Online map highlights contributions of LA’s Black community

For Black History Month, Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin launched an online map Wednesday highlighting the contributions of L.A.’s Black community.

“From the days of Biddy Mason to Mayor Tom Bradley and the muralists who beautify our neighborhoods, the African-American community has done so much to shape Los Angeles,” Galperin said. “This map gives a virtual tour of some of the city’s most valued historic sites, along with others that deserve greater public visibility, illustrating how Black Angelenos have helped transform L.A. into a diverse, modern metropolis.”

The “Black History Is L.A. History” map includes the Calvary Baptist Church of Pacoima, which was founded in 1955 by civil rights activists Rev. Hillery T. and Rosa L. Broadus, who moved from Arkansas to the San Fernando Valley. The two were involved in the local fair housing movement and helped organize the NAACP’s San Fernando Valley chapter.

The map also highlights the UFO-like Theme Building at LAX, which was designed by the architectural firm Pereira and Luckman and trailblazing Black architect Paul Revere Williams.

The Gilbert Lindsay Residence, home of the first African American elected to the L.A. City Council, is also highlighted, as well as the Tom Bradley Room at L.A. City Hall, named for Mayor Tom Bradley, L.A.’s only Black mayor, who held the position from 1973 to 1993.

People can visit the map at lacontroller.org/black-history-la, and explore other places of worship, museums, residences and landmarks throughout the city that highlight the contributions of Black Angelenos.