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Why Fontana Election of Warren and Green is Historic
Thursday, 11 November 2010 01:30
Everyone is talking about the historic day on November 2, 2010 when Acquanetta Warren was
elected Mayor of Fontana and Sophia Green was elected to the Fontana School Board.
Part of the reason that makes it so historic is because of the history of Fontana with the struggle
of racial tension that existed for many years where Blacks were regulated to live in a part of
Fontana known as the track. The line of demarcation based on race was Miller Street just below
Baseline. When I started reading meters for Southern Calfornia Edison back in the mid sixties,
what I thought to be true became clear because I went into every neighborhood and saw first
hand. I serviced Fontana for four years at Edison and twenty eight years at Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Hospital in the Human Resource Department.
The fight for racial inclusion was led by many in Fontana like, Ted and Pauline Davis of the
NAACP, Dorothy Grant, Jesse Turner, Minnie Tisby, Dave King, James Gaston, Kitty Holloway,
Art Forbes, administrator at Kaiser Permanente, Charles Redd school counselor and others in
the community. On the other side of the isles working hard to convince people to change the
city was Mayor Nat Simon, Bea Watson, Louis Hickey a home builder, John Vlasic, a
community worker, Dr. Raymond Kay of Kaiser Permanente Medical Group and of course the
United Steel Workers of America Union located at then Kaiser Steel Mill. During that time period
of the fifties, sixties and seventies the political party was all Democrats and the community was
also known as the home of the Hells Angels Motor Cycles Gang and the Ku Klux Klan. Some
Blacks and Hispanics had sought public office but could never pull together a coalition strong
enough to overcome the thing that divided them as in surrounding cities.
It was in the sixties and early seventies that the KKK led marches down Sierra Way with
protesting marches from the NAACP and Martin Luther King, III. I had coffee with the Grand
Dragon of the KKK, George Pepper, at the Thrifty Coffee shop across from Kaiser Hospital.
George wanted to debate me on a special radio program about citizen’s rights in America. I
turned him down but I learned a lot that day about race in America. One thing I learned was a
lot of his membeer’s wives and friends worked in that coffee shop. Another was he could not
shake hands with me in public because of his image and they have an issue with any Blacks
making progress in living standards greater than whites.
With that background of Fontana just a few decades ago you can see why it is more than
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Why Fontana Election of Warren and Green is Historic
Thursday, 11 November 2010 01:30
historic. I remember during my employment at Kaiser Permanente, Jews telling me they would
leave work early before dark because of the racial image. Blacks move into the area and would
drive past Kaiser Fontana to go and work at other Kaisers in Los Angeles. Many people sought
me out to get a feel on the area before they would decide to transfer or agree to work in
Fontana.
Then along came people like Supervisor Josie Gonzales, Janice Rutherford, newly elected
supervisor, former Mayor Mark Nuaimi, Barbara Chavez of the United Steel Workers and school
board member ushering in a new wave of thinking in the city’s political arena. They expressed a
mission of inclusion to all developers and business owners who wanted to do business in the
city thus a major change in the living patterns and political appointments on boards and
commissions. Yes, Fontana became a city on the move and not looking back on this racial past
but now a leader in the area of what came be done when you seek the best in all its citizens.
This does not mean Fontana does not have problems when it comes to race but it does show
evidence from its leaders and citizens that they are light years from where they used to be. It
also demonstrates to the Blacks and Hispanics that you also must process the qualifications
and personality that inspires confidence in people that you can handle the job. African
Americans make up only 10% of Fontana and only 18% are registered Republicans and Warren
is an outspoken Republican.
Yes that is why, in my opinion the election on 11/2/2010 is so historic in Fontana of electing
Acquanetta Warren, Mayor and Sophia Green to the School Board.
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