What places tell the story of Black Los Angeles?
A longtime neighborhood business? A church that became a gathering place? A barbershop, music venue, home, restaurant, community center or seemingly ordinary building that holds generations of memories?
Black Angelenos have an opportunity to help make sure those places and stories become part of Los Angeles’ official historic record.
African American Historic Places, Los Angeles is holding a Crenshaw Community Talkback on Saturday, October 10, inviting residents to share the neighborhood histories, cultural landmarks and lived experiences that have shaped Black life in Los Angeles.
The stories collected during the community sessions will help inform an update to the city’s African American History of Los Angeles Historic Context Statement.
Why Community Voices Matter
Los Angeles has a rich Black history, but much of it has historically been underrepresented within traditional historic preservation programs.
As of June 2025, only about 4 percent of Los Angeles’ more than 1,300 locally designated Historic-Cultural Monuments reflected associations with Black history, according to Los Angeles City Planning.
The African American Historic Places, Los Angeles initiative is working to change that.
The partnership between Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources and Getty seeks to identify, protect, conserve and celebrate places connected to the city’s African American heritage.
An important part of that process is listening to the people who actually know the neighborhoods.
Your Memories Can Help Document Black LA
Historic preservation isn’t limited to famous buildings or nationally known figures.
Places can be important because of what happened there, the people who gathered there, the businesses that served a neighborhood or the role a location played in everyday community life.
During the Crenshaw session, participants will be able to share memories, identify culturally significant locations and contribute stories that might otherwise never become part of the city’s documented history.
The October 10 gathering follows community sessions held in Watts and Leimert Park/South Los Angeles.
For longtime Black Angelenos in particular, this is an opportunity to contribute firsthand knowledge before people, businesses, buildings and neighborhood memories disappear.
Crenshaw Community Talkback
When: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 2–5 p.m.
Where: Museum of African American Art, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 283, Los Angeles
Can’t attend? Los Angeles City Planning also has an online community survey where residents can identify African American places that they believe deserve greater awareness or protection.
Learn more: African American Historic Places, Los Angeles and Crenshaw Community Talkback registration.
