South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...

, lying mostly within the city limits of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, south of

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

. It is defined on Los Angeles city maps as a rectangle. In 2003, the Los Angeles City Council renamed this area South Los Angeles. The name South Los Angeles can also refer to a larger region that includes areas within the city limits of Los Angeles as well as five

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

s in the southern portion of Los Angeles County."South L.A."
Mapping L.A. website of the ''Los Angeles Times''

Geography

City of Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles delineates the South Los Angeles Community Plan area as an area of . Adjacent communities include West Adams, Baldwin Hills, and Leimert Park to the west, and Southeast Los Angeles (the 26-neighborhood area east of the Harbor Freeway) on the east.

Los Angeles Times Mapping Project

According to the '' Los Angeles Times Mapping Project'', the South Los Angeles region comprises , consisting of 25

neighborhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

within the city of Los Angeles as well as three unincorporated neighborhoods in the county of Los Angeles.

Google Maps

Google Maps delineates a similar area to the '' Los Angeles Times Mapping Project'' with notable differences on the western border. On the northwest, it omits a section of Los Angeles west of La Brea Avenue. On the southwest, it includes a section of the city of Inglewood north of Century Boulevard.

Districts and neighborhoods

According to the

Mapping L.A. Mapping L.A. was a 2009 project of the ''Los Angeles Times''. It identified 158 cities and Unincorporated area, unincorporated areas within Los Angeles County, California. It also drew boundary lines for 114 neighborhoods within the Los Angeles, C ...

survey of the ''Los Angeles Times'', the South Los Angeles region consists of the following neighborhoods:Grant, et al. (1996), "African Americans"

City of Los Angeles

* Adams-Normandie * Baldwin Hills/ Crenshaw * Broadway-Manchester * Central-Alameda * Chesterfield Square * Exposition Park *

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

* West Park Terrace * Green Meadows * Harvard Park * Historic South Central * Hyde Park * Jefferson Park *

Leimert Park Leimert Park (; ) is a neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. Developed in the 1920s as a mainly residential community, it features Spanish Colonial Revival homes and tree-lined streets. The Life Magazine/Leim ...

* Manchester Square * Nevin *

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...

* University Park * Vermont Knolls * Vermont Square * Vermont Vista * Vermont-Slauson *

Watts Watts is plural for ''watt'', the unit of power. Watts may also refer to: People *Watts (surname), a list of people with the surname Watts Fictional characters *Albie Watts, a fictional character in the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' *Angie ...

* West Adams

Unincorporated county neighborhoods

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

* Florence-Firestone-Graham * Westmont * Willowbrook * View Park-Windsor Hills

History

The roots of South Los Angeles traces back to the beginning of the 20th Century.

Pre-1948

Until the 1920s, the South Los Angeles neighborhood of West Adams was one of the most desirable areas of the City. As the wealthy were building stately

mansions A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... from the Latin w ...

in West Adams and Jefferson Park, the

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

working class was establishing itself in Crenshaw and Hyde Park. Affluent blacks gradually moved into West Adams and Jefferson Park.Darnell Hunt and Ana-Christina Ramon (eds.). ''Black Los Angeles: American Dreams and Racial Realities''. New York: New York University. . As construction along the Wilshire Boulevard corridor gradually increased in the 1920s, the development of the city was drawn west of downtown and away from South Los Angeles. In the eastern side of South Los Angeles (which the city calls the "Southeastern CPA") roughly east of the Harbor Freeway, the area grew southward in the late 1800s along the ever-longer streetcar routes. Areas north of Slauson Boulevard were mostly built out by the late 1910s, while south of Slauson land was mostly undeveloped, much used by Chinese and Japanese Americans growing produce. In 1903, the farmers were bought out and Ascot Park racetrack was built, which turned into a "den of gambling and drinking". In the late 1910s the park was razed and freed up land for quick build-up of residential and industrial buildings in the 1920s. "By 1940, approximately 70 percent of the black population of Los Angeles was confined to the Central Avenue corridor"; the area of modest bungalows and low-rise commercial buildings along Central Avenue emerged as the heart of the black community in southern California. Originally, the city's black community was concentrated around what is now Little Tokyo, but began moving south after 1900. It had one of the first

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

scenes in the western U.S., with trombonist

Kid Ory Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, Trombone, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of Music of New Orle ...

a prominent resident. Under racially restrictive covenants, blacks were allowed to own property only within the "Slauson Box" (the area bounded by Main, Slauson, Alameda, and Washington) and in Watts, as well as in small enclaves elsewhere in the city. The working- and middle-class blacks who poured into Los Angeles during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and in search of jobs during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

found themselves penned into what was becoming a severely overcrowded neighborhood. During the war, blacks faced such dire housing shortages that the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles built the virtually all-black and Latino Pueblo Del Rio project, designed by

Richard Neutra Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; 8 April 1892 – 16 April 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for most of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. His most ...

