Marqueece Harris-Dawson is the executive director of the Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization that started up in 1990 to address the crack epidemic that hit one of America's most brutal urban areas, South Los Angeles.  Since then Harris-Dawson has helped lead the coalition to tackle a variety of other problems affecting what many of us around the world only know as "the hood," and the results are in.

Most recently the Community Coalition endorsed a landmark public health rule in L.A.--a ban on new fast food restaurants in poor neighborhoods.  The goal was to entice healthier restaurants into the areas, of which have seen the damage of profiting fast-food chains run amok.  According to the Guardian, "nearly one-third of residents in the city's south are obese, compared with 19% for the overall Los Angeles area and 14% in the wealthier west side area."

Harris-Dawson told the Washington Post, "There's one set of food for one part of the city, another set of food for another part of the city, and it's very stratified that way."

Some of the obvious criticism against the rule says it could put a further financial strain on the neighborhoods' wallets, but the Community Coalition reasons that that the fast-food industry is part of the reason for financial struggle to begin with.  With less, cheap, unhealthy food around, it encourages families to ban together and shop for groceries if nothing else (which is cheaper in the long run anyway).  More families could spend time together this way, encouraging some much needed unity in the communities.  

The ruling is a landmark precisely because it is so radical, which Harris-Dawson and the Community Coalition realize is completely necessary against the stark back-drop of the South L.A.

Similarly the coalition has also helped cut back alcohol-related problems affecting the area by preventing the building of over 150 liquor stores destroyed in the 1992 civil unrest.  They also helped reduce the over-saturation of alcohol and tobacco advertising in the region by leading a youth campaign to design their own ads.  South LA schools pressured a major billboard company to pay for replacing offensive targeting billboards with 120 new ones displaying anti-drug ads designed by teens.   

Leadership qualities exemplified by Marqueece Harris-Dawson show social improvement is definitely attainable, even in the most seemingly hopeless neighborhoods.  The Community Coalition's website displays a full list of accomplishments, as well as updates on the most current issues.  

Harris-Dawson also held a lengthy, thoughtful discussion on the subject of foster parenting in L.A. County, which can be read here.  Even if you live thousands of miles away from the problems facing south L.A., the man can serve as an inspiration in the leadership qualities we all need to make this a better world to live in.