Diversity has long been part of the fabric of Los Angeles and Southern California. Humans first arrived here at least 13,000 years ago and more than twenty Native American nations made their home here before the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish pueblo of Los Angeles was itself founded by people of Native, African, European, and mixed ancestries and … Continue reading No Enclave — An Overview of Black Los Angeles
Month: January 2012
Those only live to get radical – or – Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll
A new compilation of SoCal bands titled Who invented the Mirror has just been released and is available exclusively at Amoeba. One of the bands featured thereon, Those, recently released their debut, We Cure Nothing, just before Christmas. The name of the band, Those (assuming it's the plural pronoun of "that" and not the village … Continue reading Those only live to get radical – or – Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll
Happy MLK Day – Yo, whatever happened to peace?
Today the USA celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As we all know, Dr. King preached nonviolent activism in the global civil rights movement. Ironically, the other two persons honored with national holidays are Christopher Columbus and George Washington, two powerful slaveowners who advocated (and in Washington's case, waged) genocidal violence against people who fought for … Continue reading Happy MLK Day – Yo, whatever happened to peace?
Happy Birthday, The Life of Riley! – or – What a revoltin’ development this is!
On 16 January1944, The Life of Riley, premiered on the Blue Network (later ABC). The Life of Riley began with an audition taping on 25 July 1943 after its creation by Irving Brecher. Over the course of roughly 320 episodes, it established itself as one of the most enduringly funny sitcoms on Old Time Radio. … Continue reading Happy Birthday, The Life of Riley! – or – What a revoltin’ development this is!
California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Pasadena, The Crown City of Roses
INTRODUCTION TO PASADENA The Pasadena skyline from the San Rafael Hills Well, I can now admit (now that I'm finally done with it) that I honestly waited and prayed that another neighborhood or community would pass Pasadena in the polls. At the time of writing, Bunker Hill (in Downtown Los Angeles), El Monte (in the … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Pasadena, The Crown City of Roses