Text by Julian Lucas
Published March 4, 2021 6:24AM PST

In their press release, Gente Organizada states “The Equity Report highlighted inequities faced by low-income and immigrant families —in schooling, community care, law enforcement, government funding, mental health treatment and more. The report is a community-based product, with analysis carried out by Gente's three social action groups with research conducted by Gente’s three social action groups: Padres Unidos de Pomona (United Parents of Pomona), the youth-led Pomona-Students Union (PSU), and the recently formed, Pomona Rising.”

”In addition to being a vital resource for guiding local policy to improve health, education, housing, and other outcomes for Pomona’s families, the Equity Report also creates valuable learning experiences for the families that work with us. Throughout the year, members of Gente’s three social action groups have been engaged in all aspects of developing the next publication, from ideation, research, data analysis, writing, editing, and design. Our families inform the data points with their own lived experiences — in the workplace, in schools, in doctors’ offices and hospitals. Once the report is published, our members will also be in charge of promoting the publication and raising key findings and recommendations to the media, elected officials, and the general public.” 

OPINION
Looking over this comprehensive study, it evoked all kinds of personal responses. Here it goes:

POLICING
Here we are again, it seems like every 30 or so years we come to a pivotal point when there has been some form of violence against Black People, when the violence continues to be endured everyday of our lives. The pivotal point being historical uprisings within communities of color and in specific Black communities. For some of us, this summer, was the first time ever seeing an uprising take place as the result of a Black man being murdered by police. For others of us, it was our second or third time. And for those who feel like we've been there before, the horror is not diminished. We feel forced to relive these kind of horrific events, over and over, with disturbing sameness, with no relief and no resolution.  Many never ask the most important question of why these types of events continue and continue to occur. For many, cops can do no wrong and they are looked up to as “heroes.” Many buy into the “Blue Life Matter” narrative, which is defined as a “counter movement” in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement,  that activists started, in 2013, in reaction to the murder of Trayvon Martin.  As a Black man, I have never heard of anyone living a “Blue Life.” A profession or career is something chosen. I can’t speak for any but myself, but I would really hate to sleep in that blue uniform, talk about scratching all night, dang that would suck! But who knows maybe I am wrong, and maybe there are blue people out there in the world, and people really do live “blue lives,” only Gargamel would know the answer to that. Seriously though, how do individuals who chose a career equate themselves to a race of people and why? It’s faulty logic.

My experience takes me to when I was in the 5th grade, which probably would have been around 1985 in the city of Inglewood, CA. I had been suspended from school for a school yard fight. Instead of staying home the length of the suspension, I had to report to a place called, “Project Hope.” “Project Hope” was supervised by a Los Angeles County probation officer. At the time the important word, “why” was a probation officer supervising a group Black and Brown kids for whatever issues that happened on school grounds. After I looked up to see if “Project Hope “still existed, I found a description written in 1983. In the first line of the description it said:

“Project Hope” is a cooperative community-school district counseling program to reduce truancy and juvenile delinquency in Inglewood, California.”

From there, the material, in the form of official memos, is divided into four sections. Section 1 describes project funding and target students. Section 2 contains statistics related to the numbers of students served, put on probation, and put on suspension. Section 3 outlines the project's mode of operation, procedures for suspended students, activities and counseling offered at the truancy counseling center, and procedures for truant students. The final section outlines relevant state and local laws and ordinances. Also included are a copy of a student record form, notification of truancy letter to parents, and a conference form. This document was selected by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Task Force on Public Confidence as a description of a promising practice or exemplary project worthy of highlighting for the California educational community. (LP) Source

To say the least, I found this description troubling.  First, that a school district labeled me as an elementary school student. This initiative shows us the components in place to create the much-discussed school-to-prison pipeline. I wonder if initiatives like “Project Hope” (a misnomer if there ever was one) existed in other communities. And if so, were they supervised by probation officers?   

After graduating from high school in 1992, two months after the Uprising of Los Angeles in response to the acquittal of four white Los Angeles Police Officers on all but one charge (on which the jury was deadlocked) connected with the severe beating of an African American motorist, Rodney King in March 1991, I experienced law enforcement becoming increasingly over-aggressive in their policing towards me and other people of color. Instead of the common beat-down and dropping us off in a so called “enemy neighborhood” where cops knew we were hated (my lived experience) under the assumption, if we were black, we were all gang-banging. Racial profiling? Very much so. In current times. law enforcement just flat-out shoot and kill us with impunity.

CAPITALISM & POLICING
We buy into capitalist ideologies that have been historically created, not understanding the underlying social construct and driving forces of the free market. We have to understand poverty is a necessity for capitalism. There has to be a bottom for the top to exist, which translates to poor people or low income on the bottom in order for the top, the rich to succeed.

The trends that the Equity Report reveals is that the allocations of monies to law enforcement continue to increase. My question, along with many others is, why? Many of you will say, for the safety of the community. How do we define “for the safety of the community”? Interestingly enough after conducting a research study, It was found that it doesn’t matter how much money is given to police or how many police is hired, crime will still persist. The question is why? Lack of resources maybe? Pomona doesn’t appear to look Irvine, (resourcefully speaking).

OUR SCHOOLS & PARKS 
Another question would be is why does our school districts enrollment continue to decrease? Why are our literacy scores low? Why are the public library books outdated and uninteresting, give it up, Lassie, The Hardy Boys, and Little House on the Prairie are not interesting and not of this generation and century for crying out loud. Why are our English learners scoring below the states average? How long will we continue to play the blame game? 

Since when has a city ever neglected its parks? Is this another way to depress a piece of land so bad, to the point of being able to sell it off to developers who will do nothing other than sit on an empty lot the next 20 plus years? 

HOUSING CRISIS
Let’s be honest, many want gentrification to occur, especially homeowners because their property will increase in value. Is this the reason we continue to use the phrase. “affordable housing,” knowing that developers want to make as much money as they can with their newly-built condos. We know we cannot rely on private developers to create housing that is affordable. 

According to the equity report there are 442 un-housed individuals and 2,273 un-housed youth in Pomona. Why? 

And knowing that there are approximately 66,443 chronic unhoused individuals living in Los Angeles yet we can’t seem to bring rent control to Pomona. Why not? 

Conversations? (Not on Facebook) Solutions?

Julian Lucas, is fine art photographer, photojournalist, and creative strategist. Julian also works as a housing specialist which, includes linking homeless veterans to housing. Julian has lived in Chicago, Inglewood, Portland, and the suburbs of Los Angeles County including Pomona.