One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Commission rules First Baptist Church of Venice will not become a monument
The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission rejected a proposal to name the First Baptist Church of Venice as a historic cultural monument.
(
Emily Elena Dugdale/KPCC
)
Listen
1:01
Commission rules First Baptist Church of Venice will not become a monument
The vote by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission to reject the monument was disappointing to the small group of supporters in the audience.
They say the now-closed First Baptist Church of Venice was the heart of the historically Black community in the Oakwood neighborhood. Redlining in the 1900s made this neighborhood one of the few places in the area Black people could live.
Now the area is gentrifying. Multi-millionaire Jay Penske bought the property in 2017 and plans to turn it into a mansion.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
