CITY EMPHASIZES HOPE FIVE YEARS AFTER RIOTS.Byline: Mary F. Pols Daily News Staff Writer Fourteen-year-old La Toya Randolph's ambitions have no boundaries: law school, politics, the White House. But five years ago, as she sat glued to the television with the rest of the nation, watching riots destroy her neighborhood, such hopes seemed so far removed from her South Central home. ``I was thinking, we should move out of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. ,'' La Toya remembered. On the fifth anniversary of the riots that terrified ter·ri·fy tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. her so, La Toya was one of 15 inner-city kids with outstanding grades who received a computer from Operation Hope, a public-private group founded in the aftermath of the riots to make business loans and economically empower a devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. community. About 300 other academic achievers from 15 schools in the South Central area received start-up bank accounts of $25 through donations by local banks. And another 2,500 students got personal lessons in fiscal responsibility from Southern California's top bankers, including chief executive officers from companies like Home Savings of America and Fremont Investment & Loan. As the much-heralded anniversary came and went peacefully, the message throughout the city was one of hope. The African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. Unity Center dubbed its annual block party ``A Celebration of Peace.'' And instead of focusing on the many still vacant lots and boarded-up, burn-scarred buildings throughout South Central, city officials dwelled on positive changes and rebuilding efforts since the April 29, 1992, riots. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas Mark Ridley-Thomas (born 1954) is currently a California State Senate where he chairs the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee]]. He represents the 26th district which includes the communities of Vermont Knolls, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, Hancock Park, Korean , whose 8th Council District was the hardest-hit area in the city, called a press conference in front of one of the more tangible signs of hope - a new supermarket being built on the Western Avenue site of a neighborhood store that burned to the ground during the riots. Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. bounced around the television/radio talk show circuit, talking about how the city has come back from those dark days. But he also emphasized the need for the economic resurgence in the city to reach every resident. ``We have done a lot to help cut red tape, which helps get more investment in economically disadvantaged areas,'' Riordan said during one appearance. ``But we still have a long way to go.'' According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Riordan, the key to rebuilding the inner city - and helping all of Los Angeles - lies in improving local schools. ``Los Angeles is the center of what's new and next,'' Riordan said. ``We are the gateway to Asia and Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. . But we cannot forget the have-nots in our city. We have to insist on a quality education system so people can have access to quality jobs.'' Although La Toya's school, Bret Harte Intermediate Preparatory in South Central, is gloomy and aging, with marked-up lockers and dimly lit, dusty hallways, she has clearly made the best of her educational opportunities. Her grade-point average is 4.0 and she will be going to the California Academy of Math & Sciences in the fall. But the computer came as a total surprise to her. When she was grinding away at the books, she had no idea she could earn a computer. ``I've been wanting a computer,'' she said. ``I wanted one for my birthday and I wanted one for Christmas.'' La Toya was glowing when she stepped up to Operation Hope founder John Bryant John Bryant may refer to:
``You have nice ideas Nice Ideas was a video game company based in France. Originally a part of Mattel Electronics, they were sold to an unknown company after the video game crash of 1983. Mattel was not allowed to shut down Nice Ideas like the rest of Mattel Electronics due to French law. ,'' she told him. ``That stuff about hope, that got me. That was inspirational.'' He had a compliment in return for her. ``You are the person I talk about when I talk about hope,'' Bryant said, enveloping en·vel·op tr.v. en·vel·oped, en·vel·op·ing, en·vel·ops 1. To enclose or encase completely with or as if with a covering: "Accompanying the darkness, a stillness envelops the city" her in a big hug. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (1 --color) Operation Hope founder John Bryant embraces straight-A student La Toya Randolph on Tuesday Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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