Los Angeles is often celebrated for its warm weather, Hollywood glamour and championship sports teams but the city’s foundation has a powerful Black history that is often overlooked.
From the city’s Black founders and their fight to be free from slavery, to a Black architect who designed thousands of buildings throughout the city, the influence of the city’s first Black residents have had lasting influence.
The LA Local traveled around the city to unearth some of the intriguing Black history facts. Here we highlight seven sites in Los Angeles that show the contributions of Black people in Los Angeles.
Bridget ‘Biddy’ Mason Memorial Park
Situated behind an office building on South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles is a tribute to Bridget “Biddy” Mason. She was born enslaved in Mississippi, and was brought to California by her owner Robert Marion Smith — even though slavery was illegal in California. After being enslaved in the state for five years, Mason won her freedom in 1856 by challenging her enslavement in court. Thirteen other family members were also freed, according to the National Park Service..
She became one of LA’s first Black woman landowners building wealth through real estate. Her net worth was said to be about $3 million in the 1860s, which would equate to nearly $60 million today. She also provided housing and food for the poor, acted as a midwife and helped establish the city’s first Black church, NPS noted.
The memorial park stands near property she once owned.
First African Methodist Episcopal Church
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church, also known as First AME or FAME, was co-founded in 1872 by Mason and other Black leaders. It was first located on Spring Street in Los Angeles, according to the National Park Service. The church was then moved to Harvard Boulevard where it still stands today. It became a spiritual, political, and organizing hub for Black Angelenos during segregation, according to the church’s website.
Most recently, the church was pastored by the Rev. Cecil Murray from 1977 to 2004. Under his leadership the church grew from 250 members to 18,000 at the time of his retirement, according to the Los Angeles Sentinel.
The first home built by architect Paul R. Williams
Though he faced racial discrimination, Paul Revere Williams became one of the most celebrated architects in LA whose legacy reshaped the city’s skyline and luxury design culture.
He was the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects. He designed thousands of buildings during his career, including The Beverly Hills Hotel and homes for Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. Williams was also part of the team that designed the iconic Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, as reported by LAist.
His first home sits in South Central and is designated as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. He lived in this home for about 30 years until racial covenants were outlawed in the 1950s.
African American Firefighter Museum
On Central Avenue in South Central sits the historic fire station and museum that honors the Black firefighters who broke racial barriers in the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The museum “resides inside Fire Station No. 30, one of two segregated firehouses in Los Angeles between 1924 and 1955,” according to the museum’s website. The museum also notes that Sam Haskins was the first Black man to join the LA Fire Department in 1892 and died three years later fighting a fire.
The museum was founded in 1997 and is a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument. It is also registered with the National Register of Historic Places.
Gilbert W. Lindsay Recreation Center
The Gilbert W. Lindsay Recreation Center on East 42nd Place is named in honor of the first Black member of the Los Angeles City Council, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Before taking office, he worked as a janitor for the city’s Department of Water and Power, according to LA City Parks.
Elected in 1963, Lindsay represented District 9 for nearly 30 years. He supported civil rights, fought for economic investment, infrastructure improvements and services in historically underserved Black neighborhoods. He also served on the board of directors of the NAACP.
28th Street YMCA
The 28th Street YMCA building was designed by Paul R. Williams, the renowned architect.
It was originally constructed to serve Black residents in LA who were banned from other facilities during segregation, according to the LA Conservancy. It won a Conservancy Preservation Award in 2013.
It became a hub for housing, community programs and social gatherings. Today, it serves as affordable housing for low income adults and is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ralph J. Bunche House
The former home of Ralph J. Bunche, the first Black person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, is located in South Central on East 40th Place. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bunche played a key role in negotiating the 1949 Arab-Israeli armistice agreements through the United Nations. He also helped organize the civil rights march in Montgomery, Alabama in 1965, the Nobel Peace Prize organization said.
Born in Detroit, he moved to LA with his family and later became valedictorian at Jefferson High School. He attended UCLA on an athletic scholarship and “graduated in 1927 summa cum laude, valedictorian of his class, with a major in international relations,” the Nobel Peace Prize organization said. He also received a master’s degree in political science from Harvard in 1928. The Ralph J. Bunche Center was established in 1969 at UCLA in his honor.
