LAist: The Neighborhood Project: Watts

Tony Pierce

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:05:39 -0800

critics of this post, listen carefully, not every neighborhood project is going to be Garvanza, just like every appearance that the plate isn't going to be a home run. likewise, not every post that we put into the Neighborhood Project is trying to be a Garvanza or trying to swing for the fences. There are 170+ neighborhoods in LA. There are so many that the City of LA doesn't even have an official map of all the neighborhoods, or an offical document noting all the boundaries of the neighborhoods. the contributers of this fine blog are volunteers. they arent paid, theyre not pros, and quite frankly they dont deserve a lot of the bullshit that they put up with from people who dont even have the courage to put their own names next to their critiques. i have no problem with this post because it is A START. we never claimed to be the definitive of anything in regards to these projects. all we ever claimed to be was a Beginning of something that the local newspapers, tv stations, or radio stations have Never tried to attempt: a simple photo-essay style feature every-other-day on a neighborhood of this city. if we miss your favorite bar or restaurant or building, boo hoo. if we cover something differently than you would have - no shit. but i dont see any other blog going to Watts even to just take ONE picture, just like i dont see any other blog going to Garvanza to take dozens and dozens. but we will not get any more Garvanzas if we continue to listen to whines about Watts or Little Aremenia or whatever else people want to bitch about. we wont get those because the people who take time out of their lives to drive around and do a post about the hoods are either going to be too freaked out to do a hood, or not interested in having their work shit on by people who want to hide in the bushes. believe it or not, but not everyone likes for their simple efforts to be treated like garbage. especially on something that is as time consuming as this project. this is a work in progress. we have over 160 more neighborhoods to go. personally i couldnt less what any of you think about it until you actually go and try one yourself. when i was a kid we had a foreign exchange student visit us and we took him to a baseball game. this kid was from France. nothing impressed him about America. at the ball game he said, "oh these players are so poor. look at them swing and miss at everything." so when we got home i took him to the batting cages. i put him in the easiest batting cage with the slowest automatic pitches, and i said, hit every pitch as hard as you can. he swung and missed far more than he ever imagined. if you people were there, you would have been behind the chainlink fence booing. jeering things like "how come you arent as good as that other kid?" you should be ashamed of yourselves. the comments of this post are now closed. if you have a neighborhood that we havent covered yet, and youd like to show us how its done, email me at tony@laist.com with your copy and a link to your amazing photos on flickr or whereever. heres your chance to get in the box and put up or shut up.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:55:17 -0800

"A 10 year old can cut and paste an article or paraphrase." I think you just nailed our author's identity.

wcrtr

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:43:56 -0800

yeah, I mean... the problem here is not really about plagiarism as many have noted. The problem here is that LAist, supposedly a - you know - Real blog from a Real blogging network would publish this crap. Talk about lowering the bar. I'm pretty convinced that not even the worst free local daily in the world would publish this lazy, offensive attempt at history, and especially not one that supposedly is a conduit for LA culture. This is either the most condescending thing I've read in a long time, or the author actually believes that their audience is a bunch of kids attending school at a country club. Apologies for the abrasion, but please tell me LAist doesn't actually believe that going into significant (albeit cursory) detail about Gang Activity in Watts, while everything else gets a blithe remark like "Local Businesses often have folk art painted right onto the building" is a positive gesture to send to it's community.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:36:54 -0800

there is nothing admirable at all about doing this post "sooner than later." that lack of research and informed perspective is what prevents the blog world from being taken as seriously as it could. driving to a neighborhood and taking it for face value (a face seen only from an automobile, and informed only by stereotypes) is the absolute antithesis of good writing. you shouldn't write on topics you know nothing about without researching them. it's irresponsible, to say the least.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:34:09 -0800

I think I'm in shock of the people on this site who have blogs who think that plagiarism isn't a big deal. It makes me think about the authors of the posts who say its not a big deal. How many people cut and paste their blogs? Paraphrase someone else's experiences without sourcing. That to me seems insane. I have never done that. I didn't know that cutting, pasting, and not sourcing was normal. Didn't Anti have time to write this? If you run out of time just say, "I need more time." Or just do pictures and say things like "This is cool." Like other people who are hacks. Be a good hack. Hacking from Wiki, oh my god. The electronic media has to decide does it want to be legitimate media or myspace. A 10 year old can cut and paste and article or paraphrase. Two sources minimum. In high school you get failed for this. In college you can get expelled. You can get your degree revoked. A "journalist" that plagiarizes should at the very least be reprimanded by the editor publicly, there is no way that someone who plagiarizes should be on the masthead of LAist. This isn't a personal website. This website sells ads for money. Maybe they should share some of those ad dollars with Wiki if this is viewed as ok by the editors. I don't care if this article was about Beverly Hills. A crappy article fine, but this piece of crap was stolen from someone else's work and it IS a big deal. You can call me a baby. Say I'm acting like a person on the playground. You can call me a stupid bitch, but as I said before it is what it is. The correction of where this article was gotten from should be noted ON the post. Hyperlinks should be IN the titles. Jane

