SCLC of Greater Los Angeles

Honorees

D.L. Hughley Drum Major Award
Ms. Lillian Mobley	Isadore Hall III	Wells Fargo Bank
Rosa Parks Award	Martin Luther King Jr. Award	Corporate Responsibility Award

About D.L. Hughley

Darryl Lynn “D. L.” Hughley is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is perhaps best known as the star of the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy. He was the host of CNN’s D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, a short-lived comedy talk show. He is currently a correspondent for The Jay Leno Show, and a local radio personality in New York City.

Hughley was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Audrey and Charles Hughley, who was a Delta Air Lines maintenance worker. Hughley is married with his wife, LaDonna and they have three children: Ryan, Tyler and Kyle. Hughley has discussed his son’s asperger syndrome on several occasions.

From 1992 to 1993, Hughley was the original host of ComicView, the stand-up comedy program on BET. In 1998, through 2002, he wrote, produced and starred in the television sitcom series, The Hughleys. During 2005, he had a short-lived talk show on Comedy Central called Weekends at the D.L.. He is a member of The Original Kings of Comedy, and has also had roles on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and on NBC’s Scrubs as Turk’s brother. He was the host of the 2008 BET Awards. He also attended the funeral of one of his best friends and fellow King of Comedy, Bernie Mac. At the service, he gave a tearful speech during the eulogy.

Hughley was selected to host and write a comedic news-show on CNN which covers global happenings in politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture, titled D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, which aired its premiere episode on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 10 p.m. EDT on CNN. On March 9, 2009, CNN announced Hughley would be ending the show due to a desire to work in Los Angeles and be closer to his family. He plans to continue his work with CNN as a Los Angeles-based contributor for the network. According to Dr. Boyce Watkins, a frequent CNN contributor, “DL effectively took the amazing campaign of Senator Barack Obama and turned it into a modern day minstrel show.”

Recently, Hughley began a career as an on-air radio personality. On July 20, 2009, The D.L. Hughley Morning Show premiered on WRKS (more popularly known as 98.7 Kiss FM), an urban adult contemporary station in New York City. His co-hosts include former BET news correspondent Jacque Reid. Airing from 6-10 am, the show places Hughley in direct competition with his fellow “King of Comedy” Steve Harvey, whose nationally-syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show airs in New York on WBLS (Kiss FM’s longtime rival).

About Ms. Lillian Mobley

Courtesy of L.A. Watts Times

A teacher, leader, activist and icon.

These are a few of the words that have been used to describe one of Watts’ most beloved activists, Lillian Mobley.

Mobley rarely gets the media attention of other Watts community activists such as the late Ted Watkins or “Sweet” Alice Harris, but her contributions to the betterment of the community are still well known.

“Being recognized is not her first priority; it never has been,” said Chioma Agbahiwe, executive director of the LillianMobley South Central Multipurpose Senior Citizens Center and Mobley’s great niece. “Her priority is getting things done and finding resources, and getting access to resources that are out that the people in Watts and South Central know nothing about. That’s her main goal.”

Mobley describes herself as a “grunt.”

“I do the grunt work,” says the community activist, who turns 79 on March 29.

Lillian Harkless Mobley is known throughout the area for her efforts to spearhead activities aimed to broaden resources for the poor. She is as active today as she was more than 40 years ago, when she joined Mary Henry, Caffie Green, Johnnie Tillman, Nona Carter and several other Watts-area residents to fight to bring a hospital — Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital — and medical school — Charles Drew University — to the area.

She’s also as active today as she was with the Founders, the committee that included Mobley, Odessa Cox and others who labored to get permanent buildings constructed at Southwest College in Los Angeles. Today, she continues her association with the college as a member of the Southwest Bond Construction Program Committee.

Despite being unable to drive and taking dialysis three times a week, Mobley keeps a hectic meeting schedule. She sits on, or is affiliated with, no less than 20 boards, councils and committees, including the Brotherhood Crusade, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Watts Labor Community Action Committee and Watts Learning Center.

“She’s my strongest advocate; I love her dearly,” said Eric Lee, executive director of SCLC, who estimates that Mobley has been a member of the SCLC Board of Directors for at least 20 years. “As long as I am serving my people, she is my strongest advocate.”

She enters through the doors at the Lillian Mobley South Central Multipurpose Senior Citizen’s Center by 10 a.m. everyday, and she can be found every Monday chairing her regular weekly education and health commission meetings held at the Center.

“Every Monday you can find her — sick, well, healthy — she is going to have her education and health meetings,” said Brenda Marsh-Mitchell, who along with Mobley, Tillman and others, founded the organization Mothers In Action, a nonprofit that advocates for family and community and mentors young girls.

“She’s always on the road,” Marsh-Mitchell added. “Anything that she can do to make things better for her community, that’s what she does no matter how long it takes.”

Education and health have always been her main focus.

“Education is the life blood. I always encourage kids to stay in school,” Mobley says.

A native of Macon, Ga., Mobley and her husband of 60 years, James Otis Mobley, moved to South Central in 1951. Her activism started when her children began school.

“It started with the PTA, the girl scouts, the camp fire girls. All of the stuff that my kids were involved in growing up,” she said.

