The California African American Political and Economic Institute (CAAPEI), which is housed on the CSUDH campus, supported by the school but is also an independent state-chartered organization, was host of a candidate’s forum, which would have for the first time brought together all 11 of those campaigning for the office, said director David Horne.
“We had mentioned to the president and the provost a few months ago that this (the forum) was part of what we were gong to do this year,” explained Horne. “Then we only heard from the (governmental affairs office) that they were planning on doing a similar program, after we had notified the university that although we were doing our own publicity we expected publicity from them as well.”
That was about three weeks ago, and that’s when Horne first learned of the forum planned May 9 by the university government affairs office.
“We sat down and talked, I had agreed to back off the program we were doing in order to be cooperative so that we could do it together.,” Horne said adding that he requested a firm date and facility.
The CAAPEI director said that did not come, and consequently he continued on with the activities for his April 26 event.
And this is where the confusion comes in. David Gamboa, director Government and Community Relations, contacted the offices of Councilman Bernard Parks and Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas to inform them that the April 26 event was not an officially university-hosted event.
Representatives for the two campaigns say they got the message that the first event was canceled, and as a result Parks, Ridley-Thomas and four other candidates did not go to the CAAPEI forum.
“At one point we had eight candidates confirmed, and we were waiting on confirmation from Mark and Bernard. I had already talked to both of them, and as far as I knew they were coming,” Horne said of the CAAPEI forum.