First in a series
For context, an important element of the coming George McKenna story is that it is unfolding, promisingly, on schedule, six months after Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte rather than one month Donald Sterling.
On Election Night along Crenshaw Boulevard at the campaign headquarters of “McKenna for the LAUSD School Board,” an easily recognizable old standby voice in the black community, Larry Aubry (http://www.latimes.com/la-op-newton19aug19-story.html#page=1), was preaching to the McKenna choir.
He was saying that with the death last December of Ms. LaMotte, a muscular advocate for the community, it was critical to replace the late black Board member with a black member. Reliable representation for an orphaned community – the 1st District has 129 schools — is the issue.
Mr. Aubry’s thesis registered impressively on the Richter Scale.
[img]2606|right|Larry Aubry||no_popup[/img]With outspoken friends like Los Angeles Sentinel columnist Mr. Aubry – he never has been charged, even jokingly, with bashfulness – Mr. McKenna is well positioned for the Aug, 12 runoff election to fill Ms. LaMotte’s chair. After earning 44 percent of the vote in the seven-way race, Mr. McKenna, an educator for 50 years, is favored to defeat Alex Johnson (25 percent) when they show down.
Back to Mr. Aubry’s argument:
Since Mr. Johnson, a young aide to County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, is black, what difference does it make since a black successor to Ms. LaMotte is assured?
“A black successor is only part of the point,” said Mr. Aubry, whose stentorian opinions have been straightening the backs of Sentinel readers for 28 years.
“The more important point is that George is that special black person – because of his background, his commitment and his integrity. That is extremely important, extremely.”
But what about Mr. McKenna’s age? He is 73. Will that be a red flag for voters?
Speaking with firmness while standing outside of the McKenna quarters, Mr. Aubry said his candidate’s 73 years will not be any more of a factor than Mr. Johnson’s 33 years.
Like Mr. McKenna, he, too, is a son of New Orleans who came to this relatively Promised Land as a young man,
“I have known George 40 years,” the journalist said. “Anybody can tell you this about George with every job he has had – he is there at 7 in the morning or before. He is that kind of guy. He is used to this. He is used to the rigor. He is used to the commitment. He is used to getting the job done.”
(To be continued)
