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Ted Watkins and the Birth of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee

Theodore Watkins, better know as Ted Watkins, helped found the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. Watkins was born in Meridian (second source says Vicksburg), Mississippi in 1912. He moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of 13 after receiving a lynch threat, and soon began working for Ford Motor Company. Shortly thereafter he joined the United Auto Workers, quickly gaining prominence within the union. Watkins eventually married and had six children. He and his wife Bernice were active members of the Civil Rights Committee as well as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Throughout his years of involvement with the local chapter of the UAW, Watkins witnessed many instances of discrimination towards workers in the community. Eventually, with the help of the UAW, he founded the WLCAC. It grew to prominence as the primary agency responsible for helping rebuild communities most heavily affected by the Watts Riots of 1965. The WLCAC was formed as a community development corporation (CDC). These grew rapidly in popularity after the riots of 1965, and worked to provide a multitude of services to residents in the communities they were established in with the intention of granting these communities greater control over their own economic development. The WLCAC was distinguishable from other CDC’s in that it was associated with both labor unions as well as the civil rights movement. Through the WLCAC, Watkins initiated various programs aimed at alleviating poverty in Watts and generally improving the quality of life for members of the community. During his lifetime, Watkins was involved in the construction of a financial institution and hospital in Watts, as well as the development of low-income housing and youth programs. Aided by the relationships he was able to form with public officials and policymakers, he implemented a multitude of programs through the WLCAC. Despite his popularity, though, some took issue with the amount of funding Watkins received from both the public and private sectors. gRight before his death in 1993, he helped to rebuild the WLCAC after it was burned down in the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. Watkins is survived by his wife and children, as well as the WLCAC, which continues to serve his mission today under the guidance of one of his sons.

Historical Endeavors of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee

The Watts Credit Union was established in October of 1966, with membership reaching 2,600 in the following decades. It provided services primarily for low-income residents of Watts, eventually expanding to cover a much larger portion of Los Angeles. For years the credit union provided tax services free of charge, among many other functions. It was shut down in 2009 by the California Department of Financial Institutions following a string of events that contributed to its downfall and the inability of Pacific Coast Regional Development Corporation to take over last minute.

The Greater Watts Development Corporation was formed to move homes affected by the construction of the Century Freeway (Interstate 105), which began in 1981, to Watts. This was done with the assistance of multiple organizations including the Brotherhood Crusade, which later awarded Ted Watkins with the Pioneer of African Achievement Award.

Community Conservation Corps was created to serve the dual purpose of providing summer jobs for young residents of South Los Angeles as well as preserving Black heritage through classes and cultural celebrations. The CCC played a large role in the lowering of the national working age, which allowed teenagers to help contribute financially to their families.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Center (later renamed King/Drew Hospital)

Housing was at the top of the WLCAC’s priority list.

Following the 1981 riots in London, England, the British prime minister contacted Watkins to fly out to London and help the British government by applying methods used by the WLCAC in the aftermath of the Watts Riots.

Watts Labor Community Action Committee in the Present Day