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# What’s In a Name … South Central LA, for Example
April 20 2015
Written by Bernard Parks.
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PARKS’ PLACE-For too long, majority black and Latino communities have been blanked by a nondescript characterization of where they live. Media refer to this foreign land commonly as, "South Los Angeles." Every now and again you’ll hear a reporter slip and say, ["South Central LA"](http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/us/in-los-angeles-it-s-south-central-no-more.html "http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/us/in-los-angeles-it-s-south-central-no-more.html"), which was long code for ‘black area’ and synonymous with the 1965 and 1992 riots, drugs, and violent crimes, a past that we are still trying to distance ourselves from.
Of course if I were to ask you where you live, you’d probably give me the exact name of your community, whether it’s West Adams, Leimert Park, Chesterfield Square, View Park, NoHo, WeHo, etc.
At the Tuesday, April 21 meeting, Council is tentatively scheduled to vote on my amendment to a prior motion which seeks to add ["SOLA" as an appropriate acronym](http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=02-2813 "http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=02-2813") to refer to South Los Angeles. The same motion was previously used to dissuade use of the negative "South Central" label.
No, this motion is not meant to shove "SOLA" down people’s throats and no, it’s not the first horse of the gentrification apocalypse. People have expressed to me that they want name identity and distinction when people refer to their communities.
"SOLA" will not be replacing the term of "South Los Angeles", it will just be another option for people to refer to themselves. Community boundaries won’t be changing and individual community designations like Hyde Park, Vermont Knolls, etc. will not be lost.
Other communities are doing this already. For instance, some refer to Downtown LA as "DTLA." Just like in South LA, some who live there will specify the neighborhood they live in, like the Arts District, Fashion District, South Park, etc., some will say they live in "Downtown" and others say "DTLA."
I am cautious about outright renaming things because I learned an [interesting lesson in 2003](http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/22/local/me-crenshaw22 "http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/22/local/me-crenshaw22").
I have an immense and profound respect for the late, former LA [Mayor Tom Bradley](http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://www.mayortombradley.com/educational "http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://www.mayortombradley.com/educational") and the influence he’s had on not only on black history, but LA’s history is undeniable. Prior to becoming mayor, Bradley served as 10th district Councilmember and lived 3 or 4 blocks east of Crenshaw Boulevard; all of Crenshaw was in the 8th and 10th district. To me, it made perfect sense for Crenshaw to be renamed in his honor.
Crenshaw Boulevard [was named after](http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/whats-in-a-street-name/crenshaw-boulevard-cruising-through-the-decades.html "http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/columns/whats-in-a-street-name/crenshaw-boulevard-cruising-through-the-decades.html") George Lafayette Crenshaw, a white banker and real estate developer.
Crenshaw was not always the boulevard synonymous with black LA. Pre-World War II, strong covenants were in place that forbade minorities from living in the surrounding area.
Why people would want to hold onto this sad past is beyond me, but opposition to the name change came out loud and proud, defending their beloved thoroughfare and memories of ‘Cruising on the Shaw.’ Even [Crenshaw’s grandson came out](http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/25/local/me-crenshaw25 "http://simplesend.com/simple/t.asp?S=468&ID=77654&NL=11254&N=95442&SI=3885938&URL=http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/25/local/me-crenshaw25") to shut the proposal down.
I was successful at naming the intersection of Crenshaw and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, "Freedom Square." They did give me that much.
So all I’m saying is, do not freak out at "SOLA."
In a few years, maybe SOLA, will become home to a bevy of grocery stores.
***(Bernard Parks is Los Angeles Councilman for the 8th Council District. He is also former Los Angeles Police Chief. He can be reached at )***
***-cw***
***CityWatch***
***Vol 13 Issue 33***
***Pub: Apr 21, 2015***
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