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:32:30 -0800

"There is more attention given to gangs in this entry VS. the other neighborhood project entries because not all neighborhoods are the same." That doesn't answer the question or make any sense.

fredcamino

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:12:44 -0800

The only sin Anti committed is simply not citing his sources Doesn't not citing sources make it plagiarism?

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:01:16 -0800

Nope, don't buy it, David Markland. 25,000 people living in Watts and LAist (a website that purportedly covers the entire city) couldn't find one person from the area to interview? Not a single soul who could help with the flavor of the neighborhood? Watts, its history, its culture, its character, is a touchy subject in Los Angeles and a smart site like this should think about honoring the area in articles like this instead of denegrating it. That would be the smart thing to do.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:49:22 -0800

The only sin Anti committed is simply not citing his sources, which he probably should have done in the post, but did end up posting in a follow up post. Indeed, this entry is lacking the spirit of other LAist Neighborhood Project posts, but not for lack of trying. Anti clearly made the effort to drive the neighborhood and snap some decent pix. Unfortunately, without living or frequenting the neighborhood its near impossible to give Watts the respect it deserves. And even more unfortunately, finding a blogger from this neighborhood is extremely difficult. If anything, LAist and Anti should be applauded for attempting to tackle this neighborhood sooner than later... it could have been brushed under the rug, or left to someone who would have never moved away from their laptop to cover the area. Could Watts receive better coverage? Without a doubt. I look forward to anyone standing up and providing it. -David Markland, blogging.la

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:42:39 -0800

It really does sound like a middle school playground here sometimes.

LACATony

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:19:38 -0800

Thin accusations of plagiarism aside, the article does little more that regurgitate in words and pictures every stereotype about Watts. Impressive. There's almost no insightful information about the residents or character of the community. Yes, there were riots, yes there are gangs, yes, there is graffiti but who lives there? What are the elderly people doing at the Senior center other than entering and exiting? Are the elderly tagging because we see a lot of that. What neighborhood organizations exist (besides gangs)? Are they making progress? It's sad because for one reason or another, the author either ignored or simply neglected the real substance of this community in favor of regurgitated media bites and personal bias. Unfortunately for Watts and LAist readers, an opportunity was lost to go beyond a stereotype and actually learn something new.

LA Bus Girl

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:19:37 -0800

awkward. Remember the old saw that winning an argument on the internet is like winning the special olympics... But I do have to *agree* that this one was totally phoned in compared to some of the really great Neighborhood Projects in the series thus far and that just detracts from the awesomeness of the others. So, thumbs down.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:07:05 -0800

The lovely church is, naturally, misidentified by the lazy writer of this article. It's St. John's United Methodist Church, not St. James's. I know it's tough to read the name when you're driving by at 35 miles an hour trying to take a pic.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:00:19 -0800

"dear jane, he gave you the links. way to go from ignorant slut to dumb bitch!" guest I bet that's you Anti or one of your friends. You want to call me a bitch to my face be at Coffee Bean tomorrow at three. The one on Hillhurst. I hate people who all of a sudden grow balls on line. Sign your name next time jerk off. If people here want to minimize plagiarism, hey you can, but it is what it is. I have contacted the editor in regards to this little bit of b.s. too. I'll email my proof to everyone if I get insulted again. Maybe the LA Observed would like to know about LAist and their fake writers. Anti needs to be off of this site. You don't steal people's work and then get mad when they call you on your bullshit. You fix it and add a source. He's making all of the contributors on this site look bad. He is not a writer. He is not a journalist. Just some hipster dufus with expensive toys. . Jane

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:59:08 -0800

This article is not up to the standards set by previous Neighborhood entries, which I have greatly enjoyed and found quite informative. And the plagiarism in this piece is completely egregious... check out comment #29... Editor of LAist should really reconsider accepting future contributions from "Anti" (first clue that he's not a good writer - his choice of nickname for his online writer-persona.... so stupid!)

fredcamino

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:23:11 -0800

A pedestrian bridge to help local residents navigate across the dangerous train tracks without any harm.

Militant Angeleno

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:59:03 -0800

Once you understand that what the article is really saying is, "Watts has a lot of history and stuff, but there's really nothing for us hipsters here, let's just move on," then it all really makes sense.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:45:40 -0800

The point isn't plagiarism. It's how incredibly pointless and stupid the article is. Reading website summaries is not research.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:40:35 -0800

I've been reading the LAist Neighborhood Project from the start, and I must say that this entry is lacking the the heart, or perhaps the emotional involvement of previous entries. For example, the Garavanza entry was so interesting that it compelled me to explore a section of the city that I would otherwise have skipped. The Watts entry does nothing to pique interest, glossing over all non- gang-related history. The pictures aren't great, and the captions are simplistic as to be offensive (I get it, there's a lot of graffiti). I may not live in Watts, but if I did, I think i'd be pissed. This could have been a much better entry if more time were spent researching the positive aspects of Watts. Or at least anything not involving gangs and graffiti. If I wanted that, I'd rent "Boyz in the Hood." Jody

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:35:28 -0800

for the third time jane, refer to comment 12. and thanks for reading everything i wrote, i am flattered.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:34:31 -0800

dear jane, he gave you the links. way to go from ignorant slut to dumb bitch!

Militant Angeleno

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:27:57 -0800

22: I lulz'd (or rather, The Militant lulz'd.) 16: The Militant apologizes...that you obviously conform to the mainstream's definition and perception of what defines a "militant." Besdies, "I," "me," and "my" are perhaps the most self-centered words one can find. The Militant isn't doing this for his own personal gain.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:27:01 -0800

I have an account, but for some reason it's not accepting my password... Jane

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:25:36 -0800

\ Anti’s "words": History of Watts:_In 1926 the incorporated City of Watts voted to annex itself with the City of Los Angeles, and began to be settled by mostly whites and Mexican-Americans who worked on the railroad, but gradually became an almost all black neighborhood by the 1940's During WWII the Jordan Downs, Imperial Courts, and Nickerson Gardens housing projects were built. The Nickerson Gardens housing project being the largest of its kind west of the Mississippi River. These housing projects would later be the birth place for such gangs as The Grape Street Crips, The P Jay Crips, and the Bounty Hunter Watts Blood Gang The Wiki Entry: Along with more white Americans, Mexican and Mexican American railroad workers ("traqueros") settled in the community. Blacks came in later (many of the men were Pullman car porters and other railroad workers); schoolroom photos from 1909 and 1911 show two or three black faces among the 30 or so children pictured. By 1914, a black realtor, Charles C. Leake, was doing business in the area. Watts was predominantly black by 1940. During World War II, several large housing projects (including Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs, and Imperial Courts) were built to house workers in war industries. These projects were nearly 100 percent black by the early 1960s as whites moved to new suburbs outside the central city. Longstanding resentment by Los Angeles' working-class black community over treatment by police and what was seen as inadequate public services (especially schools and hospitals) exploded on August 11, 1965, into what were commonly known as the Watts Riots. The event that precipitated the disturbances, the arrest of a black youth by the California Highway Patrol on drunk-driving charges, actually occurred outside Watts, but the district was by far the area most damaged in the turmoil. Watts suffered further in the 1970s, with gangs gaining in strength. Between 1989 and 2005, police reported more than 20,000 homicides in Watts, most of them gang-related. Three of Watts' most notorious gangs—Grape Street Watts Crips, Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods, and PJ Watts Crips—formed a cease-fire agreement after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, a pact that may have been tied to a decrease in crime in the area between 1992 and 2000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts,_Los_Angeles,_California ______________________________________ He paraphrased this article form Wiki and did not source it. People who steal and plagiarize know that they are stealing so they try to paraphrase and add and delete words. The proof is in the pudding. Read the Wiki article and read Anti’s and I dare anyone to not tell me he lifted tha t straight from Wiki. Read Anti's previous work and notice a different tone in voice in this one. Where did you get your info from Anti? You obviously didn’t talk to anyone. Did you read a book? What sites did you go to? Give us some links…give us a source instead of just saying you didn't do it. Show us you didn't do it, but sourcing your article with two non wiki sources. Jane the Ignorant Slut

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:26:57 -0800

Perceiving the wiki entry as being better and accusing someone of plagiarism are two entirely different things.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:17:08 -0800

You're right! The wikipedia entry IS a lot better than what you wrote.