. During this time,

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

remained a minority alongside whites, Asians, and Hispanics; but by the 1930s those groups moved out of the area, African Americans continued to move in, and eastern South LA became majority black.

Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

in previously established communities south of Slauson, east of Alameda and west of San Pedro streets persecuted blacks moving beyond established "lines", and thus blacks became effectively restricted to the area in between.

1948–1960s

By the 1940s, the demographics of South Los Angeles were rapidly changing. In 1940, the region was 80% white and 15% black. By 1950s, black people were nearly half of the regions population. Violence was becoming more common as well. As early as 1941, 21% of all homicide victims in Los Angeles were black, despite making up less than 5% of the population. And in all but one of the cases, the suspects were black as well. By 1952, The Newton Division (South Central) had a murder rate of 80 per 100,000, a rate 15 times higher than the national average. As the 1950s rolled on, black people made up half of all those arrested for serious violent crimes in L.A.-murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, despite making up only 11% of the city. Many white people fled both South Los Angeles and Compton, which shifted the demographics. South LA's white population dropped from 80% in 1940 to 10% by 1970, while the black portion rose from 15% to 80% in the same time period. Compton was 95% white in 1950; by 1980, it was 1%. As violence continued to rise, more white people fled, and black gangs such as the Slausons and Businessmen were formed. As in most urban areas, 1950s

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

construction radically altered the geography of southern Los Angeles. Freeway routes tended to reinforce traditional segregation lines.John Buntin (2009). ''L.A. Noir''. .

1970s–mid 2000s

Beginning in the 1970s, the rapid decline of the area's manufacturing base resulted in a loss of the jobs that had allowed skilled union workers to enjoy a middle-class lifestyle. Downtown Los Angeles' service sector, which had long been dominated by unionized African Americans earning relatively fair wages, replaced most black workers with newly arrived Mexican and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

n immigrants. Widespread unemployment,

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

and street crime contributed to the rise of street

gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...

s in South Central, such as the

Crips The Crips are a primarily African-American alliance of street gangs that are based in the coastal regions of Southern California. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, the Crips ...

and the

Bloods The Bloods are a primarily African Americans, African American street gang which was founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for Crips–Bloods gang war, its rivalry with the Crips. It is identified by the red color worn ...

. The gangs became even more powerful with money coming in from drugs, especially the

crack cocaine Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be Smoking, smoked. Crack offers a short, intense Euphoria (emotion), high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Sub ...

trade that was dominated by gangs in the 1980s.Dunn, William. 2007 ''The Gangs of Los Angeles''. Paul Feldman of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote in 1989:

Leaders of the black community regret the branding of a large, predominantly black sector of the city as South-Central, saying it amounts to a subtle form of racial stereotyping.

He added that they believed such "distinctive neighborhoods" as

, Lafayette Square and the Crenshaw District were "well-removed" from South Central. In 1992, this area was at the center of the Los Angeles Riots, also known as the Los Angeles Uprising, which were sparked after an all-White jury acquitted

Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

officers who were on trial for the videotaped police brutality of

Rodney King Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was a Black American victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was severely beaten by Police officer, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high spe ...

. By the early 2000's this area became a major flashpoint of race based gang killings. In the mid 1990s, the Mexican Mafia, a prison gang with control over most of the Latino gangs in L.A., gave the green light to kill all blacks in sight. Dozens of people were targeted and killed, most of them black. These were gang killings not for turf or drug wars, but simply on the basis of race hatred. "I don’t see much history left for blacks in Los Angeles,” says LAPD probation officer James Lewis, who is himself black and deals specifically with Latino gang members in northeast Los Angeles, including the Avenues. The black population of South Los Angeles dropped from over 50% in 1990 to less than 20% by 2020.

