"Black families who migrated to LA from the Jim Crow South were drawn to Altadena because of its leafy, almost-country feel. It felt closer to the rural South, separate from the smog-ridden, concrete nature of LA. Through the wooded streets, people from across the valley wandered and became neighbors. Shade made it possible to hike or sit outside on summer evenings and chat with whoever passed by - about the news or a neighbor's dog."
"Adonis Jones' neighborhood was once defined by thick oaks and pines, their canopy guarding winding trails where Black cowboys rode, shaping his childhood memories. Now, standing on the bare site of his future master bedroom, he can see straight down to downtown Los Angeles. The view is spectacular, yet it feels like a violation. "You can look down on the city now because there ain't no trees," he said a few days before he celebrated his first New Year's with his wife, Denise, away from Altadena."
"A year after the Eaton Fire, the recovery maps a familiar inequity. Research from UCLA shows Black homeowners were not just the most likely to lose their homes, but are the least likely to have moved toward rebuilding them. They hold the lowest number of approved permits and the highest share of empty, barren lots."
Altadena previously had one of Los Angeles County's largest tree canopies, with oaks and pines sheltering streets and trails. The Eaton Fire destroyed at least half of the trees, exposing neighborhoods and changing views toward downtown Los Angeles. The tree loss removed shade and informal social infrastructure that supported outdoor life and community cohesion. Black families who migrated from the Jim Crow South valued the leafy, near-rural character. Recovery shows racial inequities: UCLA research finds Black homeowners were most likely to lose homes but least likely to begin rebuilding, holding the fewest approved permits and the most empty, barren lots. Local arborists fear further destruction.
Read at High Country News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]