Maná, known as one of the most influential Latin rock bands, will make a donation to the L.A. Street Vendor Campaign and the Community Power Collective to help street vendors purchase Los Angeles County Department of Public Health-approved carts.
The award-winning band recently collaborated with Ernesto Yerena, an L.A. artist and activist, to create a limited edition screen print featuring the band. Maná and Yerena will donate all of the money earned from sales to the two organizations.
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“Everywhere we go, Maná will continue to support our people and their dreams,” said Fher Olvera, lead singer of Maná in a statement. “We are proud to support Los Angeles food vendors by helping with the development of these carts that we hope will allow them to work, share our culture and support their families with dignity and without fear of being criminalized.”
The vendor-led campaign to legalize street food began in 2008. A group of women in Boyle Heights started speaking about the harassment that street vendors were facing. After years of protests and conversations at city council meetings, street vending was made legal at the state and city level.
In 2020, L.A. handed out its first vending permit.
Even after the legalization, only about 204 of the estimated 10,000 vendors across the city’s sidewalks have received permits, according to the Department of Public Works.
The Community Power Collective is a founding member of the L.A. Street Vendor Campaign and the California Street Vendor Campaign. These organizations work to ensure equal protection for street vendors, as well as provide legal protection and serve as a resource hub and advocate for economic justice.
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Maná will be performing sold-out shows at the Forum in Inglewood on Friday and Saturday as part of their historic residency. They are the first group to have an arena residency in L.A.
With their recent cover of “Amor Clandestino” with Eden Muñoz, the group was No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart.
The Community Power Collective is leading the partnership with Maná and is also working alongside L.A. County members and manufacturers to develop the carts for the vendors.
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