How South (Central) L.A. Is Forging Its Future

Where Movements and Place Make the People and Their Dreams

Under the shade of Mercado La Paloma’s gold medallion trees, some 200 masked guests gathered to take part in Zócalo Public Square’s long-awaited return to in-person programming.

The open-air event, which also streamed live online, was produced in partnership with Esperanza Community Housing’s South Central Innervisions: An AfroLatinxFuturism, a free multidisciplinary arts festival being held at the mercado, a marketplace and community center in the Figueroa Corridor, this Saturday.

The question of the evening—“Is South L.A. Forging a New American Identity?”—offered a dynamic look at how place-based identity can build bonds of …

by Jackie Mansky | July 28, 2021

The Secret to South L.A.’s Success Is That It Loves Itself

Local Leaders Discuss Protecting the Community’s Rich Past and Promoting Its Bright Future

By Sara Catania | July 14, 2016

It’s one thing to put in the hard work to improve a community, but when do you declare success?

In long-maligned South Los Angeles, that time is now, said a panel …

Prop. 47 Has the Power to Transform South L.A., If More People Used It

By Reclassifying or Expunging Prior Convictions, Many Californians Could Gain Opportunities

By Gilbert Johnson | July 7, 2016

One way to help transform South L.A.—and communities across California—would be for people to use the new power they have under Proposition 47 to expunge or reduce the felony convictions …

Stress, Pregnancy, and Grief Shouldn’t Limit Success in School

Long Beach Is a Tough Place to Live, So I Want to Bring Health Care to My Fellow Students

Jocelyn Ly | December 4, 2015

In the next few weeks, a wellness center will open at Long Beach’s Roosevelt Elementary School, right across the street from Polytechnic High School. The center will have special hours …

Katy Perry’s Not the Only One Who Wants to Live in a Convent

Repurposing Religious Buildings Should Be Done With Sensitivity and Purpose

By Megan Sweas | July 22, 2015

I moved into a convent 10 years ago this summer.

My roommates were not Catholic sisters, but other recent college graduates, who sometimes acted a little too much as if …

When Santa Monica Was Still Oshkosh By the Sea

In 1973, Real Estate and Business Interests Ran the City. My Fellow Activists and I Helped Change That.

by Ernie Powell | June 20, 2013

I can’t think of a song about an apartment. Nor can I recall a single poem or novel about one. (I do remember a great little movie many years ago …

community organizing