Senator Smallwood-Cuevas Presents $2.5M Check to L.A. Black Worker Center to Support Expansion and Mission to Strengthen Black Worker Rights
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) on Friday presented the Los Angeles Black Worker Center with a $ 2.5 million check during a press conference at the organization’s South L.A. headquarters. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas allocated the monies through the state’s general funds to support the Black Worker Center’s expansion plans and efforts to advance economic justice for Black workers.
“The Los Angeles Black Worker Center is our region’s most progressive organization that protects Black workers while providing them with access to quality jobs,” said Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. “This investment is a testament to our joint commitment to building a better economic future for Black workers, their families, and our communities.”
The Black Worker Center aims to utilize the funds to secure real estate for a permanent home. Through their expansion plans, the Black Worker Center hopes to create a thriving campus and community engagement space that includes a workspace hub for local Black workers.
The Black Worker Center’s offices on Crenshaw Boulevard have served as their headquarters for more than a decade. Although renting these offices, the organization is a longtime proponent of Black property ownership, particularly given the historical discrimination that Black people have faced in the housing market.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the rate of white U.S. homeownership increased to 65.5% in 2021, while the rate for Black American homeownership only increased to 44%, just a 0.4% increase over the last 10 years – representing the largest Black-white homeownership gap in a decade.
It is envisioned that the Black Worker Campus would become an accessible space for community members to work alongside other people of color who share common experiences and can build community by accessing local leadership and resources. The workspace campus could also host various program events and committee meetings.
Senator Smallwood-Cuevas was joined at the press conference by Los Angeles Black Worker Center Co-Executive Directors La Tonya Harris and Janel Bailey, Ready 2 Work program graduates, and dedicated members of the 1,000 Strong Coalition.
Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas represents the 28th Senate District, which includes the communities of South Los Angeles, Culver City, West Los Angeles, Century City and Downtown Los Angeles. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas spent more than two decades serving as a labor organizer, civil rights activist and community advocate before her election to the State Senate. She resides in the View Park community of South Los Angeles with her family.
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