Since 1963 L.A. City Council Districts 8th, 9th, and 10th have been considered the Black Districts, i.e., the residential representation in city government for most of the Black population in the city—not the county—of Los Angeles. These are neighborhoods mainly in South Central L.A. and the Mid City area, and through all kinds of tumultuous history, these three districts have worn the cap of the “Black districts in city government.”
From Gil Lindsay’s special appointment to the 9th District in 1963 and Tom Bradley’s and Billy Mills’ elections in the 8th and 10th that same year, these three city council areas have represented the bulk of the political interests of the Black residential population in Los Angeles.
And having representation in the “scrum” where governmental affairs are decided was and is crucial. After all, the L.A. City Council is Los Angeles’ legislative branch of government, where local laws are created, where L.A.’s multi-billion dollar budget is debated and approved, and where district-level development decisions are made. City councilmen—and councilwomen—are the primary voices for their specific neighborhoods, and they make sure that the unique needs of the approximately 260,000 residents per district are considered in citywide policy.
The Black representation in the 8th, 9th, and 10th districts has been the status quo for over 60 years. In 2026, that is almost certain to change since there is no official Black candidate who qualified for the ballot this year in the 9th district; the 8th and 10th are not contested this year.
There is a write-in candidate, Chris Martin, a young Black civil rights attorney, but the odds of him making the runoff election in November are virtually nil unless he can muster a powerful ground game with little time remaining; after all, he is a community organizer. The election is in a little more than a month, on June 2nd, and most residents in the 9th still don’t know who he is.
While the majority of attention will be focused on whether Mayor Bass maintains her political edge and leads into the November balloting, we may also be on the verge of witnessing the end of a political era due to a lack of attention to detail. In order to be heard politically, you must have representation in the room where the decisions are made.
Unfortunately, in politics, where “the sausage is made,” Los Angeles’ Black population has been allowed to go to sleep. The competition for the public’s dime and its building projects requires a permanent political presence and well-prepared participation.
The Black population of Los Angeles may have just missed the train on this one. As of November, 2026, no matter who wins as governor, mayor, etc., we will have needlessly squandered a political opportunity we cannot afford to lose. Where are our young lions?
Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.