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Africatown @ Leimert Park
Africatown at Leimert Park
Location: In Los Angeles, CA, at the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd. and Vernon Ave. is a pocket park (Leimert Park). Crossing the street and going N for 2 blocks and both E and W for one block, you are in the heart of Africatown @ Leimert Park. Welcome, and Enjoy!
Why
From a LEAP report: “A people without land in their name is a people without Power --and, therefore, a people forever economically, culturally and politically poor.” That is why all other groups in the City have insisted upon a land site in recognition of their name and/or culture. (from: Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc.)
Description:
The quiet and lovely, tree-lined residential area that surrounds Africatown @ Leimert Park is known for its Moorish/Spanish architecture, mixed with a moderne styling of some of the apartment buildings. Africatown mirrors that beauty. You will love the space you’re in.
A geographic cultural location constantly promotes:
Cultural Understanding, Unique Experiences, Fun, Education and Entertainment
Aren’t you excited about seeing an architecturally stunning and culturally authentic tourism district-- one showcasing the diverse expressions of global African culture?
The Inventions, the Art, Music, etc., of The Caribbean, Pacific Islands, South America, Africa, Indonesia, Australia, Oceania… We’re international! What an historic experience it’s going to be! Fun, Entertaining and Educational!! You will want to enjoy:
--8+ Museums (Antiquities, Music, Art, Inventions, Olmecs, Haiti, etc.
--The Academy of Arts, Sciences --African-Caribbean Trade Center
--Jazz Museum w Conference Ctr --Fine Arts and Cultural Center
--A Children’s Discovery CenteR --Festivals, Concerts, Food & More
Afro-Descendants can then join 16 groups that proudly showcase THEIR influence:
Little Armenia Koreatown Little Saigon Filipinotown Byzantine/Latino Qtrs Thai Town Olvera Street Chinatown Little Bangladesh Little Tokyo Little India El Salvador District Little Japantown Little Ethiopia Little Arabia and now: …………………………….AFRICATOWN @ LEIMERT PARK………………………………!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Events & Festivals
In the Plaza in front of the Vision Theatre
The Plaza
Home of the famous “Drum Church” that draws crowds of 100-300 on Sunday afternoons, it features 10-15 African drummers in a circle, dancers; sidewalks and the plaza filled with hats, jewelry, art vendors, children playing and a stage.
At least 7 huge festivals are held annually with something going on most every weekend: Kwanzaa Parade & Festival; Juneteenth Festival; Marcus Garvey Day Festival; Haitian Celebration Day; the Belizean Festival; Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival; Festival of the Masks; and, al fresco dining, vendors, food trucks…. Whew!!
On every block there is usually some nighttime entertainment, book signing, lecture, martial arts demonstration, classes, plays and so on.
A $31M renovation of the historic, breathtakingly beautiful art deco 750-seat Vision Theatre is scheduled to re-open in 2025 as a venue for major productions, plays and concerts.
Performance Sites
The World Stage-- Master artists perform day and night—many stay to teach The Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center—renown teacher, free classes; Jazz Band From Jazz to Hip Hop-- Regency West, Barbara Morrison’s PAC, Ora’s, Kaos….
-------------------------------------------------------------------Businesses
Our Merchants are Friendly and Love to Serve You.
Our Merchants loo-oo-ve this lovely area, and you will, too. The Merchants below are located within the borders of the cultural tourism designation:
Merchants of Africatown @ Leimert Park Village (There are over 65 within the boundaries.)
Azize Diagne’s Art Gallery Ora’s Cafe
Medi-Generics Herbal Drum Church, The
Barbara Morrison’s Performing Arts Center Regency West
Academy of Martial Arts, The Madame Kofo’s Boutique
Herbal Shop Martin Building, The
Ackee Bamboo Restaurant Master’s Barber Shop
Harun Coffee & Gallery Ivory Coast Salon
Art + Practice Universal Beauty College
Q’s Nail Boutique Zeb’s Cleaners
Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Queen Aminah’s Clothing
Kaos/Video 3333 Youth in Motion Academy
JaRos Professional Services World Stage, The Bicycle Shop, The Sole Folks
Ethiopian Coffee Shop Third Church of Religious Science
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Safety/Parking
The Los Angeles Police Department has reported that since 1990, the Southwest District of the LAPDhas the LOWEST crime rate in the City of L.A.! Let me put your mind at rest:
AFRICATOWN @ Leimert Park, as well as the nearby Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Mall, has the lowest crime rate within the City for a commercial district. Don’t believe what the media tell you—look at stats from the FBI and the L.A. police department.
