November 2, 2025
Coalition of business, civic, and advocacy leaders unites to push for equity, resources, and coordinated action across L.A. County.
A newly formed coalition of prominent Black leaders and organizations in Los Angeles is aiming to reshape how resources, policy, and economic opportunities reach Black communities throughout the region. The Greater Los Angeles Black Leaders Collective (GLABLC) publicly introduced its mission this month, describing the group as a unified force focused on long-term systemic impact.
GLABLC’s governing members include figures already well known across the city’s civic and business landscape: Dr. Robert Sausedo of Community Build, Inc.; Angela Gibson-Shaw of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce; Jason Foster of Destination Crenshaw; Cynthia Mitchell-Heard of the Los Angeles Urban League; and Sarah R. Harris of the Black Business Association, who also serves as chair of the collective.
“This is not just about collaboration, this is about bridging capital, access to capital, this is about advocacy, and this is about bringing entities together and not just be about the talk, but be about the action of the community,” Mitchell-Heard said.
Harris echoed that message, underscoring the group’s commitment to being more than a symbolic partnership. “We are really serious and intentional about coming together to be the umbrella, the strategic partner for the community in terms of lending our influence, resources, the data, and everything to be able to provide more opportunities for Black community organizations as well as just the Black community as a whole,” she said.
During a public rollout at Chase Bank’s Community Room on Crenshaw Boulevard, members outlined the collective’s guiding values — from equity and accountability to cultural integrity and sustainability. Their stated priorities include economic mobility, direct relief, policy change, practice transformation, and measurable community impact.
Foster framed the effort as a necessary response to shifting political landscapes, particularly around diversity, equity, and inclusion. “I think the community can expect a unifying voice from the Black community and the organizations that are doing not only direct service but fighting for systemic change—our efforts don’t stop, and now it’s more important than ever as other challenges, what’s happening to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” he said.
The coalition is already mapping out concrete initiatives, with Gibson-Shaw noting that the collective is beginning its work by addressing wildfire recovery efforts and preparing neighborhoods for major economic events, such as the upcoming Los Angeles Global Games.
Mitchell-Heard added that the gaps exposed after recent disasters showed why unified leadership was overdue. “Post fires, we saw that our African American communities, especially in the Altadena area, are just not getting the access and the resources that they need, and thus that’s what spurred this,” she said.
Sausedo summed up the vision simply: “It means that our leadership has come together to be on a single platform to do greater good.”
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