During Traci Park’s first visit to the Venice NC, constituents call for racial justice accountability for Park’s growing resume of racism reinforcing actions.

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Traci Park who won the CD11 election by a skim 4% vote margin in November 2022 made her first formal appearance at the Venice Neighborhood Council on Tuesday January 17th, 2023 (via Zoom).  As a VNC board member I was privy to emails weeks prior where Traci Park’s more direct supporters on the board were asking the VNC president to bring her on. 

 Interestingly, in the days before her visit and right before Traci Park’s presentation at the meeting, there was an uncommon and stern “warning” from VNC president Jim Murez  to “the board” about not being disruptive. I wondered who that was for since only two of us on the Board are anti-racism advocates who are also not her supporters. This warning was even more amusing considering that the only board members to ever disrupt VNC meetings and make rude outbursts over the last few years all happen to be Traci Park cheerleaders.

There was no Q&A but rather just a presentation by Traci Park that was basically an introduction into some of the new CD 11 team. She introduced two of her female staffers. Ashley Lozada and Gabriela Medina who come in from former right-wing councilmember Joe Buscaino’s office. Traci Park’s using  these two Brown women public relations shields was an expected move by Park to compensate for her mad lack of BIPOC support in CD11. Its expected that she will continue to tokenize people of color and use them as photo and public relations props, perfunctory opportunities that will be easily available to her by default via her council position.

Those who had comments about Traci Park expressed them in the General Public Comment section. Even though most the VNC Board ensured Park was well fortified, thankfully a few folks commented on her disturbing and growing resume of racism reinforcing actions. The public comments in this critical spirit touched on many items but centered on these angles:

  • Asked  what the VNC and Traci Park are going to do to address police brutality 
  • Distinguishing that it was Bass’s initiative that got the unhoused folks on Rose/3rd shelter,  as well as distinguishing that the shelter was not housing 
  • Traci Park’s  lack of presence at the vigil for Keenan Anderson who was tazed to death by LAPD two weeks ago 
  • Traci Park blaming Keenan Anderson for his own death

 

“ How will this council respond to police brutality?  How will Tracy Park respond?  Tasers are lethal and lethal force should only be used when absolutely necessary.  Keenan Anderson was on his stomach under control of four officers.  There was no need to use lethal force.  Keenan Anderson was murdered on Venice Blvd on Jan 3rd.  This council needs to respond  and pressure Traci Park who has put out a despicable comment blaming Keenan for his own death.  This council needs to investigate this incident  and take action on police brutality” – Soni Lloyd

 

After the critiques of Traci Park’s racism her cheerleaders came to the rescue. They came in with thanks and puffery to compensate for Park’s empty competence. They went as far as giving Park credit for Mayor Karen Bass’ optic based “Inside Safe” initiative because of Park’s public relations proximity to Bass during the media hype. I’m sure Park will milk this for a while. In addition to spouting that misinformation, her supporters went on to gaslight people asking for accountability by insisting that Traci Park has not partaken in racism. Notably, Park and Bass were among the more significant donation getters from anti-racial justice police associations like the LAPPL during the elections. Their public relations tag team here makes sense.

Other than that you didn’t miss much else. Just the usual Venice Neighborhood Council facade of community democracy and CD11 dog & pony show which you can read plenty of non-critical fluff about in the other Venice outlets. Same office, just more overt racism and gaslighting,

You know it’s a bad political situation when you wish Bonin was back in office.  We got even more work cut out for us in Traci Park’s #MoreRacist11

 

-V-