SAJE_Phase 4

In the song El Lavaplatos it says, “Toss some gravel and sand in the cement mixer. Fifty cents an hour until the whistle blows. Four or more of us strained at the famous pulley. And I, how could I stand it, I was better off washing dishes. How repentant, how repentant, for having come.” This song details the struggles many Mexican workers had to face in the United States. Under these obscene conditions a few brave workers made the decision to sow seeds of a movement. The Strategic Action for a Just Economy (SAJE) was established in 1996 to exhort community integrity, economic democracy for all, and tenants rights. Since its founding SAJE has created the country’s first welfare-to-work account, established a community land trust, and has challenged real estate developers to partner with the local community to boost job creation.

In the Latino Social Movements course the question about the function of movements was posed, and the theories of social change were presented. In the book L.A. Story: Immigrant Workers and the Future of the U.S. Labor Movement by Ruth Milkman it says, “The city was notorious as a “company town” where employers were intransigently opposed to organized labor.” Comparable to the text, SAJE is determined to create concrete economic benefits to working people, strengthen their economic rights, and has built a movement encompassing organized labor. Milkman revealed the racially and economically prejudiced history of labor in Los Angeles. SAJE spotlights the pursuit of economic democracy while shunning socioeconomic injustice.

SAJE uses public demonstrations or political rallies, and direct action to battle identity and racial formation in South Los Angeles. In the book Racial Formation in the Twenty-First Century by Tomás Almaguer racialization is defined as, “The extension or elaboration of racial meaning to particular relationships, social practices, or groups.” For many years the people of South Los Angeles have been racialized and predisposed to unjust labor practices. SAJE combats unemployment and health disparity because racialization plays a critical role in these issues. Latinos (immigrant populace included) and African Americans have higher unemployment rates compared to whites. In addition, these groups of peoples are exposed to a plethora of fast food options in their communities and are obese at higher rates compared to whites.

In August 2013 the Los Angeles unemployment rate was 8.9% excluding the number of people who have stopped actively seeking employment and the incarcerated populations. In South Los Angeles 30% of adults are uninsured and 37% of households are overcrowded. Racialization has played a role in the social and economic practices for residents of South Los Angeles. SAJE has actualized the Figueroa Corridor Community Jobs Program to battle unemployment and is the co-convener of the South Los Angeles Health and Human Rights Conference.

SAJE has continued to reinvent its strategies to announce their shared narrative. The narrative is “Development Yes! Displacement No!” Their scale is local, and their demographic target is predominantly Latino (immigrant population included) and African-American. Examples of SAJE’s effectiveness are action plans from the University of Southern California and the City of Los Angeles planners. They are gearing up their resources to confront racialization, and prepare the next generation of community leaders.

I strongly believe that social organizations like this are integral to fixing both health disparity and unemployment in South Los Angeles. If the people are informed of their rights then chances are they’ll make increased informed decisions. This social organization’s mission and actions pertain to the Latino Social Movements course because it displays how Latinos have historically used grassroots community organizing to bring sociopolitical change to contest racial and social inequality, and claim their citizenship in the United States.

The stakeholder groups are:

-SAJE Board of Directors 

-Donors 

-Community Leaders 

The key actors are:

• Foundations – increasing brand exposure, and limiting the opposition of SAJE community supporters. (Interests)
• Constituents – real economic surplus and the beginning to an end of health disparity. (Interests)

References:

1. Milkman, Ruth. 2006. L.A. Story: Immigrant Workers and the Future of the U.S. Labor
Movement. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

2. Tomás Almaguer. 2012. “Race, Racialization, and Latino Populations in the United States.” In
Racial Formation in the Twenty-First Century, 143–161. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

3. El Lavaplatos Recording

SAJE_Phase 3

SAJE has used different strategies to address health and economic disparity in addition to other key social issues in South Los Angeles.

SAJE has used the strategy of empathy in order to increase support and build awareness. The following video briefly summarizes the project that helps address the health impacts of slum housing in Downtown and South Los Angeles.

SAJE has strategically identified “hot-zones” in South Los Angeles that are high risk and high reward for the social movement. For example, the Florence-Firestone District has high unemployment and many of the residents would be more willing to participate in a protest against unjust labor practices in the community. The picture below is an example of the benefit in identifying and capitalizing on “hot-zones”

Their shared narrative is, “Development Yes! Displacement No!” and it has remained unchanged as of date. It is stated in the video below:

The two strategies of empathy and hot-zones have not changed.

The other group that battles similar issues of South Los Angeles is the Coalition for Responsible Community Development. The Coalition for Responsible Community Development has approached similar issues of South Los Angeles residents by leading initiates and building effective partnerships. They have their own job creation engine called, “CRCD Entreprises” including community leadership programs. It is different from SAJE because its programs and initiatives covers more area.

SAJE suggests ways that health disparity and economic disparity can be solved. First they suggest that health disparity can be solved by creating a healthier link between substandard housing, and South Los Angeles residents. If this link is made healthier via stricter tenant policies than diseases induced by living conditions would be abated. Second they suggest that economic disparity can be solved by implementing a pipeline program that provides low-income community residents with job training in the hospitality industry, and building trades.