2010s

By the early 2010s, the crime rate of South Los Angeles had declined significantly. Redevelopment, improved police patrol, community-based peace programs, gang intervention work, and youth development organizations lowered the murder and crime rates to levels that had not been seen since the 1940s and 1950s. Nevertheless, South Los Angeles was still known for its

gangs A gang is a group or society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collecti ...

at the time. After leading the nation in homicides again in 2002, the City Council of Los Angeles voted to change the name ''South Central Los Angeles'' to ''South Los Angeles'' on all city documents in 2003, a move supporters said would "help erase a stigma that has dogged the southern part of the city." On August 11, 2014, just two days after the

shooting of Michael Brown On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Brown was accompanied by his 22-year-old male friend Dorian Johnson. Wilson, a white male Fergu ...

Ferguson, Missouri Ferguson is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 18,527, and is predominantly Bla ...

, a resident of South L.A., Ezell Ford, described as "a mentally ill 25-year-old man," was fatally shot by two Los Angeles police officers (see Shooting of Ezell Ford). Since then, a number of protests focused on events in Ferguson have taken place in South Los Angeles. After the 2008 economic recession, housing prices in South Los Angeles recovered significantly, and by 2018, many had come to see South Los Angeles as a prime target for gentrification amid rising real estate values. Residents and activists are against market-rate housing as they have concerns that these projects will encourage landlords to sell, redevelop their properties or jack up rents. Under California law, cities can't reject residential projects based on these criticisms if the project complies with applicable planning and zoning rules. The construction of the

K Line is a Japanese transportation company. It owns a fleet that includes dry cargo ships (bulk carriers), container ships, liquefied natural gas carriers, Ro-Ro ships, tankers, and container terminals. It used to be the fourteenth largest contai ...

light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...

through the neighborhood has stimulated the building of denser multistory projects, especially around the new stations. The NFL Stadium in Inglewood also encourages gentrification according to activists. Real estate values in South Los Angeles were further bolstered by news that Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics, with many of the games to be hosted on or near the USC campus.

Early 2020s–present

Crime in South Los Angeles has increased significantly with the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Recession caused by the pandemic sparked gang warfare that rivalled all-time high statistics, with homicide figures similar to those of late 1990s to early-to-mid 2000s.

Demographics

By the end of the 1980s, South Los Angeles had an increasing number of Hispanics and Latinos, mostly in the northeastern section of the region. According to scholars, "Between 1970 and 1990 the South LA area went from 80% African American and 9% Latino to 50.3% African American and 44% Latino." Many African Americans from South Los Angeles have moved to Palmdale and Lancaster in the

Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley is a valley primarily located in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, Kern County, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated ...

. South Los Angeles has received immigrants from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

. According to the city's "2014 South Los Angeles Community Plan Area Demographic Profile", South Los Angeles had a population of 271,040 residents with the following racial and ethnic balance: Race: Asian - 4.9%, White - 21.4%, African-American - 28.7%, Other Race - 39.4%. Ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race): Not Hispanic or Latino - 39%, Hispanic or Latino - 61%. According to the census, for the category of "race", respondents self-identified as one of the following: White, African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, or Two or More Races. For the category of "ethnicity", they self-identified as either "Hispanic or Latino" or "Not Hispanic or Latino". According to the 2000 United States census, Mexican and Unspecified African were the most common ancestries. Mexico and

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

are the most common foreign places of birth.

Education

South Los Angeles is home to the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in the University Park neighborhood. It is California's oldest private research university.

Los Angeles Unified School District

The following

LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a State school, public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the List ...

schools fall within the boundaries of South Los Angeles. LAUSD Elementary Schools * Coliseum Street Elementary * Graham Elementary * Grape Street Elementary * Lovelia P. Flournoy Elementary * Manchester Avenue Elementary * Raymond Avenue Elementary * Normandie Avenue Elementary * Russell Elementary * Foshay Learning Center * 20th Street Elementary * 28th Street Elementary * 68th Street Elementary * 75th Street Elementary * 107th Street Elementary * 109th Street Elementary * 112th Street Elementary * 116th Street Elementary *118th Street Elementary *Hooper Ave Elementary LAUSD Middle Schools * Audubon Middle School * Carver Middle School * Charles Drew Middle School * Clinton Middle School * Edwin Markham Middle School * John Adams Middle School * Mary McLeod Bethune Middle School * Samuel Gompers Middle School * Thomas Edison Middle School * Los Angeles Academy Middle School * Foshay Learning Center LAUSD High Schools * Crenshaw High School * Susan Miller Dorsey High School * Locke High School * John C Fremont High School *

Washington Preparatory High School George Washington Preparatory High School is a public four-year high school of Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the Westmont census-designated place and has a Los Angeles pos ...

