Meet Local Hero Nominee: Pete White

Title: Executive Director and Founder

Organization: Los Angeles Community Action Network

Website: http://cangress.org/

"I have first-hand knowledge that Pete White has worked for more than two decades to bring dignity, respect and empowerment to the low-income residents of Skid Row--whether they’re housed or homeless.  LA Community Action Network has developed leadership among its constituency and engaged in strategic campaigns to address multiple forms of oppression." - Gary Phillips, Nominator

Highlights:

• A lifelong South Central L.A. resident committed to the fight for human and civil rights, Pete White founded the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), a grassroots organization working to ensure the human right to housing, health and security are upheld in Los Angeles.
• As a community organizer and civil rights advocate and has educated and organized thousands of low-income people on a multitude of issues and human rights campaigns.
• White’s numerous television and radio appearances as an analyst and commentator regarding civil and human rights issues include ‘Lost Angeles: Skid Row Is My Home’ and HBO’s docu-series: “Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas.”
• Produced numerous, large scale, community arts and music festivals to help spotlight the idea that “art has no address,” including co-producing ‘Operation Skid Row’ a community festival linking cultural giants like Chuck D and Public Enemy with the work of local artists and organizations to expand the collective bandwidth to produce change.
• Created rooftop gardens and neighborhood pop-up markets to address healthy food access and food insecurity experienced in low-income communities of color. To date LA CAN pop-up markets (annually) provide one-ton of organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables.
• Developed electoral engagement strategies and deployed community-based teams to pass two local ballot measures HHH and H resulting in a nearly $5 billion infusion of resources to build housing and provide services to houseless people.
• Co-created two books, “Freedom Now” and “Downtown Blues” that focus on housing and gentrification and the role of modern day policing. The books are used as core curriculum in universities in the U.S. and abroad.

More on Pete White:

https://youtu.be/tGzvmS--6JM

Homeless Activist Pete White goes 1-on-1 with the Sentinel

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