Kiyoshi Kuromiya has been named as Monrovia’s newest “Neighborhood Treasure,” an honor reserved for individuals whose contributions have made a lasting impact on the community.
A Neighborhood Treasure celebration is set for Saturday at 934 Royal Oaks Drive beginning at 11 a.m. The event will include an art unveiling, music and community recognition. The public is invited to attend.
The Neighborhood Treasure Program uses public art displays to recognize “residents who exemplify service, leadership and community pride,” according to the city.
Kuromiya embodied such values through a lifetime commitment to justice and civic engagement, officials said. He was a nationally recognized activist for Asian American and LGBTQ+ rights and worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and later became a leading advocate for AIDS awareness and civil liberties.
He died in 2000.