Hello Nicole,

This month, we acknowledge our Indigenous Angelenos during Native American Heritage Month and celebrated Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, on the first two days of November. Día De Los Muertos is a cultural holiday, which commemorates the legacy of our beloved ancestors and also reminds me to consider my legacy as the founding Executive Director of the City's first LA Civil Rights Department.

When I enter City Hall, I am intentional about recognizing that my footsteps are leaving an imprint on the native lands of the Tongva, Chumash, and Tataviam tribes. As I walk into my calling of serving others, I acknowledge the need to continue the fight to ensure injustices, similar to the ones our Native American brothers and sisters faced, are eliminated in Los Angeles. We're locking arms and marching together for an inclusive and safe LA For All!

To further this goal, the LA Civil Rights team is working with City Council Districts, Los Angeles Native American Indian Commission (LANAIC), and local tribes to provide recommendations for a citywide land acknowledgement as a sign of respect for Los Angeles' Indigenous populations. Stay tuned.

For now, follow us on social media and watch as we shine a light on Native American and Indigenous activists and organizations all month long!

Keep the faith and keep the fight,

- Capri Maddox

Executive Director

LA Civil Rights Department

Our 2nd Virtual LA Law Day was a Success!

On Saturday, October 28th over 100 prospective students joined LA Civil Rights as we held our 2nd Virtual LA Law Day. Attendees learned about the road to legal careers from law school deans and legal professional from both the private and public sectors. Panelists shared their own personal law journeys and breakout sessions focused on informative topics, including preparing for law school, drafting a competitive application, succeeding during the first year of law school, and highlighting diverse careers in law - all in the hopes of demystifying traditional and nontraditional pathways into the legal field.

A special thanks to our LA Law Day Presenters:

• Hydee Feldstein-Soto, LA City Attorney
• Paul Krekorian, LA Council President, 2nd Council District
• Dawyn Harrison, Esq., LA County Counsel
• Abigail Zelenski, Esq., Attorney and Founder of Zelenski Law
• Candice Cho, Esq., Managing Director of Policy and Counsel, AAPI Equity Alliance
• Yvonne Garcia, Esq., Employment Rights Project, Bet Tzedek Legal Services
• Phil Lam, Esq., Deputy City Attorney
• Patricia Winograd, Esq., Associate Dean, Loyola Law School
• Parjack Ghaderi, Esq., Chief Diversity Officer, LA County Counsel
• Nydia Johnson, Esq., Associate Dean, Southwestern Law School
• Nyanza Shaw, Esq., Executive Vice President, FremantleMedia North America
• Megan Meadows, Esq., Environmental Attorney, JF Novak Law
• Marissa Montes, Esq., Professor, Loyola Law School
• Lynette Jones, Esq., Attorney, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
• Kamilah Moore, Esq., CA Reparations Task Force
• Chalak Richards, Esq., Dean of Students, Pepperdine Law School

November 18: Homeowner Buyer's Event

Interested in owning a home? If so, join us virtually next week on

Saturday, November 18th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM for a Homebuyer Seminar.

LA Civil Rights is partnering with OwnLA to provide purchasing information to interested first time homebuyers. During the webinar, we'll discuss strategies to make the dream of homeownership a reality. Topics will include finding financial programs and loans, searching for a home, and identifying key players during your homebuying process.

RSVP here or below!

Human Relations Commission Retreat

Last Friday, our City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission held a retreat at Pico House to create new, strategic goals for the commission. Congratulations to Commissioner Brittany McKinley, who was voted as the new Chair and Pierre Arreola, who was voted as new Vice Chair of the commission. Your leadership will guide the Human Relations Commission to create more equity for Angelenos. We also send a special thank you to Transgender Advisory Council Member, Eden Luna, for providing a training on cultural competency.

The Human Relations Commission, a mayor-appointed advisory board, promotes equity and human rights in the City of Los Angeles through community engagement. Some projects include the "Forward Together" podcast and community dialogues on various topics with different communities on in LA.

Learn more here or below.