By Vincent Lim
Speaking at the first Advocates for African American Elders public event held in February, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said she believes her job is to fight for the care and support of seniors, especially on the issues of Alzheimer’s disease, elder abuse, housing and quality health care. She also congratulated the similarly focused advocacy group on its outreach to the African-American community to ensure a decent quality of life for all seniors.
The event was organized to introduce the broader community to the work of Advocates for African American Elders and to honor Waters’ legacy of service and advocacy on behalf of older adults.
Associate Professor Karen Lincoln created Advocates for African American Elders, which is affiliated with the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the USC School of Social Work, to help older African-Americans in Los Angeles advocate for their health and mental health needs and improve the delivery of health services for African-American communities.
Membership includes leaders from the USC Roybal Institute, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Pacific Clinics, Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, the Ward Economic Development Corp., California Senior Leaders and Alliance, and local churches.
“Living in Los Angeles for only five years, I noticed a lack of a visible, organized body that highlighted issues most relevant to our African-American seniors,” said Lincoln, the group’s founder and chair. “Our seniors were not the focus of local conversations despite the fact that African-Americans have had a powerful impact on the development of Los Angeles—from being part of the first settlers in 1781 to the present day.”