“I will continue to do everything in my power to bring our city together because of the trust you have placed in me. not.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Karen Price said those words with supreme confidence last October, standing in her usual spot behind the horseshoes of City Hall.

His colleagues had just appointed him deputy commander-in-chief, the provisional president. They now looked at him expectantly, with no small amount of hope, as the demonstrators who packed the chamber again yelled and slammed the seats in a cacophony of relentless despair.

Price, a black man representing a Latino-majority neighborhood in South LA, leaked recordings of three city councilors and Labor leaders exchanging racist rants about increasing Latino political power He should have been the perfect politician to lead the city out of the darkness it brought. Through district restructuring.

The darkness was exacerbated by a series of corruption scandals involving Mitch Englander, Jose Hwysar and Marc Ridley-Thomas in relatively quick succession.

“It’s time to work together to restore trust,” Mr. Price said in October, befitting a politician after decades in elected office. “Restore trust in our city.”

Apparently, it’s not that simple.

On Tuesday, Price was indicted on five counts of grand theft with embezzlement, three counts of perjury and two counts of conflict of interest. Los Angeles Township Athi. Georges Gascon says he has a financial interest in a project he voted for and is accused of forcing the city to pay his current wife’s medical benefits while he was married to another woman. rice field.

What happens next is unknown.

Shortly after the indictment was announced on Tuesday afternoon, Price spokeswoman Angelina Valencia told The Times: It is highly unusual for such charges to be brought against an incumbent city council member without prior notice or discussion. Karen Price is a longtime civil servant who has dedicated her life to the city of Los Angeles. He looks forward to defending himself. ”

A few hours later, Mr. Price resigned as interim president and abandoned his commission on the committee.

“While I am overcoming the legal system to protect my name from unfair prosecution, I never want to get in the way of people’s business,” he said in a statement.

no matter. His colleagues will feel the need to suspend him, as they have decided to do with other city council members facing criminal charges. That leaves one more group of Angelenos without a voting representative—this time in District 9, which stretches south from downtown along Highway 110.

If Mr. Price is actually convicted of a felony, which is far from certain, he will permanently lose his seat on the city council after ten years in office.

Therefore, it is predictable and understandable that many will perceive this accusation as a disappointing and infuriating blow to Black people in Los Angeles. In fact, staying in a city that has been dictated by tribal politics for decades will make you wonder, “What does this mean for black political power?”

There is no simple answer to that.

It’s not because of rapid demographic changes, or because of the high cost of living and the rising displacement rate that is driving the decline in the black population. That is for residential use.

It hasn’t been since Ridley Thomas, a veteran politician known for his peculiar ability to get things done for black people, was convicted in late March (though he’s on appeal).

That’s despite the city recently electing its second black mayor, Karen Bass, by an overwhelming margin.

Voters in Mr. Price’s constituency have elected a black member to the city council every term since the 1960s. This is true even though the population was 78% Latino and 13% black by the final count, and several Latino candidates challenged him in previous elections.

Price is currently in the final stages of his third term and is due to retire in 2026. If he is found guilty, he will likely leave office sooner, and it is unlikely that he will be replaced by another black politician. And, frankly, in a city where Latinos continue to be underrepresented in public office, this makes perfect sense.

I suspect that in some areas the accusations against Price may also be seen as a perverted reflection on black politicians in the broader picture. “Oh, here comes another twisted black politician.”

It’s the most unintended side effect of LA’s family-friendly tribal politics, exploited during last year’s mayoral election when the police union tried to tie Buss to an indictment against longtime friend Ridley Thomas.

But it’s also how the far-reaching impact of anti-black racism works in this country, regardless of city or profession. Especially in cities and professions where there are only a few powerful black people.

That’s why I try to look at things differently.

The price is 72 years old. He had reached political age at a time when blacks had to unite to win elections. That’s still true, but less and less. Especially in a city as multicultural as Los Angeles.

Rather than tribal politics, we may need to focus on the forces that put people like Hugo Soto-Martínez and Uniz Hernández on the city council.

So what does his indictment mean for black political power in Los Angeles?

Absolutely everything. And nothing at all. It’s up to us, all of us, to decide.

Price probably understands this better than anyone else.

“As a 71-year-old black man,” Price said after accepting the job as interim president last year. From the days of segregation to today’s social justice revolution. There are difficult days ahead, but I have boundless hope that we will all work together. ”

On Tuesday, he presided over most of the city council meetings, fortunately unaware of the pending indictment, and hilariously introduced himself as president pro tempore, saying, “I am pleased to welcome you all today. ‘ said.

This was the last normal state of affairs in city government that would be seen again for some time.