By Edward Henderson | California Black Media
Representing the 28th Senate District, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) brings a lifelong commitment to working families, shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of a single mother who was a military veteran and a registered nurse.
After earning her communications degree from California State University Hayward (now known as CSU, East Bay), Smallwood-Cuevas began her career as a journalist telling the stories of working people—an experience that drew her into the labor movement and her first union role with the Newspaper Guild.
Since being elected to the California State Senate, Smallwood-Cuevas has made it her mission to champion legislation that strengthens worker protections, expands access to justice, and uplifts historically marginalized communities.
California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Smallwood-Cuevas about her successes and disappointments this year, as well as her goals for 2026.
What stands out to you as your most important accomplishment this year?
I’m proud of how we fought back against the Trump Administration’s attacks, especially on the budget, and strengthened protections for workers while fortifying the cultural power of Black Los Angeles. Workers’ rights remained central in my bill package because my background in organizing taught me a simple truth: when workers do well, communities do well. With SB 464, I fought wage discrimination. With SB 648, I strengthened accountability for wage theft and ensured statewide distribution of worker-rights information by establishing the California Worker Outreach Project in law.
I also moved forward with the creation of California’s first Black cultural district in South LA. Amid gentrification, this district will protect cultural assets and bring resources as Los Angeles prepares for the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games. Establishing a Black cultural district in the face of federal hostility is a victory I’m deeply proud of—a model for how tourism can uplift communities.
How did your leadership efforts and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians specifically this year?
We must name the disparities Black communities face—higher homelessness, incarceration, and health incidents. During the budget fight, when the governor proposed zero dollars for homelessness, I pushed hard. We secured $500 million for homelessness response, reinstated $1 billion for supportive programs, and added another $500 million for affordable housing.
In areas like Baldwin Hills, our wildfire belt, I fought for prevention investments, especially after devastating fires in nearby communities. We also secured $750 million for the film and television tax credit, and I became the first to mandate job-tracking by ZIP code to ensure Black communities benefit from the industry’s growth.
What frustrated you most this year?
Our people are under attack. Racial profiling is creeping back into federal policy. Crime is being weaponized to justify disproportionate incarceration—even though crime rates are at historic lows.
But what frustrated me most was how quickly diversity, equity, and inclusion were rolled back through federal orders and preemptive action by corporations and foundations. Many erased the words Black or people of color from their mission statements before they were even required to. Watching society retreat from the gains forged through generations of civil rights struggles and through movements like Black Lives Matter was deeply painful.
What has been your greatest inspiration this year?
Our resilience. California does not stay down. The movement around Proposition 50 was incredibly inspiring. I saw unity across Black California. Grassroots leaders, party leaders, neighborhood groups all aligned. We educated voters, registered new ones, and made clear why standing up against fascism is a civil-rights fight. Black men in LA County voted 91% in favor; Black women, as always, held strong at around 90%. That unity helped secure victory statewide and fueled the national blue wave.
What is one lesson you’ve learned this year that will guide your decision-making next year?
Black California is resilient and brilliant. We are stronger than our opposition. And the lesson echoes Dr. King: “Organize, baby, organize.” We must build coalitions across local, county, and state levels. When we move together with one vision, protecting our gains, centering our children, and demanding equity—we win.
Next year will require strategy. It will be a brutal budget year, and federal cuts will target Medi-Cal, food benefits, DEI programs, and minority-owned businesses. We must push the state to backfill what’s dismantled.
In one word, what is the biggest challenge facing Black Californians?
Visibility. Visibility is power. We must be present—in rooms, on boards, in media, in headlines. We cannot retreat from Black identity.
What is the goal you most hope to achieve in 2026?
Economic stability. When California enters a recession, Black communities enter a depression. My goal is to advance policies that create real economic opportunity through safety-net protections, contract access, and targeted local hiring for quality jobs. We must pursue and win an economic-justice agenda that stabilizes our communities now and positions us for mobility as we move beyond this political crisis.
