(The Center Square) – Thanks to $2.5 million in state funding, southern Los Angeles may get a new Black cultural district, according to one of L.A.’s state senators.
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) secured the funding earlier this year after the Legislature approved the money for the establishment of the Black cultural district, according to Smallwood-Cuevas’s communications director.
“Black cultural spaces are under attack by the Trump administration, facing increased threats that undermine their critical role in preserving our history and communities,” Smallwood-Cuevas said in a news release. “Protecting these spaces by creating a Black Cultural District is needed now more than ever.”
Smallwood-Cuevas and her communications director, Paulette Thornton, were unavailable for an interview on Friday.
The $2.5 million of funding comes from the 2025 state budget, according to an email sent to The Center Square by Thornton on Friday.
Smallwood-Cuevas moved forward with local organizations in southern L.A. to establish a Black Cultural District because none of the state’s 14 cultural districts represent Black communities in California.
“South L.A. is home to California’s largest concentration of Black-owned businesses and cultural institutions,” Smallwood-Cuevas said. “Yet, this community is not state-designated as a Black Cultural District. That needs to change, and I’ve been determined to win that designation for our community.”
The proposed boundaries of the district would include Adams Boulevard to the north, Central Avenue to the east, Manchester Boulevard to the south, and South La Brea Avenue to the west, according to an email from Thornton.
In establishing a Black Cultural District in this part of Los Angeles, Smallwood-Cuevas hopes to “drive economic activity to this area in view of international events,” like the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, according to Thornton.
This is the second time Smallwood-Cuevas has secured funding for a Black Cultural District in southern Los Angeles. In 2023, she successfully lobbied to allocate $3 million to install historical markers in southern L.A. to designate certain areas as historical spots. A number of local businesses and community groups were involved in that effort and the push to officially designate the Black Cultural District.
Other than the organization L.A. Commons, Smallwood-Cuevas and Thornton did not disclose to The Center Square what other businesses, organizations, and groups they worked with to try to establish a Black Cultural District.
Representatives from L.A. Commons did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
The California Arts Council, which officially designates cultural districts throughout the state, is voting in its next board meeting on Dec. 12.
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Public information officers, managers, and office staff who work for The California Arts Council did not return calls or emails from The Center Square on Friday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, whose council district includes the potential Black Cultural District, did not respond to The Center Square’s requests for an interview. Spokespersons with the city of Los Angeles also did not respond to requests for comment.
