By: Sean Myers
Traditional African symbols dot the thoroughfare, brightly colored masks hang in windows and the rhythmic pulsing of drums fills the air. Nestled in an unassuming section of South Los Angeles, Leimert Park is a bastion of Black culture seemingly at a crossroads. For business owners and longtime residents alike, protecting the area's character is a top priority.
"I hope for this neighborhood that we can retain some of the culture that's here and the music and the art, and that everything isn't taken away. I think the neighborhood would like to see a good balance," said Gallery Plus owner Laura Hendrix.
She's been selling African and African American art at her store on Degnan Blvd. for almost 26 years. During that time, she's watched steady change through the small-paned glass windows of her corner store.
Gentrification entered the lexicon of longtime business owners like Hendrix in the mid 2000s. She sensed change was on the way when voters approved funding in 2008 for a rail line that will place a stop just steps from her boutique at Leimert Plaza Park. Although this area isn't the first L.A. neighborhood to feel the effects of gentrification, Leimert's cultural significance to the Black community illustrates what's at stake when outside influence comes knocking.
Along the way, Hendrix saw landlords double rent, effectively forcing out some of her fellow merchants.
"Unfortunately, that's the way things happen, but I'm trying to stay positive and think about what's to come," she said.
She remembers hearing about the rail line proposal for the first time and thinking it would be great for the neighborhood. But the station that stands to benefit both her and other business owners in the area wasn't a foregone conclusion.
"We had to fight to get a stop here, which I thought was ridiculous since they put so much into the theater and people need a way to get here without driving cars. So, I thought all along that we need a stop in Leimert Park," she said.
Should Hendrix keep her prime location along Degnan Blvd. past the rail line's scheduled completion in 2019, she envisions streams of new customers descending on her gallery.
For others, gentrification appears to be more complicated. Eddie Stokes is a fine artist who specializes in wood carving and graphic illustration. He sells bracelets in Leimert Park Plaza every Sunday and has frequented the area for 30 years.
Stokes said he understands that gentrification is necessary for Leimert Park's future. Like other residents, he wants to be able to enjoy revitalized buildings and added amenities. But he's concerned about the tactics of new property owners.
"People with money think they can just come in here and take, take, take," said Stokes, as he paused to grab three handfuls of air. "All they know how to do is take."
He believes the tension between some community members and property owners is the result of people feeling like they've been excluded from their neighborhood's future. And he doesn't understand why dozens of homeless residents living around Leimert Plaza Park don't get an opportunity to contribute to the area's growth.
"Those people over in the park...they have skills. They can build things, they know how to drywall or do basic carpentry. But do you see anybody coming over there to offer them a chance to fix-up these places? Not a chance," he said.
Stokes wants to see the same people who've preserved Leimert's charm get a chance to enjoy the spoils brought by gentrification. Hendrix shares that sentiment.
She said, "Everything changes, they're constantly changing every day, so I just hope we're here to reap some of the benefits."
