COMPTON — Civic participation and making government more inclusive and responsive to residents was the message last week, as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas spoke to the City Council and residents here about the 18th annual Empowerment Congress summit.

“We want you to have all this information so that in spite of what we are doing, you know how it will benefit and empower the community here in Compton and beyond,” Ridley-Thomas told the audience. “I think there are good things in store for the city of Compton … but there is more that can be done and I am excited about the possibility of working with the council to do some inclusive, philandering things here.”

The county supervisor also noted that he and his staff have been working closely with the city to restore Compton Creek and have made infrastructure, wellness, disease prevention and public safety a priority for the area. These are just some of the topics, he said, that will be addressed during the summit.

On Jan. 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 1,000 residents from the Ridley-Thomas’ Second District — Compton, Culver City, Hawthorne, Gardena, Carson, Inglewood, Lynwood, Lawndale, Los Angeles and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles — are expected to fill the student union at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Unincorporated areas include: Athens, Baldwin Hills, Del Aire, East Compton, El Camino Village, Firestone, Florence, Graham, Ladera Heights, Lennox, Marina del Rey, Rancho Dominguez, View Park, West Carson, West Compton, West Rancho Dominguez, Westmont, Willowbrook, Windsor Hills and Wiseburn.
This year’s theme is: “We are the Second District: Educated, Engaged and Empowered for Action.”

Workshops at the summit will revolve around business opportunities along the future Crenshaw Boulevard and LAX light rail line, the reopening of Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital, the major provisions of the proposed California state budget and how services provided by the county may be impacted, along with a discussion on Freedom Schools the supervisor plans to open this summer in collaboration with Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, who will also be the keynote speaker of the summit.

In addition, attendees will be informed about how government works, developing strategies that shape policy and legislation and connecting communities with public resources. Healthcare will also be a main topic of discussion.

“It is critically important to challenge the [health] insurance issues that are coming up very forcefully,” Ridley-Thomas said. “We have to make sure that there is no redlining involved.”

The annual empowerment gathering was launched by Ridley-Thomas while he was a member of the Los Angeles City Council in 1992. The constituent-based, non-profit entity that involves the partnership between neighborhood groups, residents, businesses and religious institutions is comprised of elected and appointed members.

Known as the Empowerment Congress, it began as “an experiment in participatory government, founded on the principle that elected officials are most effective when the constituents they serve are actively involved in the decision-making process,” states the non-profit’s Web site. “The mission of the Empowerment Congress is to empower all members of our diverse communities to ensure our collective voice is heard, … [and] to engage their peers in efforts to improve public safety, develop community standards, promote local economic development, and have a direct impact on the policies and decisions that affect the lives of all residents.”

According to Ridley-Thomas, the gatherings — at that time — resulted in $500 million in economic development and 2,800 new jobs for his then City Council Eighth District. Then in 2002, the Empowerment Congress began organizing the communities around the California State Legislature, the budget and state resources.

Current committees deal with economic development, housing and transportation, education, health and environment, human services, mental health, and public safety and justice.

The Empowerment Summit is open and free to the public. In addition, a continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Those looking to attend should register online at www.empowermentcongress.org or call (213) 743-7200.