LOS ANGLES, CA — Several months ago, I attended a meeting organized by Jabari Jumaane, Executive Director of the AFIBA Center in Los Angeles, CA. AFIBA is the acronym for African Firefighter In Benevolence Association. The term also has its origin in Africa, connecting and preserving African Culture. The purpose of the meeting was to address community concerns about “Destination Crenshaw,” a major construction project along a 1.3 mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard from 48th to 60th streets. By design, it will change the facade of that community and lead to further gentrification of the area, which has already begun to experience a demographic shift in the Leimert Park area a little further north on Crenshaw where Blacks are being priced out of the area and young whites are rapidly moving in.
Destination Crenshaw is the brainchild of Eighth District Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, flanking the new underground Crenshaw/LAX Metro rail line, for the purpose of bringing African American art and culture to the area to highlight and celebrate the legacy of Black contributions in the city and across the nation. While ignoring the needs of the community related to homelessness, safety, economic stability, gentrification displacing long time African American homeowners, renters and the at grade 1.3 mile stretch of metro line that will further disrupt businesses along that corridor (destinationcrenshaw.la).
After several attempts by Jabari Jumaane and key community members of local neighborhood councils to address many concerns, The AFIBA Center has now been threatened with eviction for very frivolous and false allegations indicating noncompliance with the month to month agreement with the city, owner of the ninety-five-year-old building.
The AFIBA Center, a landmark building located at 5730 Crenshaw Blvd., is one of the oldest designated African American fire stations in L.A., that has been used as a cultural center for the past twenty years, and one of the last spaces in the city where African Americans can gather to host culturally related activities and preserve several African traditions.
Jabari Jumaane, community members and a coalition of organizations who utilize the space are fighting back. They attend city council meetings twice a week to make sure their voices are consistently heard and opposition to the attempts to silence their exposure of the failed components of Destination Crenshaw are known. Forums have been held regularly while the building is still under their control to keep the community informed.
A forum was held recently to bring fighters together from different communities to discuss and compare the challenges they are up against with corrupt politicians, greedy developers and investors, inter alia. The speakers, Jabari Jumaane, Denise Francis Woods (8th District Council Candidate) and Maria Estrada (63rd Assembly District Candidate) all did a dynamic job of informing those in attendance of the challenges facing us and what we need to do to create sustainable positive changes within our communities.
