For the last four years Cynthia Anderson Barker has been at the forefront of countless class action and individual suits against the LAPD and Los Angeles Sheriffs Department on behalf of Black Lives Matter and other civil rights groups. 

“We were probably arrested for civil disobedience maybe eight or nine times,” recounted Mrs. Barker of her early tenure as a civil rights activist at the dawn of the 80’s, “But nothing ever sticks,” She laughed. 

As we sat overlooking the hills of West Los Angeles at Mrs. Barker’s Tuscan style home on the Los Angeles Country Club, she reminisced on a lifetime of civil rights work spanning humanitarian crises in El Salvador, Blocking ICE vans at LAX with a group of nuns, all the way up to the recent “uprising,” she calls it, back in late May of 2020 after the killing of George Floyd— with the subsequent protests and clashes with police and sheriffs in Los Angeles taking up a bulk of her legal work since. Barker, along with a team of attorneys and aides, is representing both individuals and Black Lives Matter in ongoing suits against the various police and sheriff’s offices in Los Angeles.  

Mrs. Barker was first contacted by Melina Abdullah, a professor and former Chair of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA back in 2016. As of late, Abdullah is recognized as one of the figureheads of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. After representing some of Abdullah’s students who had been arrested during protests on the Cal State LA campus in 2016, Barker and Abdullah established good rapport. “I did two cases for this student, and I was successful in getting all the charges dismissed,” said Barker, “So then Melina and I had more contact, and whenever she had a legal problem or question, she called me.” 

Barker is a part of the National Lawyers Guild, whose motto is “Law for the People Since 1937,” according to their site. The group has many civil rights-based missions, but one of their primary focuses is their National Police Accountability Project, which gathers plaintiff’s attorneys, paralegals and advocates to work on misconduct cases against various police departments. Their work is completely pro bono, and Cynthia and her colleagues hope to accomplish two main goals in their class action suit Black Lives Matter vs. City of LA. 

“We have what we call our claims for injunctive relief,” says Barker, “One has to do with how less-than-lethal weapons are used,” and the other has to do with the giving of a misdemeanor during a protest. Barker went on to explain how less-than-lethal rounds are supposed to be ricocheted or bounced off the ground before being directed towards a crowd of protesters. She alleged that the LA County Sheriffs and LAPD had intentionally and cruelly avoided taking this step when firing upon the crowds of protesters back in June in both major clashes in Santa Monica, and on Third Street near The Grove, the latter of which Barker had been in attendance of as a legal observer. This led to various incidents of severe, sometimes permanent, injuries to many of the victims she is representing in the suit. 

In the meantime, because of these incidents, Barker and her colleagues have filed a restraining order against the use of these less-than-lethal weapons until updated or new legislation surrounding their deployment during protests is signed into law. 

In regards to the giving of a misdemeanor, Barker detailed examples of Police and Sheriffs detaining those in violation of curfew, removing their masks, all while not wearing any themselves, placing the suspects, often young adults, into cages on busses for hours on end before taking them miles from where they were detained to be processed at the UCLA practice football field in Westwood— only to be released far from their vehicles or means of transportation after the curfew had taken effect, leaving them stranded and afraid. “We propose reforms,” says Barker, “If you’re arrested at a demo, and it’s a minor misdemeanor, cite them, give them a ticket, and let them go.” She went on to say, “If you’re arrested, you don’t hold people in conditions of confinement on hot busses.” 

When asked about her hopes for the future Barker touched upon a few points. She hopes that more young lawyers get into public interest law, a trend she has already noticed through her various mentees and collaborations with public interest law students out of the UCLA School of Law. “Another hope is that there’s not so much antagonism between law enforcement and our communities, and communities of color particularly,” She said. “If you’re driving while black, you’re looking over your shoulder,” Barker said with hands high in the air exclaiming the absurdity of the situation while shaking her head emphatically from shoulder to shoulder. She went on to talk about a client she was on the phone with just before this interview who she had thought disconnected from their call, but instead fell silent and anxious when a police officer began to follow the client for a few blocks. It took the officer pulling away from the client for the man to regain his bearings and explain to Mrs. Barker the reason for his abrupt silence. 

