California’s Altadena. According to Dennis Buzz Chatman, when he purchased his Altadena home in 2020, the 1950 property title stated that the only non-white individuals permitted in the community were servants.
According to Chatman, a producer of movies and television shows, it meant a lot to be able to plant my flag there.
He is currently struggling with the loss of both his home and what he claims was a safe haven for Black families due to last week’s terrible fires in Los Angeles.
Residents of Altadena, a multicultural community with a thriving art scene located 14 miles northeast of Los Angeles, are lamenting the extensive loss of their community, heritage, and culture as a result of the Eaton Fire.
At least 11 people have died as a result of the Eaton Fire, which has also destroyed over 1,900 buildings to ash and debris. Authorities said that the fire was 33% suppressed by Monday morning. Last week, one of the most deadly wildfires in California history broke out in Los Angeles County, killing at least 24 people and forcing 180,000 more to flee.
In contrast to other places in Los Angeles, Altadena, an unincorporated hamlet in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, was a vibrant middle-class suburb that attracted a wide range of creatives and groups. People looked out for one another and life seemed to move more slowly here.
More than half of Altadena’s population is of color, with Latinos accounting for 27% and Black Americans for 18%. The town’s population has been constant at about 42,000 despite diversifying throughout the years.
Rafael Agustin, the former CEO of the Latino Film Institute, stated that Altadena is a minority-majority community. It symbolizes California and America’s future, in my opinion.
According to Agustin, whose house was destroyed in the fire, Altadena is a culturally and economically diverse neighborhood that is led by family-run establishments like Caf de Leche, a Nicaraguan restaurant he often visited.