Robert C. Farrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert C. Farrell
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Farrell in 2012
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| Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 8th District | |
| In office June 28, 1974 – June 30, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Billy G. Mills |
| Succeeded by | Mark Ridley-Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1, 1936 Natchez, Mississippi |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
Robert C. Farrell (born October 1, 1936) is a politician who served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1974 to 1991. Before becoming a politician, he worked as a journalist and ran his own newspaper.
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About Robert Farrell
Robert Farrell was born on October 1, 1936, in Natchez, Mississippi. His family moved to different cities like New Orleans and Newark, New Jersey, before settling in Los Angeles. He went to Los Angeles High School and graduated in 1954.
After high school, he joined the Navy. In 1956, he became a midshipman. The Navy gave him a scholarship to study at UCLA, where he earned a degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1961. He later returned to UCLA in 1962 to study journalism.
His Work as a Journalist
Farrell started his career as a reporter for newspapers that focused on the Black community, like the California Eagle and the Los Angeles Sentinel. He also wrote for Jet magazine. In 1966, he started his own newspaper in Watts called the Star-Review. He also helped with a UCLA study about job problems in South Los Angeles.
His Family Life
Robert Farrell has been married three times. He married Willie Mae Reese in 1965, and they had one daughter named Mia Ann Farrell. They later divorced. He then married Essiebea L. Hayes, and they had a daughter named Kongit Arlicekathinia Farrell. They also divorced. Robert Farrell is now married to Windy Barnes-Farrell.
His Political Career
Robert Farrell first got involved in politics during the 1964 presidential election campaign for Johnson-Humphrey. In 1970, he helped with John Tunney's campaign for the U.S. Senate. He also worked for George McGovern's presidential campaign in 1971. Later, he helped with Tom Bradley's campaigns to become mayor.
Serving on the City Council
Becoming a Council Member
Farrell worked as an assistant to 8th District City Councilman Billy G. Mills. When Mills became a judge in 1974, Farrell was elected to take his place. The 8th District was in South-Central Los Angeles. It faced big challenges like crime, unemployment, and housing issues.
Farrell served on the City Council for 17 years. People tried to remove him from office in a special vote called a recall election in 1978. They complained about dirty streets and a comment he made about senior citizens. But Farrell won the vote and stayed in office. Another recall attempt happened in 1988, but it failed because not enough people signed the petition.
His Views and Actions
Belief in Government Help
Farrell was known for being a "liberal." This means he believed the government should play an active role in solving problems. He thought the government should step in to help people and communities.
Fighting Apartheid
Farrell strongly spoke out against Apartheid in South Africa during the 1980s. Apartheid was a system of unfair racial separation. He supported Nelson Mandela's fight for freedom. Farrell also pushed for Los Angeles to stop doing business with companies that worked in Apartheid South Africa. When this rule passed, he felt proud of the city. Archbishop Desmond Tutu thanked him for his efforts. In 1986, Farrell traveled to Africa with Rev. Jesse Jackson to encourage an end to Apartheid.
Other Important Issues
- Water Fluoridation: In 1974, Farrell was among the council members who voted to add fluoride to the city's water supply. This helps prevent tooth decay.
- Housing: He believed it was important to improve existing homes rather than just building new ones. He said, "What we can count on is what we can see and what we can touch."
- Middle East: In 1984, Farrell visited Israel. He warned that if a group of African-American immigrants, known as the Black Hebrew Israelites, were forced to leave, it would upset Black communities in America and hurt Israel's image. In 1988, he visited Saudi Arabia with other U.S. mayors.
- Development: Farrell supported building a shopping center in North University Park, even though some residents were against it. They worried it would destroy old homes. Farrell said he had received money from the developers for his campaigns over the years, but he denied that it affected his decision.
Questions Raised
In 1987, a newspaper published stories that raised questions about how Robert Farrell handled some public benefits. These stories focused on a social service agency run by his wife at the time, Essiebea.
The newspaper reported that Farrell helped his wife's agency, the Improvement Association of the Eighth District (IAED), receive a gift of property from a bank. The bank had originally planned to give the property to the city. Farrell then arranged for the city to rent this same property from IAED for his office. City officials later said Farrell did not tell them that the lease was with his wife's agency. The city paid rent for the building and a parking lot. The newspaper also found that IAED sold the parking lot but continued to receive rent from the city for it for a while. IAED later paid the city back for this.
Other public funds also went to IAED, including a grant approved by the City Council. Farrell was in charge of the council's grants committee at the time. He also hired some of his wife's relatives and his daughter to work for City Hall for different periods. He also sent some of his campaign money to IAED. Farrell said there was "no scheme" and that it would be "foolish" to do anything wrong.
During this time, some people tried to recall Farrell from office. The District Attorney's office looked into the matter. In February 1991, the investigation was closed, and no charges were filed. The District Attorney's office stated they determine if laws are broken, but it is up to others to make moral judgments.
State Assembly Race
In 1990, Robert Farrell ran for a seat in the California State Assembly but lost to Marguerite Archie-Hudson.