* Thomas Jefferson High School * David Starr Jordan High School * Diego Rivera Learning Complex * King-Drew Senior High Medicine and Science Magnet * Mervyn M Dymally Senior High * Santee Education Complex High School * Foshay Learning Center * Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School *

Manual Arts High School Manual Arts High School is a secondary public school in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Manual Arts High School was founded in 1910 in the middle of bean fields, one-half mile from the nearest bus stop. It was the third high sc ...

* Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School LAUSD 6-12 schools: * Boys Academic Leadership Academy

Colleges and Universities

Community Colleges * Los Angeles Southwest College * Los Angeles Trade Tech College Universities *

* Mount St. Mary's University (Los Angeles)

Landmarks

USC vs University of Oregon November 2019

BMO Stadium BMO Stadium (formerly Banc of California Stadium) is a soccer-specific stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC ...

* California African American Museum *

California Science Center The California Science Center (sometimes spelled California ScienCenter) is a state agency and science museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, next to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the University of Southern Cali ...

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are par ...

* Central Avenue * Clark Library * Coca-Cola Building * Dunbar Hotel * Exposition Park * Fire Station No. 30 *

* Lincoln Theater *

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hal ...

* Los Angeles Sports Arena (demolished) * Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (under construction) * King/Drew Medical Center * Second Baptist Church * 28th Street YMCA *

Watts Towers The Watts Towers, Towers of Simon Rodia, or ''Nuestro Pueblo'' ("our town" in Spanish) are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the arti ...

Notable people

Music and entertainment

A-K

Ab-Soul Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where he eventually formed We ...

* Ahmad Jones *

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

* Brownside * Blxst *

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...

* Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band * CJ Mac *

Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known by his stage name Coolio, was an American rapper. He was best known for his single "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995), which won a Grammy Award, and was credited for changing the cours ...

Cozz Cody Rashad Osagie, better known by his stage name Cozz, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's label Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album ''Cozz & Effect'', was released in October 2014. He has since rele ...

* Da Lench Mob *

Dom Kennedy Dominic Ross Hunn (born August 22, 1984), better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper. His fourth mixtape, ''From the Westside with Love'' (2010), was met with critical acclaim; its sequel, '' From the Westside with Love II' ...

Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...

* Eazy E *

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...

* Glasses Malone * Hakeem Khaaliq *

Hampton Hawes Hampton Barnett Hawes Jr. (November 13, 1928 – May 22, 1977) was an American jazz pianist. He was the author of the memoir ''Raise Up Off Me'', which won the Deems-Taylor Award for music writing in 1975. Early life Hampton Hawes was born on No ...

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

* Issa Rae *

Jay Rock Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1985), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. Rock signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major lab ...

Jhené Aiko Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (; born March 16, 1988) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer and rapper. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for the R&B group B2K. She was signed by the ...

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and Extended technique, non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one ...

, musician * Johnny "J" * Kam *

K-Dee Darrell L. Johnson, also known as K-Dee, formerly Kid Disaster (born May 24, 1969), is an American rapper most known for his album ''Ass, Gas, or Cash (No One Rides for Free) He came into prominence in the hip hop scene with fellow West Coast ...

* Kausion *

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician. He is a singer, guitarist and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link to the seminal Delta blues that tra ...

Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has releas ...

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

L-Z

* L.V. * Eva Marcille *

Meghan Markle Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (; born Rachel Meghan Markle, August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family, media personality, entrepreneur, and former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son ...

* Montell Jordan * Murs *

Nipsey Hussle Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...

* O.F.T.B. *

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...

Ras Kass John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup The Hrsmn, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is als ...

* Robin Russell, drummer, member of New Birth/Nite-Liters (band) *

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...

Scott Shaw Scott Shaw (born 23 September 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an American author, martial artist, musician, and filmmaker. Career Scott Shaw is an advanced martial artist. He has written a number of articles and books on the martial arts a ...

* Shawn Fonteno * Sir Jinx * Skee-Lo *

South Central Cartel South Central Cartel is an American West Coast hip hop/gangsta rap group based in Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coas ...

* Spider Loc *

Tiffany Haddish Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish (born December 3, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Her breakthrough came in with a leading role in the comedy film '' Girls Trip'' (2017), which earned her several accolades and was included on ...

* Tone Lōc * Tyrese Gibson * WC * Young Maylay *

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

Ty Dolla $ign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...

Terrace Martin Terrace Jamahl Martin (born December 28, 1978) is an American musician, rapper, singer, and record producer. He is perhaps best known for producing records for several prominent artists in the music industry, including Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog ...

