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Altadena has seen its many Black-owned homes, churches, businesses, and landmarks reduced to ashes.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
As flames tore through the picturesque foothills of Altadena and Pasadena on January 7, 2025, the Eaton Canyon fires left a historic Black community — rooted in the Civil Rights Movement — nearly wiped out. Among the hardest-hit areas in Los Angeles County, Altadena has seen its many Black-owned homes, churches, businesses, and landmarks reduced to ashes.
The unincorporated community in the San Gabriel Valley, home to 42,000 residents, has long stood as a beacon of Black homeownership and middle-class stability. With 18% of its population identifying as Black, Altadena also hosts a diverse community that includes Latino and Asian American residents. Tragically, the Eaton Fire alone destroyed over 1,000 structures, killed at least five residents in Altadena and displaced thousands.
“Obviously it’s been a tough couple of days, but our family is making it through,” Los Angeles Sentinel Publisher Danny Bakewell Jr. said in a text to NNPA. “Both my girlfriend & my son lost their homes & the devastation is unreal for so many families -a lot of Black folks.”
Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, a native of Altadena, lost his beloved childhood home on Loma Alta Drive to the blaze. His mother, Ruthie Hopkins, 81, and his son, Joshua, narrowly escaped thanks to the swift actions of Hopkins’ older brother, who evacuated them to safety.
Hopkins described the devastation in
a GoFundMe post, writing, “This isn’t just a loss for our family; it’s a loss for a community that has thrived despite challenges.”
Ruthie Hopkins, the former editor and co-owner of The Pasadena Journal, a Black-owned newspaper, has been a cornerstone of the community for decades. The newspaper is a member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents the Black Press of America and is celebrating its 198th anniversary in March. The fire also destroyed the family’s SUV, which was vital for Ruthie’s medical appointments. Now, she and Joshua are left with only the clothes they wore when escaping.
Altadena’s Black community flourished during the Civil Rights Movement, growing from 4% of the population in 1960 to 27% by 1970, following the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. It became a haven for Black families seeking to escape discrimination elsewhere, offering homeownership opportunities unavailable in most parts of the country.
Before the fire, Altadena boasted a Black homeownership rate of 81.5%, nearly double the national average for African Americans. Families like Kenneth Snowden’s embodied this legacy.
By Lee Eric Smith Interim Editor
This year, America will inaugurate Donald J. Trump as president on the same day we celebrate the life, legacy and sacrifice of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — January 20, 2025.
Given everything that both men stood for, it’s impossible not to think about what Dr. King would be saying and doing if he were with us today.
King would certainly be speaking truth to power. Would power recognize truth and respect it? Would truth get buried in a mountain of misinformation? Would power compare its crowd sizes to Dr. King’s? (Sadly, probably yes. But I digress.)
I absolutely believe King would advocate for the same things he did in life – justice, equality, economic empowerment for the poor. He’s known to have advocated for a universal basic income.
But I think above all else, he would give us spiritual food. It’s easy to overlook, but throughout his whole ministry and life’s work, Dr. King was really calling on all of us to recognize and respect our fundamental humanity, and to treat each other with kindness and compassion.
He was calling on ALL of us to love each other — even if we don’t like each other. If that’s not a sermon America needs to hear right now, I don’t know what is.
That’s when I remembered tackling this very topic to celebrate King’s life back in 2016. We reshare it here because, not surprisingly, Dr. King’s words continue to resonate through time.
Like so many of us, I’m remembering the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Being born in 1969, I belong to the very first generation of people for whom he’s never been a living being – he’s always been a larger-than-life legend, an icon of the rather quaint notion that we are all HUMAN first, and skin pigmentation much later. In an age where Barack Obama nears the end of his historic presidency, an era when blacks had to drink
from different water fountains seems like ancient history. By comparison, there’s a generation of young people coming up now who have no memory of Sept. 11, 2001 – but whose lives have been shaped by it in ways they can’t imagine.
The great speaker that Dr. King was, it is so tempting to boil him down into a few sound bytes. That’s how he got stuck with the cliché of a moniker “The Dreamer.”
I don’t want to minimize the power of that dream, or the work he did in striving for racial justice. It’s just that the more that I get to know Dr. King through his speeches and writings, the greater I revere him as a profound spiritual teacher – a man whom, like Jesus, I strive to pattern my life after.
