Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa participated in the Urban Issues Breakfast Forum of Greater Los Angeles on Friday, June 22 at the California African American Museum to discuss the accomplishments and impediments that occurred during his first two years in office. Villaraigosa’s relationship with the African American community was also a topic of discussion.

A community report card, in which nine community leaders graded the mayor on his first two years in office, appeared in the June issue of LA Focus. Villaraigosa said he wished he had received “more nines and tens, but understands the Black community’s concerns.”

Some of the issues Mayor Villaraigosa addressed during the forum were the Los Angeles Unified School District reform battle, the Tenne Pierce settlement, the call for funding of the Rice Report prevention initiatives, and the ongoing Black-Latino conflict.

The mayor pledged to work with new LAUSD superintendent David Brewer to create change in the lowest performing schools in the district. Regarding the rejected settlement of Los Angeles Fireman Tenne Pierce, Mayor Villaraigosa stated he simply vetoed the settlement because the city had not completed its discovery and he saw evidence the council had not considered. He also addressed the Black-Latino conflict by saying it was more a function of the press trying to promote conflict between two communities that live together.

The mayor promised to not only return to the forum, but to keep an open dialogue with the Black community.

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