Constance L Rice

Los Angeles City Controller Rick Tuttle has appointed civil rights attorney Constance L. Rice to the citizens' committee that oversees the $2.4-billion Los Angeles school repair and construction bond. Rice will replace David Abel, publisher of a regional planning newsletter, on the 11-member committee, created by the 1997 Proposition BB bond measure. Rice has long been involved in litigation over racial discrimination and school equity.

Earl Paysinger doesn't mince words when talking about the 57 square miles of urban landscape he oversees as a Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief. "It's a violent piece of real estate," the 30-year LAPD veteran said. "This part of the city has always been a great challenge for us."

After failing to win City Council approval for the appointment of Melanie Lomax, Mayor Tom Bradley on Thursday nominated another black civil rights attorney, Constance L. Rice, to the powerful Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Commission. The nomination of Rice, Western regional counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc.

Los Angeles City Controller Rick Tuttle has appointed civil rights attorney Constance L. Rice to the citizens' committee that oversees the $2.4-billion Los Angeles school repair and construction bond. Rice will replace David Abel, publisher of a regional planning newsletter, on the 11-member committee, created by the 1997 Proposition BB bond measure. Rice has long been involved in litigation over racial discrimination and school equity.

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously confirmed Mayor Tom Bradley's appointment of civil rights attorney Constance Rice to the powerful Department of Water and Power Commission. Rice, western regional director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, is the only African-American on the five-member commission. She replaces environmentalist Mary Nichols on the board of the DWP, which provides water to about 3.

Earl Paysinger doesn't mince words when talking about the 57 square miles of urban landscape he oversees as a Los Angeles Police Department assistant chief. "It's a violent piece of real estate," the 30-year LAPD veteran said. "This part of the city has always been a great challenge for us."

The City Council on Friday postponed a decision on whether to confirm the appointment of a prominent civil rights attorney to the powerful Department of Water and Power Commission. The council put off the decision because its Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the city's Ethics Commission had not yet made recommendations on the appointment.

Constance Rice has done the math dozens of times, for all sorts of equations. Even though her numbers tell the same story every time, for the benefit of a visitor she repeats them, setting the figures off like depth charges. Example: African American children make up only 9% of the state's non-adult population but 40% of its juvenile prison population. Latinos make up another 39% of juvenile inmates.

On a spring evening in 1998, Genethia Hayes, executive director of the L.A. chapter of the Southern Christian Conference, called civil rights attorney Connie Rice at her downtown office and roared, "You get your high yellow ass down here and bring that wonderful white woman you run with!" Moments earlier, Barbara Boudreaux had told Hayes that if she wanted to open her mouth about how L.A.'

Only weeks after she graduated from high school, the 19-year-old woman lay dying on the grass, an innocent victim caught in the gunfire of a gang shooting at a Watts housing project. A decade ago, odds would have been good that both the shooter and the victim would have been black.

On a spring evening in 1998, Genethia Hayes, executive director of the L.A. chapter of the Southern Christian Conference, called civil rights attorney Connie Rice at her downtown office and roared, "You get your high yellow ass down here and bring that wonderful white woman you run with!" Moments earlier, Barbara Boudreaux had told Hayes that if she wanted to open her mouth about how L.A.'

Constance Rice has done the math dozens of times, for all sorts of equations. Even though her numbers tell the same story every time, for the benefit of a visitor she repeats them, setting the figures off like depth charges. Example: African American children make up only 9% of the state's non-adult population but 40% of its juvenile prison population. Latinos make up another 39% of juvenile inmates.

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously confirmed Mayor Tom Bradley's appointment of civil rights attorney Constance Rice to the powerful Department of Water and Power Commission. Rice, western regional director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, is the only African-American on the five-member commission. She replaces environmentalist Mary Nichols on the board of the DWP, which provides water to about 3.

The City Council on Friday postponed a decision on whether to confirm the appointment of a prominent civil rights attorney to the powerful Department of Water and Power Commission. The council put off the decision because its Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the city's Ethics Commission had not yet made recommendations on the appointment.

After failing to win City Council approval for the appointment of Melanie Lomax, Mayor Tom Bradley on Thursday nominated another black civil rights attorney, Constance L. Rice, to the powerful Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Commission. The nomination of Rice, Western regional counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc.

Re "Imus is not alone," Opinion, April 11 I want to express my whole-hearted agreement with Constance L. Rice. She says so clearly what I have always felt. The assaults on black women come from all fronts -- black men included. Why do our civil rights "leaders" think it is worth their time to punish Don Imus for saying things that athletes, actors and rappers have been saying for decades? Imus is not the downfall of the black community; it is our lack of action and our unwillingness to confront such sexist, homophobic, classist and degrading comments and beliefs that our culture celebrates that contribute to the challenges we face as a race.

They come from different backgrounds, races and cities, but they all have one thing in common: Each has made a difference in her community. They are California's Women of the Year, more than 100 women whose accomplishments speak volumes about their commitment to improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods and in their country. Nominated in each California Assembly and Senate district, the women were honored in Sacramento Monday as part of a 10-year-old, bipartisan tradition.