COMMUNITY COALITION KICKS OFF ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
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For 30 years, Community Coalition (CoCo) has provided a platform from which the voices of everyday residents have been raised, and heard, to impact the material conditions of Black and Brown people living in South Los Angeles. CoCo has continuously worked to reduce crime, poverty, and substance abuse through resident organizing, direct advocacy, and community support services. We cultivate leadership and connection to build safe neighborhoods, quality schools, and a robust social safety net in areas of Los Angeles that have suffered from generations of disinvestment.
As CoCo celebrates our 30th anniversary, we look back to a time when quite frankly the conditions in South Central were dismal and hopeless. Our communities were not as organized, but Karen Bass and the community had a different vision. They did not let the dire conditions of their neighborhoods undermine the power of the people.
ONE WAY YOU CAN #STEPUPFORSOUTHLA
is by becoming a Member of Community Coalition!
Over the last three decades, CoCo has built a leadership pipeline in our community–including founder Congressmember Karen Bass, Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson and current CoCo President & CEO Alberto Retana– full of people who’ve continuously “stepped up” to transform South Los Angeles and positively impact the lives of tens of thousands of community members.
For our 30th Anniversary, we are launching our “30 for 30” Membership Campaign.
All year long, we’ll be sharing how residents are stepping up for our community using #StepUpforSouthLA on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can #StepUpAndJoin or how you can donate
#StepUpForChange
Change doesn’t start with policymakers, academics, or government officials. It doesn’t happen spontaneously or through luck. It begins with you and your neighbors. Together we have the power to transform our community. All it takes is for you to step up and get involved!
Bruce Patton is the recipient of the 2019 Halo Award presented by the Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation. Mr. Patton has served as a volunteer and resident leader at CoCo for more than 20 years. He was introduced to the organization by his mother, Mrs. Audrey Patton, who is one of CoCo’s founding community leaders. As his mother approached her more senior years as a community leader, she passed on the torch to her son to ensure CoCo remained a community vehicle that impacts change in the region.
Bruce is a tireless leader who gives his valuable time and expertise towards the benefit of the entire community and specifically to young students of color struggling with math and science. He has helped lead multiple campaigns and leverages his knowledge and skills to promote whole youth leaders. Currently, he is a core leader of CoCo’s resident-driven Justice Committee, where residents work alongside CoCo staff to learn about, strategize, and launch community campaigns to help address critical deficiencies in the criminal justice stem that impact South Los Angeles.