Mobley became more entrenched in the community in 1967 when she got involved in the Neighborhood Adult Participation Project, an anti-poverty program designed to provide training and employment opportunities for adults in poor neighborhoods. As a member of the project, she was as a community worker, health and education specialist and center director.

Mobley was elected a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1980, and the following year she was a delegate to the State Conference on Aging.

In 1982, she started the South Central Multipurpose Center, where she and her staff provide an array of services for youth and seniors and referrals to county agencies.

When the 1992 L.A. Riots erupted, the Red Cross only ventured as far as Manual Arts High School, according to Marsh-Mitchell. In response, Mobley and the Mothers In Action got to work, setting up tents and providing three meals a day, housing and health services to the chaotic and crippled community.

“Mrs. Mobley would stay out there 12 to 14 hours a day,” Marsh-Mitchell said. “Mrs. Mobley wasn’t scared.”

Roland Betts, producer of the Jazz At Drew program at Charles Drew University in Los Angeles, has known Mobley since her days as a member of the university’s Community Advisory Board. Mobley and Betts founded the Healthy Agenda 2000 Conference and the Jazz At Drew Health Pavilion.

“Mrs. Mobley has always fought for the poor, for the disenfranchised, for black people,” he said. “All of her activities have been for the betterment of the African American community. She’s been an advocate for the African American poor and the poor in Los Angeles for as long as I have known her.”

Last summer, Mobley added another chapter to the list of services she provides to the community when she launched Grandma’s Hands Los Angeles Birthing Project, a chapter of Birthing Project USA, the national African American maternal and child health program that aims to improve birth outcomes in the black community by helping women during pregnancy and afterward.

Mobley has received numerous awards and special commendations for her commitment to the community.  She has been recognized by the American Lung Association, Compton Unified School District, and the late Congressman Augustus “Gus” Hawkins.

And at 79, and to some of the community’s delight, Mobley has no intention of slowing down.

“I have to keep going,” she said. “If I go and lay down and feel sorry for myself, they might as well call the undertaker. The challenges in life just keep me going. There is still work to be done.”

About Isadore Hall III

Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III was elected in November 2008 to represent the 52nd Assembly District that includes Compton, North Long Beach, Paramount, Rancho Dominguez, South Los Angeles, Watts and Willowbrook. Within days of taking office, Hall was appointed to Speaker Karen Bass’ leadership team and currently serves as Assistant Speaker pro Tempore, the third highest ranking member of the California State Assembly.

Hall currently serves as the Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Child/Adolescent Health and Safety and the Assembly Select Committee on Re-Entry. Hall also serves on the following fiscal and policy committees: Appropriations, Governmental Organization, Health, Human Services and Rules. Additionally, Hall serves on the following Joint and Select Committees: Select Committee on Community Colleges; Select Committee on Domestic Violence; Select Committee on Safety and Protection of At-Risk Communities in California; Select Committee on Regional Approaches to Addressing the State’s Water Crisis and the Joint Committee on Fairs, Allocation and Classification.

In his first term, Hall authored notable legislation and has been an influential and decisive voice on various public policy issues including: addressing the state’s fiscal crisis, job creation, reducing childhood obesity and diabetes, improving public safety, expanding access to education technology and the creation of a sustainable statewide water policy.

In 2009, Hall successfully authored legislation to help build the world’s first ‘green’ professional football stadium. Located in Los Angeles County, the proposed 75,000 seat LEED certified NFL stadium will create over 18,000 jobs and utilize the latest in technology, planning and design to create the most environmentally sustainable athletic stadium complex ever created.

Hall began his career of public service in 2001 when he was elected to the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees. Hall served two terms as President of the Board and oversaw important reforms to attract highly qualified teachers and increase funding to classrooms throughout the district.

In 2003, Hall was elected to the Compton City Council where he served in various leadership positions including Mayor Pro Tem. While on the City Council, Hall oversaw efforts to increase youth access to parks and recreational activities, reduce crime and promote business growth throughout the city. During this time Hall also served on the Metropolitan Water District Board, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments and the Southern California Association of Governments becoming a prominent regional voice for communities throughout southern California.

Hall received a Bachelor of Art’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Arts Degree in Public Administration from National University. Hall is also a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Born and raised in Compton, California, Hall is the youngest of six children.

About Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the US by assets and the third largest bank by market cap. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home mortgage servicing, and debit card. In 2007 it was the only bank in the United States to be rated AAA by S&P.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California (its bank, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., is legally chartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Wells Fargo is a result of an acquisition of California-based Wells Fargo & Co. by Minneapolis-based Norwest Corporation in 1998. The new company chose to keep the name Wells Fargo, to capitalize on the 150-year history of the nationally-recognized Wells Fargo name and its trademark stagecoach. After the merger, the company maintained its headquarters in San Francisco and charter in Sioux Falls.

As of 2009, Wells Fargo has 6,650 retail branches (called stores by Wells Fargo), 12,260 automated teller machines, 276,000 employees and over 48 million customers. Wells Fargo currently operates stores and ATMs under the Wells Fargo and Wachovia names.

Wells Fargo is one of the Big Four banks of the United States with Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase.