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.
Activist ‘Sweet’ Alice Harris honored in Watts
'Sweet' Alice Harris in Watts on December 15, 2022.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Los Angeles Times for Getty Images
)
Topline:
Alice Harris, a longtime activist and founder of Parents of Watts, was once again honored by the community she’s worked in for decades.
Why now: Part of a street in Watts was named after Harris in a ceremony Monday on Lou Dillon Avenue, near an intersection that was dubbed “Sweet Alice Square” in June.
Why it matters: L.A. City Councilmember Tim McOsker, whose 15th district includes Watts, said at a ceremony Monday that Harris uplifts people, makes sure everyone’s dignity is respected, and that everyone has opportunities.
“No one gets left behind,” he said. “She makes sure that she’s here in [the] community, for the people.”
The backstory: Harris, who grew up in Alabama and moved to Watts in 1959, has been an advocate in education, social services, civil rights, politics, and more. You can hear her life story in her own words, including how she earned the nickname "sweet" during a trip to Washington, D.C., through the UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research.
Go deeper: Learn more about “Sweet Alice.”
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
