Political Gumbo: Dear John

On Thursday, text messages and phone calls began flooding into Pasadena Now that District 3 Councilmember John Kennedy had died.

Unfortunately, I knew almost right away the rumors were true.

John and I spoke about a week ago and I could tell he was going through something.

We talked about getting together and he said “Some things have to improve first.”

That was pretty much the gist of the conversation.

The loss is a huge tragedy for the city, and his family has every one of my condolences.

A Pasadena product, John knew everybody worth knowing from here to parts unknown.

John lived a life of service.

The youngest Pasadena NAACP president, class president at Blair, student senator at the University of Southern California, where he received dual degrees in International Relations and Economics, and he earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Howard University School of Law.

It was no shock when he eventually eyed a City Council seat after Chris Holden decided to move on to the State Assembly.

I conducted the one-on-one with John when he came to the old PW office on Delacey Avenue for an endorsement, back when the paper did that kind of thing.

He was likeable, polite, well spoken and smooth.

And then we endorsed the other guy.

Kennedy did not sweat it at all. Others called the office demanding to know why they didn’t get the endorsement.

John didn’t trip at all.

He went out and won the election, and once he saw he had it in the bag he called me on my cell phone to thank me for the election coverage and gave me a quote.

Classy.

Once he got on council, it was not easy for him. John let it be known during the campaign he wanted police oversight.

At that point, no other councilmembers were even considering a conversation about civilian oversight.

When Jacque Robinson led Public Safety there weren’t even enough committee votes to bring oversight to the full council for a robust conversation.

But John hung in there and after the George Floyd incident the attitude of his colleagues began to change.

John and then-Mayor Terry Tornek eventually led the way as an oversight commission became a reality.

Before that he had already pushed for body worn cameras in the Pasadena Police Department.

Later it was John that helped establish Dakar-Plateau, Senegal as Pasadena’s first African Sister City.

But what I will miss the most are the phone calls.

If he felt like we got it wrong, he spoke up with no ill will.

Although sometimes he felt picked on.

When he liked it he said it.

He was terribly human and wanted to be respected, and that’s something he earned.

Rest easy John J.