Los Angeles City and County, as well as the State of California is considered the respective homelessness capital(s) of the United States of America, as well as that of US Military homeless Veterans; and LA’s Central City East district of downtown, dubbed Skid Row, its “ground 0” and “black hole vortex”.
The ALARMING Disproportion of Black Homeless
Research of various studies and investigations, reveals the fact that the black citizens demographics of homelessness, especially that of chronic, sidewalk, encampment, are as follows:
Being circa 12% of the national population, black citizens are over 60% of homelessness;
In Los Angeles county, black citizens are a mere 8% of general population, yet are over 40% of the homeless; in LA city proper, black citizens are only 9% of citywide population, but are over 40% of the homeless; alarmingly, all of the homeless dwelling on/in Skid Row from hotels, to SRO’s, shelters, missions, to sidewalk encampments, etc., over 90% are BLACK Men, then Black Women, followed Black Women and their children, then the of others.
In fact, all three (3) governmental entities have declared homelessness, an EMERGENCY Crisis, triggering the need for the cut or temporarily bypass business as usual, “red tape” policies, laws, ordinances, statutes, codes, traditions etc., in order to relieve it.
In fact, on January 6, 1999, the Hon. LA County Supervisor, Yvonne Braithwaite-Burk, as Chair of the Board, led a unanimous vote Resolution that invoke the direct authority of the the President of the United States (POTUS) to resolve homelessness beginning in Los Angeles, including sending a letter to then the Hon. US President, William J. Clinton even mentioning the name of “Ted Hayes” its’ initiator.
See Below LA Government Resolutions
In searching of zoning locations in Los Angeles County where facilities for homeless persons can legally be constructed, we discovered what could be termed, modern day Jim Crowism in its code books.
Zoning is classified for residential; commercial; and mixed of such; agriculture; light and heavy industry zones.
However, we found that the county has zoned facilities for homeless persons within the industrial zones, where residential dwellings are prohibited for obvious reasons. But yet, homeless persons can be there. This is “the other side of the trackism”!
Such discriminatory law is not just against homeless persons in general, but rather, most significant and alarmingly, its direct affront to those who are black citizens, descendant of chattel slaves, et al, being the vast majority, including those whom are US Military Veterans, triggering Section 2, of the 1866 Civil Rights Act (The Act).
Of the Ten Sections of The Act, three (3) are ordered to the President, being way more than others, which means according the Emancipation, the Commander in Chief must personally intervene into this affair, as stated in Section 8.
Given the nature of homelessness demographics, nationally and locally, i.e., state, county, city, as being primarily disproportionate United States, 14th Amendment-1866 Civil Rights Act, black citizens, it’s incumbent upon the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to now, like never before enter into the matter, indeed calling upon the President to take instructed action from this particular portion of We the People.
Political activism is needed from the NAACP, not social services programs, because while chattel slave descendants, et al, are technically, by Constitutional law, US citizens, and that there is always the “talented 10th” of success, most of us are NOT EXPERIENCING “equal justice-protection under the law”, citizenship “as enjoyed by white citizens”, according Section 1 of the Act.
In the Promissory Note portion of the late Rev.-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963 “I Have A Dream” speech, the young prophet prophesied this dire warning to America ourselves the following,
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. [EXPERIENTIAL “as is enjoyed by white citizens” Section 1 of The Act]
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
As the United Nations and other world bodies of governance and courts has acknowledged this situation in Los Angeles that involves so many black citizens is an international, human rights violation, it also is now a national, American, Civil Rights matter, thereby triggering the great, under utilized “closet law” authority and powers of the 14th Amendment-1866 Civil Rights Act (The Act).
Note: “Closet law” – A law that is seemingly hidden or non existent, or even erroneously usurped by unqualified persons, or because it’s simply under utilized by the parties to whom it pertains.
Therefore, simply because a law is not properly enforced as intended, doesn’t negate its validity. Its owners just have to activate it. So it is with the 14th Amendment-The Act.
“Now is the time and fierce urgency of now” for the NAACP to help lead the charge that will finally begin the earnest work to complete “that cause” for which 740,000, young, innocent, white boys and men, plus 38,000 of such blacks “who gave the last full measure of devotion”, and which was engulfing the mind of President Abraham Lincoln, the fateful evening when he was cut off on April 14, 1865.