It’s easy to forget that before he became a civil rights activist, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, or a fixture on African-American living room walls … he was a preacher. He was a minister. He was a man of incredible insight and depth, and without understanding that, our society misses the true genius of the man – which is why I want to focus on Reverend King for a bit.
It was 2009, in the midst of a nasty and brutal divorce. I had already decided to meet the circumstances with the principles that Jesus taught – loving your enemies, praying for those who seek to harm you. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
That all sounds well and good, until you actually try to do it. There’s a reason why these principles aren’t practiced commonly in human conflict: it’s counterintuitive to love someone while it feels like they’re trying to destroy you. It’s difficult to pray for someone who seems to be praying for your downfall. It’s a bitter pill to forgive someone who seems to know exactly what they’re doing.
To stay focused, in addition to The Bible, read a lot of spiritual books – “The Bhagavad Gita” (an ancient Hindu text), “The Tao Te Ching” (a Chinese book of wisdom), the teachings of the Buddha and of course, Jesus’ “Sermon on The Mount.” But I was looking for something different one night, when I stumbled upon Rev. King’s “Strength To Love” in the family library.
“Strength To Love” is a collection of King’s sermons, and if you’re struggling with some issue or problem in your personal life, it’s hard to read it and
come away feeling hopeless. Indeed, Rev. King spoke to my soul and helped guide me through the darkest period of my life.
He taught me the importance of having “A Tough Mind and A Tender Heart:”
“What is more tragic than to see a person who has risen to the disciplined heights of tough mindedness but has at the same time sunk to the passionless depths of hardheartedness?” King wrote. “Jesus reminds us that the good life combines the toughness of the serpent and the tenderness of the dove.”
Rev. King taught me how to keep pressing forward, even after life had left me only “Shattered Dreams:” “Shall we permit adverse winds to overwhelm us as we journey across life’s mighty Atlantic (Ocean) or will our inner spiritual engines sustain us in spite of the winds?” he wrote. “Our refusal to be stopped, our ‘courage to be,’ our determination to go on ‘in spite of’ reveal the divine image within us. The man who has made this discovery knows that no burden can overwhelm him and no wind of adversity can blow his hope away. He can stand anything that can happen to him.”
And he taught me that it is very much in one’s own self interest to work for the common good of mankind. From the chapter called “The Man Who Was A Fool:”
“In a real sense, all of life is interrelated. All men are caught in an inescapable web of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny,” King wrote. “Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I think you owe it to yourself to read “Strength To Love” – especially if you are going through something. You will learn something that you can use. You will feel yourself lifted out of despair. You will be inspired to go make a difference in the world.
But I also think that as a society, we owe it to Rev. King to explore his teachings beyond what he had to
“Saturday Night Live” (SNL) is set to kick off its 2025 lineup with a highly anticipated episode on January 18, featuring comedian Dave Chappelle as host and rapper GloRilla as the musical guest.
Ever since Donald Trump first defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, Chappelle on SNL has become something of a TV tradition. Chappelle hosted the weekends after national elections in 2016, 2020 and 2022.
This time, he’ll be hosting just two days before Trump returns to the White House. People will be tuning in for Chappelle’s hilarious but provocative takes on current events, and reprisals
of famous characters and sketches from “Chappelle’s Show.”
Add it all up, and it means GloRilla will be exposed to the largest TV audience in the young hip-hop star’s fast rising career.
The Memphis-born rapper gained significant attention with her hit single “Yeah Glo!” which earned her two Grammy nominations.
This episode airs just two days before the scheduled inauguration of President Donald Trump for his second term, a timing that adds a layer of significance to the broadcast. Chappelle’s previous hosting gigs have often coincided with pivotal political moments, providing sharp and insightful
commentary on current events.
Given the confluence of Chappelle’s return, GloRilla’s debut, and the political climate, this episode is poised to be one of the most-watched of the season. The substantial viewership offers GloRilla an unparalleled platform to showcase her talent to a nationwide audience, potentially propelling her career to new heights.
SNL’s 50th season has been marked by a series of notable hosts and musical guests, and the upcoming episodes continue this trend. Following Chappelle
man
Moore, an icon and pioneer of soul and R&B, dies at 89
By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor
Sam Moore, an iconic American soul and R&B singer best known as one half of the legendary duo Sam & Dave, died on Jan. 10
Moore’s career spans over six decades. His unmistakable and powerful gospel-infused singing earned him a place as one of the greatest soul singers of all time.
Moore was born in Miami, Florida, Moore and was initially planning to be a gospel singer. But his career took a pivotal turn when he met Dave Prater in 1961. The two formed the duo Sam & Dave. They signed with Atlantic Records after meeting Jerry Wexler and
then with Stax Records in 1965 and collaborated with legendary songwriters Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
The music and the sound of Sam & Dave would come to define the “Stax sound” and more broadly, the sound of soul music for a generation. Sam & Dave delivered energetic performances that featured their hits including, “Soul Man” (1967), “Hold On, I’m Comin’” (1966) and “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” (1967).
Sam & Dave’s stage presence alone was a force that could not go unnoticed. When matched with their songs and music, much of which are still considered classic soul and R&B, they were unforgettable. Moore’s soaring tenor and Prater’s deep baritone, made their
act unforgettable. Sam & Dave were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
In addition to their voices, Sam & Dave had a backup band that would also become legend. Many of the recordings made by Sam & Dave featured Hayes on piano and Booker T and the MGs and The Memphis Horns as the backing musicians.
The final performance of Sam & Dave was on December 31, 1981 in San Francisco. On April 9, 1988, Dave Prater was killed in a car accident in Georgia.
Moore went on to receive numerous accolades throughout his career, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, induction into
and GloRilla, actor Timothée Chalamet is scheduled to host and serve as the musical guest on January 25, likely performing songs from his portrayal of Bob Dylan in the biopic “A Complete Unknown.”
As SNL continues to celebrate its milestone 50th season, the show’s ability to blend comedy, music, and cultural commentary remains as relevant as ever. The January 18 episode is expected to exemplify this tradition, offering viewers a memorable night of entertainment.
the Grammy Hall of Fame (for “Soul Man”), and the National Medal of Arts which was given by President George W. Bush in 2002.
(Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and speaks on Crisis Comms on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke)
By Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to The Tri-State Defender
Turn the volume up, please. You need it louder because this is something you’ve been waiting to hear. You need to listen very closely. These words mean a great deal to you, and they might change your life. As in the new book, “On Love” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the message beneath the message is the most important. As the grandson and great-grandson of pastors and the son of the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, it may seem as though young Martin Luther King Jr., born in 1929, already had his life set.
King entered college at age 15. After graduation, he was named associate pastor at his father’s church. At age 25, he became the pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. In late 1956, he was apprehended for his part in the bus boycott there. It was his first of many arrests for non-violent protests and activism for civil rights.
But when asked if those things were what he hoped he’d be honored for in years to come, King said he wanted to be remembered as “’someone who tried to love somebody.’”
His words, essays, letters and speeches reflect that desire.
In a 1955 sermon in Montgomery, he used a parable to explain why white people needed love to gain compassion. In 1956, he wrote about the bombing of his home, telling his readers that no retaliation was needed. To “confront the
problem with love” was the righteous and better thing to do.
Later that year, he said, “I want you to love our enemies… Love them and let them know you love them.” And in November, 1956, King said, “… if you have not love, it means nothing.”
“Love is the greatest force in all the world,” he said in 1962. He wrote a book on the subject, “Strength to Love,” in 1963.
In 1967, just months before his assassination he said, “power at its best is love…”
When we talk about King’s life and his legacy, so much focus is put on his work on behalf of civil rights and equality that it’s easy to lose sight of the thing he felt was more important. In “On Love,” any omission is rectified nicely.
This book, “excerpted to highlight the material where King specifically addressed the topic of love,” is full of pleasant surprises, words with impact and thought-provokers. King’s speeches hammered home a need to love one’s enemies, woven into messages of gentle resistance and strength. He explained the different “levels” of love in a way that makes sense when related to equality and justice. The bits and pieces collected here will linger in reader’s minds, poking and prodding and reminding.
If your shelves are full of books about Dr. King, know that this one is unique. It’s perfect for our current times. Don’t race through it; instead, savor what you’ll read and keep it close. “On Love” is a book you’ll want to turn to, often.
By TSD Newsroom
The Saints are headed back to “The Lou.”
