Edward James Olmos Nominated to City Human Relations Panel

Actor Edward James Olmos has been nominated to the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission, lending a higher profile to a little-known group seeking to ease the city’s racial strife.

Mayor Tom Bradley’s nomination, which has been languishing in committee for months, will become effective if it is approved by the City Council this month. The next mayor, who will take office July 1, will have to decide whether to keep Olmos in the post.

Olmos, who starred in the gang movie “American Me” and portrayed acclaimed teacher Jaime Escalante in “Stand and Deliver,” led a brigade of residents into the streets to clean up after last year’s riots and afterward toyed with the idea of running for mayor. He will join a social worker, an attorney, a retired high school principal and others on the nine-member commission.

Ron Wakabayashi, executive director of the Human Relations Commission, said Olmos’ fame “can help publicize human relations in this city.”

Olmos is not the first celebrity appointed to a local government position. Actor George Takei, who played Sulu in the original “Star Trek” series, served on the board of the Southern California Rapid Transit District from 1973 to 1984.