'Great 9th' may lose more of its African American political clout

In 1963, Gilbert Lindsay was chosen to fill a seat in South L.A.'s 9th District and a black power base took root. Now, a big demographic shift could upend the political landscape.

Los Angeles reached a benchmark half a century ago when the City Council's first African American was appointed to represent the area then known as South Central.

Gilbert Lindsay, a former cotton field worker and city janitor, was chosen in 1963 to fill a vacant seat in the 9th Council District, which covered part of South Los Angeles. The appointment helped make "The Great 9th," as Lindsay took to calling it, a hub of black political clout. (Read more here.)

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CityWatch

2-26-13