The Alliance for a Better Community was formed through strong leadership that continues to be one of its greatest strengths and its foundation for success.
In the mid-1990s, a group of Latina/o civic and business leaders came together regularly and informally to address the many challenges confronting Los Angeles’ Latina/o community. For several years, the group, self-identified as the “Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club,” addressed a variety of regional matters through their personal and organizational networks and resources. While they were successful in redressing many of the various policy challenges they tackled, they ultimately decided L.A.’s Latina/o policy and advocacy vacuum necessitated the formation of an organization to serve as a voice of Latina/o interests. They created ABC to promote a pro-active Latina/o agenda within City Hall, the County, LA Unified, the media and other public or influential entities to respond to the needs of the region’s largest and fastest growing population. Many of the initial Breakfast Club leaders became ABC’s founding board members and to this day remain active in ABC’s current advocacy initiatives.
ABC was founded by Ed Avila, Maria Casillas, Linda Griego, Antonia Hernández, Monica Lozano, Angela Sanbrano, Raul Salinas, Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil, and Arturo Vargas. The late Antonio Gonzalez, Jorge Jackson, and Frank Quevedo were also among the organization’s founding members, whose leadership and vision laid the groundwork for ABC’s ongoing commitment to advancing equity and justice in Los Angeles.
This timeline highlights the milestones, advocacy wins, and community-driven initiatives that have shaped our journey—and continue to inspire our vision for a more just and inclusive future.
Created for ABC’s 25th anniversary, this video brings together voices from across our history — founders, team members, community leaders, and partner organizations. Through their reflections, we celebrate the power of alliance, the impact of our collective work, and a shared vision for a stronger, more equitable future.
Historical News Archive
Education Wins in L.A
In the 1990s, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), with strong support from ABC and the community, reclaimed the historic Ambassador Hotel site—blocking Donald Trump’s plan for a luxury tower and creating the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, a flagship K–12 campus serving thousands of students. This hard-fought victory became a milestone for public education in Los Angeles.
But the impact didn’t stop there. ABC’s advocacy went on to transform more sites across the city, including the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center (formerly the Belmont Learning Center) and Vista Hermosa Park. These projects added thousands of new schools and green spaces in some of LA’s most densely populated neighborhoods. What could have been another commercial development instead became a lasting legacy of public education and community empowerment.
To learn more about this historic milestone, read the articles below.
In at least one huge deal in L.A., Trump got schooled