance (or lack thereof), Trump made the Republican field talk about what he wanted to talk about and discuss the world in a more Trumpian way.

In contrast, in her 2008 and 2016 primary campaigns, Hillary Clinton allowed her opponents to set the terms of debate to a striking extent. In 2008, that led to her primary defeat and in 2016 to a surprisingly hard road to primary victory. Trump’s strength and Clinton’s weakness on this front make it hard to be confident that Democrats will succeed at setting the agenda in 2016.

• Clinton will be forced to defend the status quo

That means Democrats should not be overly confident that they make the election a referendum on Trump, the man. Surely if they could succeed at doing so, Clinton would win in a landslide.

But Trump will be selling voters something more than his outsized personality; he will be asking for a choice between “Trump, the middle finger to the way things have been,” and “Clinton, the choice of more of the same.” One doesn’t have to like Trump to choose the former. Indeed, there will be more than a few voters who talk themselves into the idea that only someone with as many obnoxious qualities as Trump will be capable of upsetting the necessary apple carts.

Clinton’s sales pitch is that she has a strong and steady record as first lady, senator and secretary of state who has learned how to work the system. That past as a consummate insider leaves her uniquely disadvantaged to defend against Trump’s anti-establishment attacks.

Clinton and future opponents of 21st century Jacksonian politics — Trumpian or not — need to find ways of offering their own broadly resonant version of “us.” Affirming the status quo isn’t a viable way of doing that today, and therein lies Clinton’s vulnerability.

None of that makes Trump the favorite to win in November. Although Trump’s qualifications and temperament have suffered glancing blows in the Republican primary, they will be relentlessly pummeled in the general election campaign — where his base is a much smaller piece of the pie.

That will badly hurt him with Americans who have a minimal sense of little-c conservatism and a strong aversion to scary-tale risks. But Trump has managed to shake the foundations of American politics like no candidate before.

Whether that was enabled by genius or luck (in politics, they are often difficult to disentangle), we should not underestimate him. I’ve already made that mistake. Our country can’t afford to make it.

For news tips, email Brothernajeeali@gmail.com.

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