California Black Media Network
Two years after racist comments in a leaked recording of Los Angeles City Council members emerged, members of Los Angeles branches of the National Advancement Association of Color People (NAACP) on Oct. 7 gave councilmember Kevin de León’s a “failing” grade for his performance in office.
The announcement was made on the south lawn of the Los
Angeles City Hall by leaders of the NAACP branches of Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Watts, Beverly Hills-Hollywood, Santa Monica-Venice, and San Pedro-Wilmington.
De León was on a conference call with other council members who made racial comments about Indigenous people and one of their colleague’s son, who is Black.
The leaked audio led to Council President Nury Martinez’s resignation on Oct. 12, 2022, former Councilmember Gil Cedillo’s ouster, and Ron Herrera stepping away on Oct. 11, 2022, as president of a powerful Southern California labor organization.
The branches and CA/HI State Conference of the NAACP President Rick Callender first asked all persons involved to resign from their positions in October 2022. The civil rights leader expressed concern that that the disparaging remarks coming from top city officials could impact hiring and other decisions of the City Council.
“We will not sit idly by and allow our elected representatives to engage in these kinds of disgusting and racist behaviors,” stated Latricia Mitchell, President of the Los Angeles Branch of the NAACP.