Comment

Comment by Pamela Garrett on October 25, 2013 at 12:41am

When I read this article about World Stage performance Gallery in the newspaper my first thought was, "again with the reaction instead of proactivism?".Seriously. I remember Mr. Breye at Museum In Black had the threat of eviction twice if I'm not mistaken. Then there was the problem with Lucy Florence although this eviction came from non payment of rent....wait that was the problem for Museum in Black too wasn't it? Of course there was the foreclosure of property owned by Marla Gibbs in the eighties.Then there have been the general pleas to "save Leimert Park Village throughout the years. Save Leimert Park Village from commercial enterprises like Barnes and Noble versus Eso Won and Daniel's Jeweler's versus Sika', Baskin Robbins versus ??? Save the particular store against the rent being raised..So I'm confused and I have questions. I think what I'm asking or saying will sound as if I'm against the Village but I'm not. I think its awesome to have a "premier African American cultural and art center".Many of the other cultures in greater Los Angeles do. It's just that I've often puzzled if you could call a place your cultural center when the majority of store owners are renting? 

I've also been amused at the irony of Leimert Park being branded as the African American cultural mecca in as much as Mr. Leimert was all in favor of the restrictive covenants at the time the community was developed.

 

So now in all of the time that Leimert Park Village has been into being why aren't the properties either owned by the storel owners or owned by other African American people. Other than Marla Gibbs were there any other celebrities that could have made an investment? What about wealthy African Americans? The McClaney family [I have probably spelled that name incorrectly] comes to mind. Where is the plan that forecast the possibility of what could happen ? Where is the Leimert Park Village Think Tank?

 

For a long time I just thought the properties were still owned by the descendants of the original property owners and weren't on the market.However in 2012 that gun dealer Botach purchased seven buildings. Seven plus the one they already own. Eight properties owned by someone who has no stake in a "Black cultural mecca".Remember that's why or how Eso Won came to move into their present location which I assume is also owned by the gun dealer. [Ha! Gun dealer in the culteral and arts mecca] My thought is how did our community....our village....the stakeholders to our cultural mecca sleep on this and now that we are awakened .....again what are we going to do about it and how will we stratgize for more than one battle at a time?

 

 

 

So let me see if I understand.....our community fought a good fight to get the subway line to come to and stop at Leimert Park Village but it won't be

 

 

 

 

 

Comment by Yvonne Ellett on October 22, 2013 at 11:52pm

Here's an awesome article by Sahra Sulaiman about the World Stage:

http://la.streetsblog.org/2013/10/18/the-leimert-station-while-welc...

Comment by AJea L on October 22, 2013 at 2:35pm

The humiliating irony for me is that the Quality Of Life Plan of Sept 2009 written up by Community Build, LOCATED at: 4305 Degnan Blvd., for the Crenshaw Corridor seems to have been D.O.A.

The four large kiosks Herb Wesson had set-up along the Taste Of Soul Crenshaw walk this past Saturday, had me thinking he was running for President of United States. 

I am terribly saddened by this report of elected non-representation in our Community. Its horrifying. Unconscionable! And unfortunately not surprising. My heart aches for all of OUR struggling Business Owners having to face this horrendous challenge.

WE need some 'real' changes here. Let us find the strength, courage and dedication to renew our home! <3