Guest Opinion | Allen Shay, Mayoral Candidate: Change of Leadership and Accountability With Your Vote

As one of the two mayoral candidates who participated in the 42nd Pasadena Black History Parade and Festival, I want to highlight that it was one of the best and most successful events ever held in Pasadena, particularly in commemorating Jackie Robinson’s number 42.

Based on what I’d witnessed, the community turnout was great. The event started at 8:30 a.m. with a VIP breakfast attended by political dignitaries and celebrities. The festivities continued throughout the day, with various performances and activities, culminating in a final artist’s incredible performance on stage, marking the end of the event at 4:30 pm.

I was present during this entire event and I stayed approximately 40 minutes after the last performance to engage in conversations with the individuals that remained at the park. At approximately 5:10 p.m., I witnessed a fight breaking out. This fight was outside of the park on Hammond Street.

Once I saw police intervening, I walked from Robinson’s Park to the Jackie Robinson Center to get into my car. I drove northbound on Fair Oaks Avenue and noticed a large display of police presence only comparable to a raid or something from the civil rights movement. I pulled over, got out of my vehicle with my studio media camera and started to record while walking over to where the officers were lined up to walk from east to west on Hammond Street.

I identified myself to the police officers and walked in front of them to evaluate the situation, while interacting with the police, I continued to record. There were only two individuals on the street as police were making their demands to clear the street. One individual stepped behind the fenced-in area around the King Manor apartment complex. The only individual in the street who was demanding that police disband was Jasmine Abdullah Richards of Pasadena’s Black Lives Matter.

Approximately 18 minutes of videotaping the situation, I made two requests of the police sergeant to disband. After my second request, he ordered the officers to stand down, prompting them to retreat to their vehicles and depart from the scene.

I left the scene at approximately 5:45 p.m.; the incident was completely independent and was not associated with the Black History Parade and Festival. The festival had ended approximately 45 minutes before the fight incident took place and the entire incident was over within 30 minutes after the initial fight. 

I have approximately 3 minutes of footage of the fight showing police officers present. The video footage shows about five to six individuals throwing a punch resulting in injuries of two people. Following this, the officers ordered the crowd of approximately 30 to 40 people to disperse.

In conclusion, the lesson to take away from this is that having good leadership in our city is imperative. It’s crucial that this leadership is upheld by individuals who are respectful and conscious-minded. This ensures that accurate and fair reporting is made to the public, preventing unfair reporting or misrepresentation of stereotypes of events. 

This is why I believe a change of leadership is crucial for Pasadena’s future. 

I urge everyone to cast their vote for Allen Shay for Mayor of Pasadena on March 5th, 2024 to have a true voice for the future with long-term goals for Pasadena.

Allen Shay, Candidate for Mayor of Pasadena 2024