Video Courtesy of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
South Los Angeles has historically been the center of African-American culture, with historic South Central Los Angeles closely associated with the development of jazz, hip-hop, spoken word, assemblage art, and Black cinema.
In recent decades, the Latinx community has grown in population and added its cultural traditions to the region.
In 2021, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs secured funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town initiative to integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term.
The Promise Zone Arts South LA (PZA:SLA) initiative is supported by the Our Town project and advances local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes in communities, ultimately laying the groundwork for systems change and centering equity. Cultural Treasures of South LA is an asset mapping and activation initiative that gives South LA residents a platform to spotlight local cultural treasures — the artists, sites, cultural practices, and tradition bearers that they deem significant — that illuminate the rich cultural tapestry that makes South Los Angeles a vibrant and thriving community.
SLATE-Z participated in the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages of the PZA:SLA Cultural Treasure Survey and Mapping project. This collaboration is not just about preserving our cultural heritage, it is about empowering the South LA community, spotlighting local treasures, and fostering growth in small businesses and entrepreneurship.
From December 2021 to July 2023, SLATE-Z's journey in supporting PZA:SLA began with an inclusive approach to community engagement. Open dialogues in SLATE-Z’s Working Groups laid the foundation for what would become a collaborative effort to ensure diverse voices were represented in the collection of data. The result was a wave of enthusiasm that brought community members closer to the heart of this initiative.
The Promise Zone Arts South Los Angeles initiative not only highlights the cultural richness of our region but also aids in its preservation.
PROJECT PARTNERS
