By JOSE HERRERA, City News Service
A year after a recording was leaked of three City Council members participating in a conversation in which racist language was used, leaders of Black Lives Matter L.A. on Monday urged Councilman Kevin de León to resign and end his bid for reelection in 2024.
Related: How LA City Hall has changed a year after racist remarks were leaked in a secret recording
During an early-morning news conference outside de León’s home in Eagle Rock, members of BLM joined other protesters, who had previously led an 18-day action calling for the councilman to resign. Monday, they returned with the same message.
“You got to repent. Repent doesn’t mean do a 360 degree, it means do a 180,” Pastor Stephen “Cue” Jn-Marie, who serves at the “Church Without Walls” on Skid Row, said of de León outside the councilman’s house. “You’ve got to change the direction that you’re going in and go in a different direction.”
Citing what he called de León’s “anti-Blackness,” Jn-Marie added, “He (de León) has not apologized. He hasn’t said a word. He hasn’t said he was wrong.”
De León is the only participant in the leaked 2021 conversation —held at the offices of the L.A. County Federation of Labor — who is still holding office. Former City Council President Nury Martinez resigned shortly after the leak. Former Councilman Gil Cedillo, another participant, lost a bid for re-election. Then-L.A. Fed President Ron Herrera, the fourth participant in the conversation, also stepped down in the wake of the leak.
The four were discussing the redrawing of council district boundaries in favor of the council members when the racist language was used.
De León’s office did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.
However, on Oct. 19, 2022, during an interview in which he said he would not resign his council seat, de León told CBS2, “I’m not going to mince words. I’m not going to deflect blame….
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