She then spoke about the call to defund the police that is so often associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. “Truly what that means is, ‘let’s put mental health resources where they should go,’” she said. “Instead of having the police act on a mental health call, have them partner with the MET (Mental Evaluation Team, a subdivision of the sheriffs department who provides assessment, intervention and targeted case management, according to their site) team,” she explained, “Take some of those funds and use them for educating and training, not law enforcement.” 

Her big concern moving forward surrounds the fallout around the election. “My concern for the future is; with Trump losing the election and all of this friction and social upheaval, that white supremacy will rise and the white supremacists will get more and more aggressive and there will be more social unrest.” She added “We have to find solutions so there is some sort of reconciliation and not so much polarization.” 

A soft breeze sweeps through the century old Spanish courtyard. The sky as bright and blue as any Southern California day. A dog barks a few houses down as a car alarm sets off and is quickly quelled. Small brown and white songbirds ride the afternoon breeze, with it, carrying branches to their nests in the nearby conifer trees. As a large United Airlines jet passes overhead, surely on its way to some far-off land, the birds go quiet. A predator is in their midst. Light orange stripes contrasted by ones imbued with dark, midnight hues are strewn across his mighty back. He is completely deaf, yet he fears nothing. Piercing yellow eyes and jagged teeth from years of successful and unsuccessful hunts. The neighborhood knows this feline as Frank, but to the birds, cats, and even dogs, his name doesn’t matter. He is the judge, jury, and executioner around these parts, and today the songbirds are on trial. His gaze fixed upon the horizon, his eyes dart from corner to corner in his skull. As quickly as he was here, he is now gone. Off to continue his hunt, or sleep another afternoon away on his favorite cushion.

A large brown pickup drives by faster than most who come through this quaint west-side neighborhood. A gardener’s truck perhaps, but there were no tools in its bed. Someone out of sight is watering their garden. As the days grow shorter and cooler, the lawns of West Los Angeles come to life before they bed down for winter. 

A man converses with who must surely be a business associate. He speaks of quarterly profits and problems in Human Resources. He asks the receiver of his words to do him a favor. His voice fades out of earshot. 

More jets fly overhead, providing a low-end to the breezy string section that closes the daylight hours of SoCal. A hammer striking wood rings off from down the street. Maybe something is being built. Maybe something is being destroyed. Two neighbors begin to argue. One with a distinct French accent and the other as American as cherry pie. “Can you help place down the pad beneath the carpet tonight?” One asks. “That is a job for the wives. What if we mess it up and move all of that furniture for nothing?” Responds the French one. The two go back and forth, half joking, half at each others’ necks. They part ways with friendly goodbyes and wish each other well, hoping to catch up soon over some wine and talk about the “crazy times we’re living in.”

As the mechanical traffic increases on this suburban street, so too does the foot traffic. Neighbors come and go, up and down the street with their designer dogs after getting home early from work. Since the pandemic’s outbreak, it seems everyone is either already home or getting home much earlier than before. This increase in daytime traffic leaves for much more interaction between people who previously would only exchange glances from across the street. 

The familiar buzzing of an air conditioning unit rings out in harmony with the overhead jets. A singular bird now sings to an empty sky. Buzz. Peep. Buzz. Peep. Nature’s car alarm it seems. The air conditioner and bird continue to duet as more faint noises crescendo into this afternoon symphony. Far off sports cars and motorcycles cruising the streets of Beverly Hills provide a backdrop whilst this singular bird sings to the heavens. His cadence has not changed, yet it feels as if his message has. The peeps now sound like cries. The desperate bird must be looking for a lost lover of sorts, for peeps of this intensity are only reserved for times of crisis. 

A tall wooden pig standing on two legs perched atop a pedestal holding a tray for drinks stands at the ready across the old tile patio. Two candles and a can of Off bug spray perched atop his tray. His left ear badly chipped, probably from a fall with his previous owners. How anyone could part with such a beautiful monstrosity is beyond all reasonable thought. His sickly pig grin gives off a demeanor of quiet resignation. It is his purpose to serve drinks, but not his dream. 

