South L.A. just became a Black cultural district. So where should its monument stand?

For much than a century, South Los Angeles has been an anchor for Black art, activism and commerce — from the 1920s erstwhile Central Avenue was the epicenter of the West Coast jazz country to caller years arsenic artists and entrepreneurs reinvigorate the country with caller developments specified arsenic Destination Crenshaw.

Now, the region’s bequest is receiving ceremonial designation arsenic a Black taste district, a landmark determination that aims to sphere South L.A.’s affluent past and stimulate economical growth. State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), who led the effort, helped unafraid $5.5 cardinal successful authorities backing to enactment the project, and past December the authorities bureau California Arts Council voted unanimously to o.k. the designation. The district, formally known arsenic the Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District, is present 1 of 24 state-designated taste districts, which besides includes the recently added Black Arts Movement and Business District successful Oakland.

Prior to this vote, determination were nary authorities designations that recognized the Black assemblage — a realization that made Smallwood-Cuevas leap into action.

“It was precise frustrating for maine to larn that Black civilization was not included,” said Smallwood-Cuevas, who represents South L.A. Other taste districts see L.A.’s Little Tokyo and San Diego’s Barrio Logan Cultural District, which is rooted successful Chicano history. Given each of the economical and taste contributions that South L.A. has made implicit the years done events similar the Leimert Park and Central Avenue jazz festivals and beloved businesses similar Dulan’s connected Crenshaw and the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Smallwood-Cuevas believed the assemblage deserved to beryllium recognized. She worked connected this task alongside LA Commons, a non-profit devoted to community-arts programs.

Beyond specified recognition, Smallwood-Cuevas said the designation serves arsenic “an anti-displacement strategy,” particularly arsenic the demographics of South L.A. proceed to change.

“Black radical person experienced rather a level of erasure successful South L.A.,” added Karen Mack, laminitis and enforcement manager of LA Commons. “A batch of radical can’t spend to unrecorded successful areas that were erstwhile populated by us, truthful to truly affirm our history, to affirm that we substance successful the communicative of Los Angeles, I deliberation is important.”

The Historic South L.A. Cultural District spans astir 25 quadrate miles, situated betwixt Adams Boulevard to the north, Manchester Boulevard to the south, Central Avenue to the eastbound and La Brea Avenue to the west.

Now that the designation has been approved, Smallwood-Cuevas and LA Commons person turned their attraction to the monument — the carnal landmark that volition service arsenic the district’s entranceway oregon focal constituent — trying to find whether it should beryllium a gateway, bridge, sculpture oregon thing else. And past there’s the bigger question: Where should it beryllium placed? After gathering with organizations similar the Black Planners of Los Angeles and assemblage leaders, they’ve narrowed their hunt down to 8 imaginable locations including Exposition Park, Central Avenue and Leimert Park, which received the astir votes successful a caller nationalist canvass that closed earlier this month.

As organizers enactment to finalize the determination for the taste district’s monument by this summer, we’ve breached down the imaginable sites and person highlighted their humanities relevance. (Please note: Although immoderate of the sites are described arsenic circumstantial intersections, specified arsenic Jefferson and Crenshaw boulevards, organizers deliberation of them much arsenic wide areas.)