With a population of almost 4 million, Los Angeles is home to numerous vibrant communities, each with its own unique features. Naturally, a city as diverse and populous as L.A. is bound to attract political organizations of all shapes, sizes, causes and political leanings.
While many national organizations have chapters in the city, numerous progressive groups call L.A. home. Here are some of the most prominent ones.
LA Forward is a progressive organization that supports a wide umbrella of causes while offering an accessible gateway to local politics. At the heart of its mission is establishing a Los Angeles that works for everyone.
According to its mission statement, L.A. Forward envisions Los Angeles as a “fair, flourishing region where public policies ensure that all people can live in dignity, have access to good housing, schools, parks, jobs and transportation, and reach their fullest potential as human beings.” Among their goals are closing corporate tax loopholes in order to fully fund public schools, climate and environmental justice, ending homelessness, affordable housing, and prison reform.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is dedicated to advancing immigrant rights. Its stated priorities are equal protection for immigrants, challenging anti-immigration legislation, and the investment in and inclusion of immigrant communities.
At the national level, CHIRLA advocates for humane and comprehensive immigration reform, the protection of the human and civil rights of immigrant families, and greater oversight of all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies. At the local level, CHIRLA seeks to increase civic participation and the creation of policies that embrace immigrants.
The Community Coalition (CoCo) is dedicated to improving the lives of South L.A. residents through community civic engagement. Founded in the 1980s during the crack cocaine epidemic, a group of activists, including now-U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (37th district), believed that those affected by the health crisis needed to be involved in creating policies that would help their communities.
According to its mission statement, CoCo seeks to “transform the social and economic conditions in South L.A. that foster addiction, crime, violence and poverty by building a community institution that involves thousands in creating, influencing and changing public policy.”
Inquilinos Unidos (United Tenants) is a tenant-led organization that fights for “safe, decent, and affordable housing” for low-income tenants in Los Angeles. The organization focuses its efforts on primarily Spanish-speaking immigrant neighborhoods in Los Angeles, including Pico-Union, Koreatown, Mid-Wilshire, Westlake/McArthur Park, East Los Angeles and Echo Park.
Through education, organization and advocacy, Inquilinos Unidos seeks to empower tenants to take on leadership roles in their communities, participate in housing policymaking, and collectively oppose predatory and exploitative rental housing practices.
The Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles (CARECEN) is the largest Central American rights organization in the U.S. Originally created by Salvadoran refugees, CARECEN is dedicated to fighting for immigrant rights, particularly for those who hail from Central American countries.
CARECEN seeks to empower Central American immigrants by defending their rights, advocating for social and economic justice, and promoting cultural diversity. Additionally, CARECEN offers immigration integration programs, immigration legal services, and fosters community engagement in immigration policy, education reform and workers’ rights.
Alliance for Community Transit
The Alliance for Community Transit-Los Angeles (ACT-LA) advocates for safe, equitable and sustainable transit systems and neighborhoods for all Los Angeles residents. In addition to advocating for a transit system that is equitable for low-income communities and communities of color, ACT-LA also champions the growth of affordable housing, community self-determination, community preservation, ending poverty, and the promotion of sustainability.
Climate Resolve champions a just and resilient future for Los Angeles through equitable climate solutions and sustainability. It seeks to address the global problem of climate change through practical local actions. Some of its areas of focus are urban cooling, green transportation, conservation efforts, contextualizing climate change, and wildfire prevention and recovery.
Promoting Unity, Safety and Health in Los Angeles (Push L.A.) fights to end police racial profiling of African-American and Hispanic residents in Los Angeles. Push L.A. advocates divesting from punishment and criminalization, increased accountability for law enforcement officials, defunding law enforcement agencies, and shifting resources to “community-based and culturally competent prevention, intervention and other holistic wellness services.”
The Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) is dedicated to challenging and ultimately eliminating the policies and institutions that negatively affect communities of color. These issues include the disproportionate incarceration of people of color, corruption and violence in law enforcement, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the violation of youth and communities’ constitutional and human rights.
YJC’s core goals are exposing how the war on gangs is a war on youth of color, reducing L.A. County’s use of detention and incarceration, and pushing the county to develop alternatives to arrest, court detention and incarceration.
Ground Game L.A. is a grassroots organization that seeks to build community and electoral power in Los Angeles. In its mission statement, Ground Game states, “We believe that real change only happens when more people are brought into the movement, and that means bringing the movement to them.”
Members collaborate with other grassroots organizations to address the pressing issues in Los Angeles. Their strategy includes knocking on doors, hosting forums, and offering workshops on how to run for office. Among the major issues that Ground Game L.A. focuses on are a healthy environment, policing and immigration, and justice for renters and displaced residents.
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The 2020 election delivered both triumphs and disappointments for progressives. While the progressive state ballot measures failed at the polls, in Los Angeles, progressives won big.
The Ground Game and Bernie Sanders-backed Nithya Raman, for example, was elected to the Los Angeles City Council.
In the race for L.A. district attorney, progressive candidate George Gascón defeated incumbent Jackie Lacey. Gascón ran on a campaign centered on criminal justice reform and police accountability.
These, alongside other progressive victories, offer hope for progressives in L.A. And though the groups mentioned above have diverse areas of focus, they are all dedicated to making Los Angeles a better city for everyone.
