Ted Hayes
Encyclopedia
Theodore "Ted" Hayes, Jr. is an American
advocate
for the homeless
and an activist
.
Hayes' activism began in January 1985, when Justiceville
, a community of homeless people in Los Angeles
, was founded. It survived for five months, until authorities moved to shut down the shantytown. When they did, Hayes entered 35-day fast
in protest
. In 1987, with producer Tom Bolema and the Butchers, he recorded "Ted's Rap: Justiceville" about the bulldozing of the encampment.
In 1993 he founded Dome Village
, a Los Angeles homeless facility consisting of geodesic dome
s designed by architect
Craig Chamberlain and funded by ARCO
. During the same year, he ran for mayor of Los Angeles during the primary election, receiving 0.63% of the vote. In the mid-1990s, he organized a youth- and homeless cricket
team that toured Ireland
and England
and inspired an opera
. He has served as president of the Los Angeles Social Cricket Alliance.
At the 2000 Democratic National Convention
, Hayes, who was leading a contingent of homelessness activists, was shot with a rubber bullet by police.
In 2001 he ran unsuccessfully for the Los Angeles City Council seat of the 9th district, receiving 5.3% of the vote. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, he was criticized by Muslim
leaders for his role in persuading the Los Angeles City Council
to pass a resolution demanding that Muslims take a stronger stance against global terrorism
. Recently, he has become a vocal critic of illegal immigration to the United States
, joining the Minutemen Project at protests and staging his own. There was an altercation at an anti-illegal immigration rally at Leimert Park organized by Hayes.
He has founded several organizations, including the Black Elephants, a group of Black Republicans, and the Crispus Attucks
Brigade, an African-American anti-illegal immigration group. The Crispus Attucks Brigade, is named for an African American man who was the first victim of the Boston Massacre
. He is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization United American Committee
, which educates Americans on the dangers of Islamism.
Hayes is a supporter of President
George W. Bush
's foreign policy. He is also critical of critics of Black Republicans, who he says are "vigorously vilified by Democrats
".
The self-proclaimed Western or American "Gandhi", Hayes is known for being a colorful character, often sporting long flowing coats and wearing American flags as part of his dress, and a yarmulke. He is also known for being an advanced inline skater, rollerblading through skid row and Venice Beach. In 2008, Hayes became the Republican Congressional nominee against incumbent Maxine Waters
in California's 35th congressional district
. He lost that election, with 13% compared to 84% for Maxine Waters. However, he got more than ten times the votes per dollar of campaign expenditure as Waters did.
Featured in several award winning documentaries about homelessness and Cricket, Hayes has also occasionally appeared in Hollywood productions, including a role as himself in the 2000
film Pharaoh's Streets , as well as a homeless person on the sitcom 227
.
His daughter Joanna Hayes
is an Olympic
gold medal
ist, and his son Theo is the co-coach of the cricket team.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
advocate
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
for the homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
and an activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
Hayes' activism began in January 1985, when Justiceville
Justiceville
"Justiceville" is the name of a homeless encampment that existed in downtown Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. Gary Glaser produced a video that documented the rise of Justiceville to its ultimate bulldozing...
, a community of homeless people in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, was founded. It survived for five months, until authorities moved to shut down the shantytown. When they did, Hayes entered 35-day fast
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
. In 1987, with producer Tom Bolema and the Butchers, he recorded "Ted's Rap: Justiceville" about the bulldozing of the encampment.
In 1993 he founded Dome Village
Dome Village
Dome Village was a self-governing community of "people unable or [...] unwilling to live in traditional [homeless] shelters". Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the complex consisted of 20 geodesic domes and was inhabited by "up to 34 individuals and their family members"...
, a Los Angeles homeless facility consisting of geodesic dome
Geodesic dome
A geodesic dome is a spherical or partial-spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a network of great circles on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the structure. When...
s designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Craig Chamberlain and funded by ARCO
ARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
. During the same year, he ran for mayor of Los Angeles during the primary election, receiving 0.63% of the vote. In the mid-1990s, he organized a youth- and homeless cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team that toured Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and inspired an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. He has served as president of the Los Angeles Social Cricket Alliance.
At the 2000 Democratic National Convention
2000 Democratic National Convention
The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore as its candidate for President and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as its candidate for Vice President. The convention was held at...
, Hayes, who was leading a contingent of homelessness activists, was shot with a rubber bullet by police.
In 2001 he ran unsuccessfully for the Los Angeles City Council seat of the 9th district, receiving 5.3% of the vote. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, he was criticized by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
leaders for his role in persuading the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
to pass a resolution demanding that Muslims take a stronger stance against global terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
. Recently, he has become a vocal critic of illegal immigration to the United States
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
, joining the Minutemen Project at protests and staging his own. There was an altercation at an anti-illegal immigration rally at Leimert Park organized by Hayes.
He has founded several organizations, including the Black Elephants, a group of Black Republicans, and the Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks was a dockworker of Wampanoag and African descent. He was the first person shot to death by British redcoats during the Boston Massacre, in Boston, Massachusetts...
Brigade, an African-American anti-illegal immigration group. The Crispus Attucks Brigade, is named for an African American man who was the first victim of the Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre, called the Boston Riot by the British, was an incident on March 5, 1770, in which British Army soldiers killed five civilian men. British troops had been stationed in Boston, capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, since 1768 in order to protect and support...
. He is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization United American Committee
United American Committee
The United American Committee is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501c organization dedicated to educating the nation about the current threats that they believe are confronting the U.S., with the primarily focus on confronting Islamic extremism...
, which educates Americans on the dangers of Islamism.
Hayes is a supporter of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's foreign policy. He is also critical of critics of Black Republicans, who he says are "vigorously vilified by Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
".
The self-proclaimed Western or American "Gandhi", Hayes is known for being a colorful character, often sporting long flowing coats and wearing American flags as part of his dress, and a yarmulke. He is also known for being an advanced inline skater, rollerblading through skid row and Venice Beach. In 2008, Hayes became the Republican Congressional nominee against incumbent Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 29th district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
in California's 35th congressional district
California's 35th congressional district
California's 35th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district is composed of parts of the Westchester District of the City of Los Angeles and the neighborhoods of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena and Florence-Graham, as...
. He lost that election, with 13% compared to 84% for Maxine Waters. However, he got more than ten times the votes per dollar of campaign expenditure as Waters did.
Featured in several award winning documentaries about homelessness and Cricket, Hayes has also occasionally appeared in Hollywood productions, including a role as himself in the 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
film Pharaoh's Streets , as well as a homeless person on the sitcom 227
227 (TV series)
227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins...
.
His daughter Joanna Hayes
Joanna Hayes
Joanna Dove Hayes is an American hurdler, who won the gold medal in the 100 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics....
is an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist, and his son Theo is the co-coach of the cricket team.