People First Platform

People First Platform

The People First Platform is Community Coalition’s call for justice—a justice long overdue for the people of South Los Angeles. For 30 years, Community Coalition (CoCo) has helped turn a flicker of hope—arising from a small gathering of people in a living room convened by founder Congresswoman Karen Bass—into a vibrant reality for thousands of Black and Latino residents. The vigilance and commitment of CoCo’s members, racial justice partners, and philanthropic supporters have sustained three decades of building power through community organizing, voter mobilizations, the election of community leaders, and mass civic actions. Los Angeles is finally achieving public policies that serve its constituents, and Community Coalition’s staff and member leaders have been a significant part of this shift in equity. These accomplishments include the passage of government bonds like Measure H and Proposition HHH, which created new opportunities to generate housing and services for the homeless; increase pay toward living wages in the City, County, and State; implementation of ban-the-box ordinances that add protections for formerly incarcerated residents and the augmentation of pre-trial diversion from incarceration policies.

With these gains in mind, CoCo continues to deepen equity, opportunity, and justice for South LA. Our People First Platform mobilizes our members to wage organizing campaigns around three main political priorities: Demand Our Dollars, Generate Justice, and Build Thriving Communities.

Demand Our Dollars

After decades of poor and working-class families paying their fair share of the tax burden, we demand an end to corporate tax breaks, the systemic eradication of our social safety net, and the dearth of public resources committed to rebuilding and preserving our homes, schools, and neighborhoods.

Generate Justice

We demand an end to the mass criminalization of Black and Latino communities, thereby redefining the meaning of justice. Only then can we begin to restore the hundreds of thousands of families who have been torn apart by decades of destructive policies and policing.

Build Thriving Communities

As major cities across the world become places for only a wealthy few to enjoy, we will take back our land for young people and families who reflect the fabric of South LA. As gentrification pushes some residents out, we must revitalize what has been neglected and deprived, and transform it into a flourishing place where we can live, learn, own, work, innovate, play, eat, shop, and inspire future generations.