LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Two days into Black History Month, Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin is opening the city’s eyes to the contributions that Black Angelenos have made across the city.
“From the days of Biddy Mason to Mayor Tom Bradley and the muralists who beautify our neighborhoods,”Galperin tweeted. “The African American community has done so much to shape Los Angeles.”
Galperin said he created “Black History is L.A. History,” as a public guide that showcases the central role that Black Angelenos have played in the city’s diverse history.
“The influence of African Americans on city government has been profound. L.A.'s longest serving mayor, Tom Bradley, was African American,” Galperin wrote. “The City's first African American council member, Gilbert Lindsay, started working for the City as a janitor before becoming one of its most prominent political leaders.”
While he said the list is not exhaustive of all the important places in the city, it does focus on 15 places that are publicly-owned, designated as historic cultural monuments or recognized as significant in the Black community.
Among them are Calvary Baptist Church of Pacoima, founded in 1955 by Rev. Hillery T. and Rosa L. Broadus — civil rights activists who moved to the San Fernando Valley from Arkansas in the 1940s.
The California African American Museum, founded in 1977, is also on the list. The museum, located in Exposition Park, has more than 4,000 objects representing the influence of African Americans on the history of California and the western United States, according to Galperin.
And perhaps one of the most infamous of all, the Theme Building at LAX is also on the map.
“The UFO-like Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is a modern architectural icon that symbolizes L.A. as one of the youngest and most influential major cities in the world,” Galperin’s map reads.
Theme Building was designed by architectural firm Pereira and Luckman, which included noted African American architect Paul Revere Williams.It was completed in 1961.
To view the remaining 12 locations, visit the map here. To view on a phone or iPad, click here.
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