I believe that health disparity could be solved in part via market makeovers.

Example of market makeovers:

I believe that economic disparity could be solved in part via social entrepreneurship ventures. Social entrepreneurship business models use private investment to solve community needs.

Example of social entrepreneurship:

SAJE_Phase 2

Strategic Actions for a Just Economy is a social movement that is focused on alleviating health disparity, unemployment, and other key social issues in South Los Angeles. They are partners with UNIDAD – United Neighbors in Defense Against Displacement.

The following three sources have featured SAJE:

• The Los Angeles Community Action Network, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, and the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation partnered to feature SAJE. The title of the published article was SHAME OF THE CITY – THE SEQUEL SLUM HOUSING: L.A.’S HIDDEN HEALTH CRISIS. The published article was about, “Enhancing Community Health by Improving Housing and Health Practices, Aligning Government Priorities and Increasing the Power of Tenants.” This article did not receive a high level of publicity.
• Share the Wealth featured SAJE in their brochure titled, Share the Wealth: The campaign for fair redevelopment in LA’s City Center. This article did receive a high level of publicity from UCLA and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
• Geoffrey Palmer of the USC ‘Lorenzo Project’ featured SAJE in the Community Benefits Agreement. Although this was not shared on major media streams, this served as a signal of how effective SAJE is in the community.

People have approached the issues of health disparity, unemployment, and unjust policing in communities of color using various forms of protest. The two most popular forms of protest are public demonstration or political rally, and direct action.  Public demonstration or political rally serves as a common way for nonviolent groups to generate public awareness and create disruption. Direct action consists of civil resistance, occupation, and non-violent resistance.

The most important issues in this movement are unemployment and health disparity. Unemployment is critical because the longer people are not working the likelier they are prone to engage in illegal activity. Health disparity is critical because if people are not able to purchase healthy food at affordable prices then they are exposed to premature death.

SAJE_Case Study Assignment

This case study project is concentrated on the issues of economic injustice, and health disparity in South Los Angeles.

Historically in South Los Angeles there has been minimal economic velocity and high rates of crime. According to the SAJE website, “Since 2004, we have served more than 600 local residents and currently teach about 80 workers through five classes including our signature Economic Survival class, ESL, and computer literacy.” Due to the dire historical context of economic injustice in South Los Angeles SAJE is acting to increase local employment options.

The following stats about health disparity in South Los Angeles provide a historical context:

• 30% of adults are uninsured
• There are 8.5 liquor stores per square mile compared to 0.10 large-scale supermarkets per square-mile
• 37% of households are overcrowded
• 91% of homeless residents are unsheltered
• In 2004, 40% of homicides in Los Angeles County occurred in South LA.
• Five South LA emergency rooms have closed since 2000.
• Only one full-scale ER/trauma center remains to serve over one million residents in a nearly 100 square mile area
• There are 0.11 school-based health centers per 1000 uninsured children

SAJE was established in 1996 with a mission to, ” to change public and corporate policy in a manner that provides concrete economic benefit to working-class people, increases the economic rights of working class people, and builds leadership through a movement for economic justice.” Since its founding SAJE created America’s first welfare to work account,  negotiated a first-of-its-kind Community Benefits Agreement with Anschutz Entertainment Group, and created a land trust to enhance public stewardship.  The movement developed because many in the South Los Angeles community and surrounding areas were too frustrated with the lethargic behavior of local government officials and decided to create change united as one. The scale is local, and the scope is cast wide because the movement does not specialize in one plight instead serves a wide host of others. The social context of the movement is predominately minority colored folk who are feeling under-represented and little heard.

Their narrative is community organizing and partnerships will serve as the most effective solution to increase the economic rights of working class people while increasing leadership potential. Their narrative is presented in public places and community meetings. Their tactics consist of challenging the constituencies of local public officials, boycotting businesses with unfair labor practices, and suing companies for discrimination. Their scope of impact is strictly regional, but can be viewed as a template for other regional social movements.

The key actors are:

• Foundations (Anschutz Entertainment Group, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Joseph & Jacqueline Kirshbaum Memorial Fund, Liberty Hill Foundation, The California Endowment, The Marguerite Casey Foundation, The Solidago Foundation, The United Way)
• Constituents

The interests of the foundations are increasing brand exposure, and limiting the opposition of SAJE community supporters. The interests of community members are real economic surplus and the beginning to an end of health disparity.

The stakeholder groups ranking of power:

-SAJE Board of Directors (3)

-Donors (2)

-Community Leaders (1)

The power between these different stakeholder groups are not distributed evenly. The SAJE Board of Directors are seeking increased relations with donors that is dependent on the engagements. The donors are seeking tax breaks, brand awareness, and limited community interference with their bottom line. Community leaders are seeking community coalitions, and growing the number of members in the movement.  Community leaders have the most power because constituents can impact the passage of legislature, the profits of conglomerate companies, and the life of the movement. Both donors and the SAJE Board of Directors depend on the energies of the people who bear injustices daily.