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:11:15 -0800

There is more attention given to gangs in this entry VS. the other neighborhood project entries because not all neighborhoods are the same.

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:03:36 -0800

what i wrote: The community's perceived harassment by police officers and lack of adequate public services such as hospitals and schools led to the mood that was just right for a riot. The violence erupted when a black youth was arrested for a DUI by a CHP officer, sparking outrage in the community, leading to the now infamous Watts Riots in 1965. from wikipedia: Longstanding resentment by Los Angeles' working-class black community over treatment by police and what was seen as inadequate public services (especially schools and hospitals) exploded on August 11, 1965, into what were commonly known as the Watts Riots. The event that precipitated the disturbances, the arrest of a black youth by the California Highway Patrol on drunk-driving charges, actually occurred outside Watts, but the district was by far the area most damaged in the turmoil. To further bust your balloon jane, see the comment i left here, which sites several credible sources on the Watts Riots, none are form wikipedia. and stay tuned, my Hyde Park entry is coming next!!!

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:56:59 -0800

Jane, you ignorant slut.¹ 1. Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtain on SNL Weekend Update, c. 1978

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:55:58 -0800

I don't understand why there is so much space given to covering the various gang names when that hasn't been done in any of the other neighborhood entries. The whole post seemed really slapped together, sorry.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:34:37 -0800

Us there even a point in referencing things you steal from an article that doesn't reference any of it's sources? Maybe you should just stick to writing about pot and indie performances. You seem to have more of a context for understanding those subjects.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:28:27 -0800

Nice try Anti, try looking at the the entry for Watts Los Angeles (I get you think Watts and Riots and that's it.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts%2C_Los_Angeles%2C_California You definitely stole the wording from this entry. Why do you think I went right to that entry. Unfortunately for you I just read that article and then I see yours. You stole it. Reference things that you steal Jane aka Browne Bunny ShameTrainLA

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:11:59 -0800

the entry on wikipedia is completely different http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_Riots

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:53:17 -0800

The reason he said perceieved, is because that is what the author read in Wikipedia. Outrageous. Outrageous that someone would do a story in Watts and just gloss pass the riots, like "oops, there was a fight..." The guy who wrote this is a complete moron. Jane

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:51:46 -0800

I don't think you're suppose to lift your "story" from Wikipedia. This is the exact same wording that is used in the Wikipedia entry for Watts. It's insane that whoever "wrote" this is trying to act as if this is anything. I can believe LAist put this up. Jane

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:46:20 -0800

Your history on the riots isn't entirely inaccurate, it is just truly dumbed down and dismissive. "perceived" harrasment from police officers? "a mood that was just right for a riot?" You write like a child and focus entirely too much on the gangs and violence of the area. And your sentence on the history of the cultural and ethnic background of Watts is just incorrect. Maybe instead of reading short summaries on websites, you could learn to do some actual research before you write. Why not mention the jazz, soul, or funk history of the area, as suggested by MA above? Why not mention how the freeways may have been used to carve the integrated aspect out of the area? Why not talk about many of the later problems you bring up emerged from redlining and the massive influx of poor southern blacks combined with a lack of investment and housing, as opposed to the earlier middle-class black population. Why not bring up the rivalry between South Gate and Watts? Why not mention the closing of the PE hub there? Really, the main problem is that you are just underqualified and apparently not interested in writing anything of substance on this area. This is even worse than that article on Korea Town.

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:45:29 -0800

you think it's better to use nick names instead of an artist's REAL name? that is stupid. when referring to black and Mexican demography, no people are not in actual competition. it was in reference to the numbers of residents. People WERE interviewed, including the man looking through debris, i said, "is that your shit?" and he said, "nah, i'm just looking..." i speak Spanish and English. and your cutesy way of referring to yourself in 3rd person is the least militant thing i have ever seen.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:44:34 -0800

militant - if you intend on offering your insight in third person tense you can keep your opinions to yourself, thankyouverymuch. perhaps you can contribute to the 'trying-too-hard' project, as you have apparently perfected that writing style.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:38:16 -0800

How come most of this entry is the history of Watts gangs, while there was no mention of gangs at all in the recent (and excellent) Garvanza post? I know this is a volunteer effort, and it's a wonderful series I look forward to every day, but articles like this one make me sad.