We want you to know that much of the VILLAGE IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT; HOWEVER:
EXCITING events, concerts and festivals are happening on the WEEKENDS--
– along with our signature boutiques for shopping during the week.
Weekdays: Shopping, especially personal shopping, and doing business with all the merchants is the thing to do. NOTE: Most shops on Degnan are closed on Mondays.
Weeknights: (and every night, really) There is usually live music at from 3 to 5 of the venues, as well as often a book signing and/or play.
Parking
Honestly, parking can be a headache because the area is so popular. However, there is a City-owned lot on both sides of the main street (Degnan). Quite often there is parking on the perimeter streets.
The Hon. Amb. Dianne Watson Subway stop allows visitors to leave their cars at the Expo Line Metro parking lot (Crenshaw & Exposition) and hop on the subway train. It stops right at the corner of Africatown! So convenient.
Come and enjoy Events, Shops and Restaurants and the cultural ambiance in the area!
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The history of Africans (Nigritics) on the North American and South American continents goes back to at least 10,000 B.C. (America B.C., Barry Fell, 1976)
The Waushita (Ouachita, var. spellings) occupied from present-day named Appalachia Mountains (E) to the present-day named Colorado (W); from the Canadian border down to the Gulf of Mexico.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION DIARY: “We were usually met by dark skin, woolly haired men.”
Black people were already in Mexico (a relatively new name for the country) and were conscripted by the conquistadors, along with the Mexicans, and marched North after Cortez landed there around 1521 A.D.
The Spanish invaders and captors carried out the decimation of the black-skin natives in California for several centuries. Rape, enslavement and extermination continued under successive occupiers until the history of most tribes of this area is little known; e.g., tribes named:
ToNGRa NaKauNGAa SiSiT KaNoNGa
Sa’aNGRia MauSuaNGNa HuTuKNGNa
AKuRaNGNa PaSBeNGNa PuVuNGNa
Present-day cities were built on top of the nicely located destroyed villages. Some of the names barely changed. (Ancient peoples did not write their names with vowels and the consonants carried the meaning/s of the names.)
(Above excerpted from America B.C. Ancient Settlers, Barry Fell; and Ancient L.A., Michael Jacob Rochlin)
Note: The City of Los Angeles was founded by 44 settlers: 26 were of African/ Nigritic descent, 16 were Mexicans and 2 were Spaniards.
By the way, the continent currently named “Africa” was given that name in 1884 at the Berlin Conference when the European nations carved up the continent into colonies for their pillage and enrichment.
Its previous name on Treaty maps and in books goes back to 800 B.C. as “Nigritia.” Black folks were known as “Nigritians” by the U.S. government (War Department)--see dictionaries; and their name was changed to “Negro” by the U.S. Commerce Department, and then to “African-Americans….” Knowledge of one’s ancestral name is important–it carries your history.
It is important to know one’s history—having a geographic area from which to showcase and learn about our history is crucial for psycho-social, economic and political reasons.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------ Join
The Mission of Africatown @ Leimert Park is to ensure a commercially sustainable and authentic Black/African culture geographic location within the City of Los Angeles that will showcase the awesome beauty, diversity and history of Black people, which will provide the means for economic growth, high job creation, peace and understanding by the sharing of our arts, exciting culture, events, museums and entertainment.
All mayors and politicians know that planned and managed cultural tourism sites create more jobs and revenue than any other economic sector.
Our culturally relevant name (branding) signifies to tourists that their fun dollars will be well-spent.
We promote Jobs, Businesses, Education, Entertainment, Fun, Understanding and Security while our Visitors and Families have enjoyable and memorable experiences!
YOUR’RE INVITED TO BECOME A MEMBER of the AFRICATOWN at LEIMERT PARK
CULTURAL SITE & SUSTAINABILITY GROUP, NAMED:
The Pan-African Cultural Tourism Association (thePACTA.org).
ONLY $5/year and receive monthly updates, the latest information and happenings, and DISCOUNTS to events/products, invites to special presentations and all we can think of.
BUT, MAINLY BECAUSE YOU WANT:
o To ensure a land base and Black peoples’ presence for generations to come
o To ensure access to the telling and showcasing of our history
o To ensure jobs and opportunity that we develop, control and occupy
o Use what works! Cultural Tourism creates the most jobs—and quickly!
Let’s get our share of that revenue—you know we have so-o-o much culture to offer!
And, you know if we do anything, everybody is going to want to come see what it is!!
Contact: fun@thepacta.org 424-223-1519 Enroll: thepacta.org
