Damn this is excellent, the way the narrative shifts from colonial Pico to post-War jazz to the riots shows just how continuous Black placemaking has been even through massive upheval. I grew up around the midwest and the way LA's Black infrastructure like the Dunbar hotel could be self-finaced is wild in comparison. That detail about Central Avenue's jazz scene attacting so many greats really underscores how essential cultural production was to that comunity.
Damn this is excellent, the way the narrative shifts from colonial Pico to post-War jazz to the riots shows just how continuous Black placemaking has been even through massive upheval. I grew up around the midwest and the way LA's Black infrastructure like the Dunbar hotel could be self-finaced is wild in comparison. That detail about Central Avenue's jazz scene attacting so many greats really underscores how essential cultural production was to that comunity.