Militant Angeleno

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:10:08 -0800

The Militant doesn't need to say much more than what's already been said. He did feel a general sense of "Let's take some pictures and get the hell out of here and look up the rest on Wikipedia." The Militant knew something was up when the Watts entry referred to the Watts Towers' builder by his Italian birth name and not the name the local residents called him. Also Mexican-Americans "competing" against the black residents? Is there some reality show somewhere where certain people get voted off? It's more like African Americans are leaving Watts to places like the IE and the Antelope Valley and Latino (not all Mexican) immigrants are simply moving into the houses and apartments that people moved out of. Speaking of research, it seems there was a lot of great research done on the gangs, which was put right at the beginning. If the Militant were a Watts resident, he's be fucking pissed. Every neighborhood, no matter how run-down, has people who genuinely love, know and care for their neighborhood. LAist should get to identify these people whenever they take on a community. Perhaps the neighborhood project could add more credibility and depth by, you know, interviewing people? Maybe the guy looking through the trash was walking past it while holding the mail on the way to the mailbox and the wind blew some of it in the pile. And if some, nay, many of these neighborhoods have people who don't speak English, well...maybe LAist could have some bilingual people on their staff. When the Militant looked at the pics of your staff, he was nearly blinded. If you guys ever re-write this, the Militant suggests you play some Charles Mingus and Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band in the background instead of that indie rock stuff. The Militant would prefer if LAist could send him a list of Neighborhood Project entries via email (via the MilitantAngeleno 's eponymous gmail.com address) and the Militant will add his insight.

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:57:53 -0800

i accurately reported the Watts riot. want proof? click here click here click here and click here my history is correct. and of course, the "guests" offer nothing to prove i am wrong. typical.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:43:23 -0800

I believe LAist said it welcomed freelance contributions on this project. Perhaps one of the guests would take the opportunity to do an addition.

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:39:29 -0800

you obviously know nothing about this neighborhood, or most others you've covered for that matter. Watts was always a destination for black people, and was one of the most integrated neighborhoods in the city, due to a train station hub that existed there. I believe it was W.E.B. Dubois who went here in the 1920s or so, and commented approvingly on the ability for black families to own their own homes. Also, your description of the riots and pretty much all aspects of Watts history is off the mark and dismissive. Please stay away from history. You have yet to get a damn thing right.

Anti

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:07:20 -0800

ironic isn't it?

guest

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:44:36 -0800

"The community's perceived harassment by police officers and lack of adequate public services such as hospitals and schools led to the mood that was just right for a riot. The violence erupted when a black youth was arrested for a DUI" "The Watts Senior Citizen Center was buzzing with activity. Watts has a lot of older residents, and they are likely to be seen entering and exiting this building." Should you really be covering communities you do not even pretend to understand?

LA City Nerd

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:35:07 -0800

LAist Neighborhood Project, you know we love you! But, this post lacks some of the true institutions of Watts, namely the Watts Labor Community Action Committee and all the work they do, as well as the Promenade of Prominence, the many churches, and the true neighborhoods off the main streets. Watts is a special part of Los Angeles that needs even greater attention to show the parts that are not widely known and not just those common Watts themes: Rodia Towers, gangs, housing projects, & poverty. The Towers have an art center and museum attached that are quite impressive, and the neighborhood has true leaders that need mentioning like "Sweet Alice" Harris. Also, no mention of Ted Watkins or the park named in his honor is hard to fathom as it's one of the most prominent pieces of land in the community. I can't wait for Watts Part II.

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:12:39 -0800

Killer of Sheep by Charles Burnett

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:35:39 -0800

I'd be happy to take the pics the next time the Neighborhood Project ventures into treacherous territory, defined as anything south of the 10 freeway, by the latterati (which includes LAist readers). Seriously, peeps, you really should get out more. I hadn't been in the 'hood in a while myself, but I did go to the Central Avenue Jazz Festival on 7/27/07(www.centralavenuejazzfestival.com) A great time was had by all. And the neighborhoods are looking better than I remember. Downtown gentrification is slowly creeping south -- it's only a matter of time before it reaches Watts...

Anti

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:02:09 -0800

i took all the pictures while riding a segway.

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:56:08 -0800

You had me at "A local Watts resident looks through a pile of debris on the corner, in search of salvagable items that may be of value."

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:51:41 -0800

You should have a medal for surviving Watts. Or a t shirt, which ever works.

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:38:26 -0800

yeah, you definitely did NOT hop out of the car to snap these gems. or is the Jordan Downs Housing project always that blurry?