Black History Month
This Black History Month we highlight the strength of the Black community and the Black organizations, churches, and social justice organizations that have always fought for justice and found each other in community. We ask: what can we do to continue the work of those who fought before us to create a more equitable and free world for the children and families most vulnerable in our communities?
We’ve made big strides as a community, and as a nation, towards healing the scars of racial injustice. There’s so much more to do. We stand on the achievements of the community members who came before us! Our children deserve a future free from fear where they can thrive.
This Black History Month we are proud to share about groups who have been creating and uplifting Black community in areas affected by LA’s Eaton Fire this January.
Harambee Ministries, Pasadena
We applaud and highlight Harambee Ministries for doing the hard work to create safe neighborhoods, affordable housing and viable opportunities for our children and families to thrive. Founded in Northwest Pasadena, California (a historically redlined community that was marginalized and under-resourced), Harambee Ministries seeks to “nurture and equip leadership that will holistically minister to the community by sharing biblical truths in order to achieve the rebuilding of urban neighborhoods through relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution. After the fires Harambee Ministries released the “Dena Resource List”, a list of local relief resources in collaboration with the Partnership for Children, Youth and Family.
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Pasadena
The First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Pasadena, California has hosted civil rights events and has a history of social justice activism. The AME Church was founded in protest of slavery and racial discrimination, and its beliefs include that all people should be free to worship God without experiencing racism. The AME Church was the first major religious denomination in the Western world to be based on race, not theology and has a mission to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and environmental needs of all people.
After the fires AME Church of Pasadena hosted a free (pro bono) legal clinic for the Altadena community, which was recently devastated by the Eaton fire and recently had a Day of Service during which they distributed hygiene kits, blankets, diapers, feminine hygiene products, socks, water, warm meals, grocery bags, and backpacks.
As we celebrate Black History Month, we also celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his relationship with Los Angeles. Dr. King saw Los Angeles’ unique intersection of economic, social, and cultural factors in the 1950s-1960s. He lifted up the city as a critical site for civil rights activism. During his time in Los Angeles (1956-1968), Dr. King participated in approximately 50 events and meetings. He established the Western Christian Leadership Conference (WCLC), advocating for voter registration and civic participation, bringing the nonviolent civil rights movement out of the South. During the 1960 Democratic National Convention, Dr. King joined the March on Conventions Movement in LA in order to gain support to make civil rights a prominent part of the Democratic platform. Ultimately, the Democrats acknowledged the Civil Rights Movement and committed to enforcing the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960.
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