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L.A. Stories: Community Spotlight

People

The city and county of Los Angeles have been shaped by the people that have lived there. Their stories live on, sometimes in people’s memories, sometimes in physical items such as photographs, but they are not always widely known to the larger LA public. In the items featured below, LA as Subject members have shared a small sample of the stories of the people represented in their collections. These items demonstrate that there are more stories to be told in their collections and are an invitation to delve deeper.

To truly get to know LA history and better understand the sprawling city, it is important to know more about its residents. In this section of the exhibit, LA as Subject members have highlighted people’s stories that can be found in their repositories. They tell the stories of individuals that have fascinating life stories, families that have invested deeply in their neighborhoods and communities that have worked together to impact the areas they call home.

Contents of this path:

Los Angeles has long been multicultural, with peoples of different backgrounds finding a home and a place to create community. The stories told here spotlight communities little featured in traditional narratives of the city and county history. They include activism by the Chumash people, who predate California as a state, seeking to ensure the continuity and visibility of their history in Malibu. It also includes stories of African-American communities, Japanese-American communities, and activists defending the rights of day-laborers and street-vendors.
Los Angeles is a mosaic. This section, just like the one prior, reflects and celebrates the differences among those who have impacted and continue to impact this city. This exhibit features many unique and accomplished Angelenos. Not surprisingly, given LA’s primacy as a center of entertainment, many of the noteworthy people featured here include artists, creative souls, and people in the movie industry. Additionally, librarians, educators, activists, environmentalists, scientists, and sports personalities from diverse backgrounds are represented in this exhibit. These Angelenos include immigrants, locals, people from numerous cultures, and many women.