The green and blue-cushioned iron chairs form a jagged circle around a half-century old glass table at the center of the patio. Atop the table sits a spiky succulent of sorts which rests in a hand painted vase with a dark blue rim and yellow-green leaves cascading down its curves. 

Astroturf now rests where the real thing once grew. A sole olive tree offers a dose of true beauty on an island of dirt that the turf does not cover. In its branches are small metal lantern shells with multicolored glass to illuminate a soft rainbow once candles are placed inside. This tree bares no fruit, but has much to offer in its beauty and stillness. 

It seems the bird whose calls were so distant has now entered the courtyard. Perched atop the old outdoor grill, he looks around quickly before jumping to one of the iron bars that holds the courtyard in at its arches. The small brown bird takes flight and leaves the residence of the the many strange plants, animals and items that call this courtyard home. 

The extent of human depravity and selfishness knows no end when those in power ardently believe their actions are vindicated by the unspoken permissions given by fellow leaders around the world.

What is happening today, and what will continue to happen long after the blood has dried and dust has settled, is a result of unchecked power and propagandized nationalism. Today, sovereign nation has lost its home. A 14 year old girl was hit by a Russian airstrike; her life taken from her in a conflict she had no say in joining. Children are witnessing their places of birth obliterated, their families separated, brothers, fathers, sisters, and mothers dying for a fight they did not ask for. As oligarchs sit in the comfort of their homes strewn across the globe, their wealth accrued immorally and at the expense of the very people they're sending to fight for a "just" cause, it should be no surprise that we find ourselves in the situation at hand.

If we do not find a way to reconcile our differences and unite in a concerted effort to hold our leaders accountable, madmen like Vladimir Putin will be free to continue their reigns of oppression and death at the expense of human lives. To be able to justify taking the lives of civilians in order to restore the Soviet Union to its former "glory" should be enough to know that we crossed the event horizon long ago. A sad day for humanity today is. What is happening now will be studied in the history books for generations to come.

We, as a united, global people, have the power to decide what the chapters following this one will contain.

"It is about the right to self-determination, that every person might determine their own future. It is the right of every society, and of every person, to security, to a life without threats." - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

As Angelenos, It seems like every time we open our phones or watch the news we are bombarded with videos of Rolex robberies in broad daylight, stories of home invasions in once safe areas, and why defunding the police is the cause of this city’s descent into Gotham-esque despair— this couldn’t be further from the truth. The crime we see today is the fruit of a tree that was planted decades before. The vast majority of people, given the choice, wouldn’t turn to a life of crime if given an alternate means of accruing similar or even greater wealth. While stories of an elderly woman having her purse snatched spur immediate outrage and calls for retribution, we should instead direct our outrage at the systems in place that have failed our fellow citizens and provided them with so little opportunity, that they instead become opportunists of their very own.

The LAUSD is the second largest school district in the United States. A quick tour of a public school in the Palisades and one in South Central is all it takes to realize the massive disparity in quality of facilities, staff, and educational opportunity that students face in low-income areas of Los Angeles. Our property taxes are directly tied to the funding that our public schools receive, so it should be no surprise that the South Central district’s funding pool is tragically lower than that of their oceanside counterparts. With the median price of a house in South Central around 582 thousand and the average house in the Palisades a hefty four million, income inequality is the elephant in the room standing between our youth and their chances of upward mobility in both economic and social circles. While local politicians and mayoral candidates wage war with one another about the “rising crime” and how to police it, they fail to recognize that crime is merely the final product created by a system of draconian bureaucracy, lack of opportunity, and most importantly, a lack of education.

A study conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics confirmed this very notion in 2010, citing direct evidence of the positive relationship between education and decreased crime, "In summary, if education increases the marginal returns of earnings from legal more than illegal activities, schooling reduces the time available to commit crimes and positively affects patience levels." Education raises skill level which in turn creates greater opportunity for higher wages. And would one not argue that a lack of a living wage or means of accessing a skilled labor market could cause a person to turn towards circumventing a menial existence in the lower rungs of a job market for a life of quick cash beyond what any legal means could provide for them? It is time to reexamine the way our schools are funded. Tying local income to local funding is unfairly handicapping an already shaky system and setting up children, our very future who the generations to come will rely upon as leaders, to fail before they even learn to do long division.