SOUTH LOS ANGELES — California is moving forward with plans to create a black cultural district in South Los Angeles, backed by $3 million in state funding secured by state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles.
The proposed district would honor neighborhoods such as the Crenshaw Corridor, Leimert Park and historic Central Avenue — long considered pillars of Black arts, culture and civic life in Los Angeles. Supporters say the designation will help preserve the legacy of one of the state’s largest Black communities amid ongoing pressures from gentrification, displacement and disinvestment.
“This is about uplifting the powerful narrative of Black people in California’s history,” said Karen Mack, executive director of LA Commons, the nonprofit leading the effort. “Everyone has a story to tell, and these stories help build belonging and connection.”
The funding will go toward public art installations, cultural markers and monuments that celebrate Black life and creativity in South Los Angeles. The proposal will be submitted to the California Arts Council, the state body responsible for granting official cultural district status.
Sen. Smallwood-Cuevas said the effort is about more than recognition — it’s about resilience.
“Without formal efforts like this, our history remains vulnerable,” she said. “I am proud to lead the charge to ensure our communities are seen, celebrated, and protected.”
LA Commons also released a report summarizing early community feedback and design ideas for the district. The vision includes contributions from local artists, architects and historians who hope to see the neighborhood’s cultural story reflected in everything from murals and walking tours to permanent monuments.
To mark the launch of the initiative, LA Commons will host its annual Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks June 29 in Leimert Park. The celebration features African diaspora art, music, performance, and ceremonial offerings. Smallwood-Cuevas is scheduled to make a special appearance.
Over the years, Leimert Park has become the cultural center for the Black community in Los Angeles. That distinction once belonged to Central Avenue, which was the cultural epicenter of the Black community from the 1920s through the 1940s.
Crenshaw Boulevard has become the main north-south thoroughfare for the Black community.
The push for cultural preservation comes amid what organizers describe as a growing national trend of Black historical erasure. A press statement from Smallwood-Cuevas’s office cited recent developments including the removal of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s bust from the White House, cuts to diversity programming at the Smithsonian and the downplaying of Juneteenth by federal officials.
“These developments not only endanger historical truth but threaten the civic identity of entire communities,” the statement said.
California has seen its own share of challenges. In Oakland, a mural of King was recently painted over without community input. Efforts to expand ethnic studies curricula have met political resistance. And in some jurisdictions, funding for institutions like the California African American Museum has been deprioritized.
Against that backdrop, supporters see the proposed South L.A. cultural district as a model. While the designation is local, organizers hope it can serve as a blueprint for other regions.
“This isn’t just about one neighborhood,” Mack said. “It’s part of a statewide and national movement to ensure Black stories remain visible and central to our shared future.”
The California Arts Council is expected to consider the application later this year.
Stephen Oduntan is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers.