On Tuesday, the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) announced its decision to return the Holy Convocation to St. Louis, Missouri, for 2026–2028. This decision was made during a special session of the COGIC General Assembly on January 13, 2025.
The Holy Convocation, COGIC’s premier annual gathering, draws tens of thousands of delegates from across the globe for worship, teaching, and fellowship. The event will transition from its current host city, Memphis, Tennessee, after the 2025 convocation. St. Louis previously hosted the Holy Convocation from 2010 to 2019, following a 110-year run in Memphis.
Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard
expressed excitement about the return.
“St. Louis provided us with the infrastructure, hospitality, and resources to host this significant gathering,” Sheard said. “While Memphis will always be the spiritual home of COGIC, we are grateful to broaden our reach and continue making an impact in St. Louis.”
The Holy Convocation has been a significant economic driver for its host cities, with St. Louis generating millions of dollars in revenue during its previous hosting tenure.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and local leaders have expressed enthusiasm about the convention’s return and the boost it will bring to the city’s tourism and hospitality industries.
For more information about the Church Of God In Christ and the Holy Convocation, visit www.cogic.org.
MSCAA Project Number 18-1421-01
Charles Baker Airport - RW 18 Approach Clearing-Construction
Sealed bids for Charles Baker Airport - RW 18 Approach Clearing-Construction will be received by the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (Authority), Procurement Department, 4150 Louis Carruthers Drive, Memphis, TN 38118, until 2:00 PM Local Time on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025. Bids will not be received at any other location. Within 30 minutes thereafter, the bids will be opened and publicly read via phone/ video conference. The Bid Documents, including a description of the scope of work, the required response format, and additional instructions may be obtained on or after January 15, 2025, online at www.flymemphis.com.
A virtual Pre-Bid Meeting will be held Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 11:00 AM local time via phone/video conference. Instructions on Pre-Bid Meeting and Site Visit requests can be found at https://www.flymemphis.com/rfps-rfqs. Attendance at the Pre-Bid Meeting is strongly recommended.
All Bidders are responsible for checking the Authority’s website up to the submission deadline for any updates, addenda or additional information. The successful Bidder must sign a contract with the Authority that includes Federal Aviation Administration provisions, if applicable, regarding the Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis-Bacon, Affirmative Action, Debarment and Suspension, and Drug-Free Workplace, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Each bid must be made by a contractor licensed in Tennessee and be accompanied by a 5% Bid Guarantee. The successful bidder must execute a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond in the amount of 100% each of the Contract Price and meet the Disadvantaged Business
From Page 3
say about race in America. As poignant and timeless as the “I Have A Dream” speech is, it takes on much greater meaning when you connect with the spiritual foundation that his civil rights work was built on.
On Nov. 17, 1957, Rev. King delivered a sermon on “Loving Your Enemies” at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. – after the bus boycott but long before the March on Washington, the “I Have A Dream” speech and Selma.
No, on that day, Rev. King was still just a 28-year-old pastor of a small Alabama church. During the sermon, he laid out scriptural reasons why loving our enemies is important. He said that loving our enemies requires us to analyze ourselves; it demands that we look for the good in our enemies. He
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preached about the redemptive power of love. And he closed with a benediction that still resonates nearly 60 years later:
“Oh God, help us in our lives and in all of our attitudes, to work out this controlling force of love, this controlling power that can solve every problem that we confront in all areas,” he prayed.
“Oh, we talk about politics; we talk about the problems facing our atomic civilization. Grant that all men will come together and discover that as we solve the crisis and solve these problems – the international problems, the problems of atomic energy, the problems of nuclear energy, and yes, even the race problem – let us join together in a great fellowship of love and bow down at the feet of Jesus. Give us this strong determination. In the name and spirit of this Christ, we pray. Amen.” Amen. And amen.
operation of its programs, services, and activities.
By order of: Terry Blue, A.A.E. President and CEO
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing online until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025, as shown below:
MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION AND REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE.
SEALED BID I000911 DUE ONLINE AT 9:30 a.m. Friday, January 31, 2025
1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead-safe work practices and techniques; and
2. Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs.
Detailed specifications for the items above may be obtained through the Neighborly Portal beginning Friday, January 17, 2025 All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. Award
recommendations will be posted at the following website https://www.develop901.com/ housing upon review of the bid opening results.
As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC) Eligibility Number prior to submitting your response.
