The next of the Santa Monica candidate forums co-sponsored by the Committee For Racial Justice and the Santa Monica League of Women Voters Educational Fund will be a zoom meeting on Sunday evening, October 4, which will feature candidates for City Council and will start at 6 p.m. All the candidates were invited. To date, 15 have confirmed.
The moderator will be Dr. Karen Gunn : Principal, Gunn Consulting Group - DEI, organizational development, training and facilitation; retired psychology professor – Santa Monica College; former chair - Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council; health and mental health consultant and advocate.
Santa Monica city council heard reports at their Sept. 8th meeting from two city generated study groups put together in the wake of the numerous issues and discussions that arose across our country in response to George Floyd’s murder and, locally, the Santa Monica community’s response to events here on 5/31/20. The Black Agenda group and the Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee both presented a number of recommendations to the city council in efforts to begin the process of realigning priorities in our community toward equity and antiracism.
Doors have been opened to the possibilities of meaningful change in the priorities of our local institutions that deal with education, human services, policing, housing, and other departments overseen by the city council.
This year it will be especially important to listen to what each candidate thinks those changes should be – transformational or token – in this era of Black Lives Matter.
Especially this year, you will want to educate yourself about whether or not the candidates running for these important slots on the council are taking your priorities seriously.
Come hear about candidates’ visions for the future of Santa Monica on 10/4.
LA County will be mailing out ballots to all registered voters on Oct. 5.
Fill yours out early and turn it in right away to be sure it is counted.
This event is sponsored by the Committee for Racial Justice and the League of Women Voters Santa Monica Education Fund.
For more information, call Joanne at 310-422-5431.
Submitted by Joanne Berlin
