With support from the CAC, LA Commons will establish the Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District (BCD) in partnership with Coalition for Responsible Community Development, Los Angeles Department of City Planning, and South LA’s artists and community members. The BCD represents an opportunity to celebrate the resilience, joy, and exceptional accomplishments of a community that has been subjected to numerous exclusionary policies of the past.
Funding will further the BCD’s sustainability as we develop a cohesive visual branding toolkit—with CAC support— to support fundraising, advocacy, and educational programming to uplift local narratives. Artist stipends, youth programming, and events in collaboration with community partners to further development of local leadership and deepen trust—ensuring that cultural stewardship is authentic and community-driven. Additionally, the development of reusable tools, including cultural asset maps and public digital archives.
LA Commons programs engage residents of neighborhoods where most live below the poverty line and are new immigrants struggling to find their place in Los Angeles. Target audiences are artists and culture bearers, youth ages 15–25, and residents of all ages. Participating neighborhoods include MacArthur Park, Leimert Park, and greater South Los Angeles. By engaging community members in our core “Neighborhood Story Connection” program, we create a space where stories & voices are heard and then transformed into dynamic public art that reflects local hopes, dreams & identities. Relationships developed through these public art projects are leveraged to engage people of all ages in the stories of our Los Angeles, through resident led neighborhood tours, public art campaigns, and other culturally informed experiences that support local businesses and artists, and share opportunities to experience authentic food, music, festivals and rich cultural histories across Los Angeles.