We have now transitioned to conducting bids online through Neighborly. If you have not already signed up, you can do so at https://portal. neighborlysoftware.com/SHELBYCOUNTYTN/ contractor. All documents submitted must be current and uploaded into your Neighborly account. Bids submitted without all required documentation will be unacceptable. Paisley Pogue (Paisley.Pogue@shelbycountytn.gov or 901-222-7611) will be assisting with any questions you may have regarding uploading the documents.
All new contractors will need to register with the Neighborly portal in order for their bids to be accepted on projects. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector.
Paper copies of bids are no longer available. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.
The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.
By
order of
LEE HARRIS, MAYOR SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT Scott
Walkup, Administrator
By Dima Amro Chalkbeat
A proposal to save the job of Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins and attempt to repair her relationship with the school board exposed deeper divisions, at least initially, between board members who want to keep her and those who want her out.
Board member Amber Huett-Garcia, who wants to keep Feagins, introduced the proposal at a Tuesday board work session. Board member Natalie McKinney countered with a long statement accusing Feagins of “a pattern of failed leadership” and introducing new allegations against her — drawing a rebuke from Huett-Garcia and another pro-Feagins board member.
No votes were cast Tuesday. The board is expected to decide Feagins’ fate at its next business meeting Jan. 21, and it isn’t clear whether any board members have changed their minds.
At a meeting Dec. 17, five of the nine board members supported firing Feagins, but board members ultimately voted to delay the discussion until this month to allow for more deliberation and a response from Feagins.
At a brief public meeting that preceded the work session, Feagins said some school board members presented misleading and false information to the public in their effort to fire her.
“The truth was drowned out by false narratives designed to divide us,” Feagins said. “And while I do not expect fairness or impartiality from everyone in this room, my integrity and my commitment to this district demand that I not allow facts to be drowned out by false accusations and political maneuvering.”
In a letter read to the board, Feagins responded point by point to allegations contained in a proposed Dec. 17
resolution seeking to terminate her four-year contract early on the grounds of alleged financial misdeeds and lack of communication.
The resolution Huett-Garcia introduced Tuesday sought to retain Feagins and give her and the board more time to work out their differences. It would require monthly updates by Feagins on the state of the district, its finances, and the students.
In a response to that resolution, McKinney acknowledged Feagins’ contribution to the district but said that the concerns outweighed them and that Feagins’ “leadership failures have jeopardized the stability and progress of our district.”
After McKinney raised other allegations about Feagins’ performance — including graduation issues, concerns about inadequate staffing, and cutting student support systems — board member Michelle McKissack, a supporter of Feagins, said some of the board members are “hell-bent” on dismissing the superintendent.
Huett-Garcia said McKinney’s statement amounted to “crossing the line of governance.”
“It’s maddening to hear the tone and the severity in which you framed things,” Huett-Garcia said, calling it “so disrespectful.”
Board member Towanna Murphy, who supports firing Feagins, told Chalkbeat after the meeting that she has not changed her mind “because we’ve been going through this thing since I’ve been elected, for five months, and nothing has changed.”
However, board member Sable Otey, who had supported firing Feagins on Dec. 17, said after Tuesday’s meeting that she is “going to be open, I’m going to be fair. So I just need a little time.”
Otey did not say whether she had changed her stance on firing Feagins.
Feagins has firmly denied any wrong-
doing and issued a formal rebuttal earlier this month to the allegations listed in the resolution, calling the effort to fire her “politically motivated” and vowing not to resign.
The loss of a district leader less than a year into her tenure would be another setback for the image of MSCS, the state’s largest school district, which is struggling to address academic and financial challenges, and to repair lingering damage to its relationship with the community caused by the turbulent 18-month search for a superintendent.
Already, the school board is taking fire from state and county officials over its discussions about firing Feagins. The Shelby County Commission voted Monday to approve a no-confidence
motion targeted at MSCS board members, as reported by The Daily Memphian, and approved a governance plan that asks the board and the superintendent to set goals for bettering the district by April.
In a statement Monday, school board Chair Joyce Dorse-Coleman called the vote “unfortunate,” and said the board has “a better understanding” of the district’s leadership than the commission.
State Rep. Mark White, longtime chairman of a House education committee, told Chalkbeat he wanted to meet with the school board and several
other state lawmakers from Memphis.
