Obituaries : James Taylor Jr.; Watts Community Activist

James Taylor Jr., 64, an accountant who became a community activist in Watts after the 1965 riots. Taylor served as the first director of the Mafundi Institute, named for the Swahili word for “artisan,” a performing arts organization for inner-city youth that functioned for a few years after the Watts riots. In 1966, Taylor was principal organizer of the Watts United Credit Union and served as its chief executive officer until he became ill. He was a firm believer in economic development as the solution to crime and other problems of the inner city and helped small businesses get loans despite credit risks. Taylor also was active in the Watts Chamber of Commerce and the Watts Towers Project and a pioneer in developing the “Food for All” program. On Dec. 26 in Torrance of cancer.