L.A. Fires: A Letter from Angelino Sangha Members

Screenshot from the New York Times of destruction in the LA fires. Photographer: Loren Elliott

By Donna Maeda and Martín Hernandez, Clouds Members in Los Angeles (republished here with permission)

Greetings,

We hope this email finds you well.

When we lived in St. Paul, we were both gratified to see the outpouring of community care and support during COVID and the expansion across states in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. We continue to be grateful as people have reached out with care as the fires rage in the LA area. 

As we have continued to be connected to Clouds through the BIPOC sitting group and service on the board (Martin) and EAR (Donna), we're sending this for anyone who might be interested.

The western part of Altadena, which has been completely devastated by the Eaton Canyon fire, contains a strong historically Black community. This is one of the few areas where Black people could live in the northern part of the LA region from the era of redlining and racial covenants. Many of the people who live there are next generation homeowners whose family homes have been destroyed. As part of unincorporated LA County, this community does not have the same access to resources as other impacted wealthier areas. Here is a list of gofundme pages for rebuilding for some of the families: Displaced Black Families.

In addition, 2 people who Martin organized with in the Bus Riders Union moved to west Altadena and opened up an early childhood school with nature-based experiential learning and non-violent communication, focusing on education needed for the well-being of BIPOC children. The space included beautiful gardens and open space for children and community members. Sadly, Kikanza joined the ancestors last year after a fight with cancer; Geoff has continued to foster her dream. Now the whole place has been destroyed but Geoff is working to rebuild with and for the community. Here is their gofundme: Help Village Playgarden Arise from the Ashes.

We share this not just to ask people to give, but for any expanded conversations about ongoing histories of race and place that complicate narratives on mainstream media.

Here's a really interesting conversation between 2 women who grew up in west Altadena and one in South LA that includes a discussion of the community's significance in Black liberation struggles, as well as their own experiences: Black Folks, Wildfires in Cali, and Climate Change.

With all good wishes,

Donna and Martin