White said he could reintroduce legislation he drafted last year to give Gov. Bill Lee’s administration the power to appoint up to six new members to the nine-member Memphis board, but he is not ready.
The Dec. 17 resolution seeking Feagins’ ouster claims that she:
• Failed to provide evidence of her statement that district employees were paid $1 million in overtime for time not worked.
• Accepted a donation of more than $45,000 without board approval, then
misrepresented what happened.
• Misled the board and public about a federal grant and its missed deadline.
Feagins began in April and has a four-year contract that pays her $325,000 annually. If she is fired without cause she would be entitled to a severance payment of $487,500, according to her contract.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
(This article was originally published on Chalkbeat Tennessee.)
From Page 2
Snowden’s family purchased their first Altadena home in 1962, and nearly 20 years ago, Snowden bought his own home in the area. Both properties were destroyed in the fire.
“Your $40 million home is no different than my $2 million home,” Snowden told reporters. “Give us the ability to rebuild, restart our lives. If you can spend billions of dollars fighting a war, you can spend a billion dollars to help us get back where we were at.”
Shawn Brown, founder of Pasadena Rosebud Academy, lost her home and the public charter school she built to serve the community’s children. Brown is working to raise funds to rebuild the school while seeking temporary locations in local churches—though some churches, like Altadena Baptist Church, have also burned.
Only the bell tower remains at Altadena Baptist. The Rev. George Van Alstine is helping church members navigate the challenges of insurance claims and federal aid. He fears the destruction will lead to gentrification, pushing out long-standing Black residents.
“We’re seeing families who may have to leave because rebuilding here will be too expensive,” he said.
Brown urged her fellow Black homeowners to hold onto their properties despite developers’ offers. “Stand strong, rebuild, and continue the generational progress of African Americans,” she said.
The destruction in Altadena mirrors the broader devastation caused by the wildfires sweeping Los Angeles County. Across the region, more than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, and at least 24 lives have been lost. Economic losses are estimated between $250 billion and $275 billion, making this disaster one of the costliest in U.S. history.
Much of the media coverage has
focused on celebrity mansions and wealthy neighborhoods, but Altadena’s plight highlights the profound impact on middle-class communities of color. Residents returned to find homes passed down through generations reduced to rubble.
Even the Mountain View Cemetery, where pioneering Black science fiction novelist Octavia E. Butler is buried, caught fire. Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower chillingly predicted wild-
fires caused by climate change, starting on February 1, 2025. Her legacy and connection to the community remain a stark reminder of the fragility of Altadena’s history.
The community and its allies have rallied to provide relief in response to the devastation. James Bryant, a partner at the Cochran Firm, organized a GoFundMe campaign with support
from Ivie McNeil Wyatt Purcell and Diggs, the Prince Hall Masons, and community advocate Jasmyne Cannick. The campaign has raised nearly $100,000 to assist Black residents of Pasadena and Altadena.
“The loss of a home is about more than property. It’s the loss of memories, mementos, and generational pride,” Bryant said.
Another GoFundMe campaign created by Hopkins aims to help his mother and son rebuild their lives, covering temporary housing, medical supplies, clothing, and other necessities.
The Spill App has also compiled a comprehensive list of African American families and individuals affected by the fires, helping coordinate donations and relief efforts.
NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. has maintained close contact with NNPA-member newspapers and media companies in Southern California, including David Miller of Our Weekly, Kenneth Miller of Inglewood Today and Pluria Marshall of the Los Angeles Wave. Both Miller and Marshall confirmed their staff are safe but noted the community’s urgent need for support.
The road to recovery remains daunting as the Eaton Fire continues to burn, with containment still at 0%. Fierce Santa Ana winds and dry conditions threaten to worsen the situation, while evacuation orders remain in effect for over 105,000 residents.
“This fire has changed our lives forever,” Hopkins wrote. “Your support means the world to us as we work to restore some sense of normalcy after this unimaginable loss.”
Chavis added: “The NNPA stands in solidarity with our member publishers in Los Angeles County and beyond. The devastating wildfires must be met with resolve, compassion and resiliency.”
Donations to Hopkins’ campaign can be made via GoFundMe. Supplies, including clothing, toiletries, and blankets, can be dropped off at Prince Hall, 9027 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA.