The city of Los Angeles and the Getty Conservation Institute are teaming up to protect and honor culturally significant sites throughout L.A. related to the African American community. Currently only 3 percent of some 1,200 local landmark designations are connected to African American heritage.
“There’s much work to be done to rectify that disparity and ensure that the heritage of African Americans in Los Angeles is fully woven into our historic designation, and recognition of historic places in Los Angeles,” Ken Bernstein, principal city planner and manager of the office, told the L.A. Times.
Using the the 2018 African American History of Los Angeles context statement as foundation, potential sites will be evaluated using nine themes: deed restriction and segregation; commercial development; civil rights; religion and spirituality; social clubs and organizations; health and medicine; entertainment industry; and visual arts.
Officials connected with the project hope to showcase the lesser-known and under-recognized heritage of African Americans in L.A.—such as the influential Holman United Methodist church seen above—as well as reconnect with communities to more closely examine the African American heritage of the city.