Sports and athletes

* Andre Miller * Baron Davis *

Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry Sr. (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the sport ...

Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...

* Eric Davis * Florence Griffith-Joyner * Ozzie Smith *

Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member o ...

* Steve Smith Sr. * Trayvon Robinson * Willie Mack *

DeSean Jackson DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Delaware State Hornets football, Delaware State University. Known for his speed, he is recog ...

* Vontaze Burfict

Politicians

A-K

Karen Bass Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the United States House ...

, Mayor of Los Angeles 2022-present, State Assembly 2004–2010, U.S. House of Representatives, 2011–2022 * Tom Bradley (South Central, Los Angeles City Council, 1963–73; Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, 1973–93 * Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, State Assembly, 1967–73; U.S. House of Representatives, 1973–79; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 1979–80 and 1992–2008 * Julian C. Dixon, State Assembly, 1973–78; U.S. House of Representatives, 1979–2000 * Mervyn M. Dymally, State Assembly, 1962–68 and 2002–08; California State Senate, 1969–74; Lieutenant Governor of California, 1975–79; U.S. House of Representatives, 1981–93 * Robert C. Farrell (born 1936), journalist and member of the Los Angeles City Council, 1974–1991, prepared report on unemployment in Watts * Augustus Hawkins, State Assembly, 1932–62; U.S. House of Representatives, 1962–1991 * Marqueece Harris-Dawson City Council, 2015–present) * Horace Hiller (1844–1898), member of the Los Angeles Common Council *

Nate Holden Nathan Nathaniel Holden (June 19, 1929 – May 7, 2025) was an American politician from Los Angeles County. He served for four years in the California State Senate and 16 years on the Los Angeles City Council. Biography Upbringing and family N ...

, State Senator, 1974–78; Los Angeles City Council, 1987–2002

L-Z

* Gilbert Lindsey, Los Angeles City Council, 1962–91 * James G. McAllister, president of the South Los Angeles Property Owners' Protective League and City Council member * Billy G. Mills, Los Angeles City Council, 1963–1974; Los Angeles Superior Court, 1974–?? *

Holly Mitchell Holly J. Mitchell (born September 7, 1964) is an American politician currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. A California Democratic Party, Democrat, Mitchell served as a State Senator for California's Cali ...

, State Assembly, 2010–present * Kevin Murray, State Assembly, 1994–98; State Senate, 1998–2006 * Jan Perry, Los Angeles City Council, 2002–present * Curren Price, City Council, 1993–97 and 2001–2006; State Assembly, 2006–2009; State Senate, 2009–present * Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles City Council, 1991–2002; State Assembly; 2002–06; State Senate 2006–2008; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 2008–present * Frederick Madison Roberts, State Assembly, 1918–32 * Rita Walters, Los Angeles Unified School District Board, 1979–91; Los Angeles City Council, 1991–2001 *

Maxine Waters Maxine Moore Waters (née Carr; born August 15, 1938) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1991. The district, numbered as the California's 29th congressional district, ...

, State Assembly, 1976–1991; U.S. House of Representatives, 1991–present *

Diane Watson Diane Edith Watson (born November 12, 1933) is a former American politician who served as United States House of Representatives, US Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011, after first being elected in the 32nd District in a 2001 speci ...

, Los Angeles Unified School District Board, 1975–73; State Senate, 1978–98; United States Ambassador to Micronesia, 1999–2000; U.S. House of Representatives, 2001–2011 *

Herb Wesson Herman J. "Herb" Wesson Jr. (born November 11, 1951) is an American politician who served as a councilmember representing the 10th District for three terms between July 1, 2005 and December 14, 2020, and again on an appointed basis from March 2 ...

, State Assembly, 1998–2004; Los Angeles City Council, 2005–present) * Roderick Wright, State Assembly, 1996–2002; State Senate, 2008–present)

Artists, filmmakers and writers

* Ron Finley (South LA) * Mark Bradford (Leimert Park) * Kody Scott (South LA) * Catherine Opie (South LA) *

David Ayer David Ayer (born January 18, 1968) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his action work, writing films such as ''Training Day'' (2001), '' The Fast and the Furious'' (2001), and '' S.W.A.T.'' (2003), and directing films such as '' End ...

(South LA) * Charles Burnett (Watts) * Wanda Coleman (Watts) *

John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for ...

(South L.A.) *

Ava DuVernay Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, NAACP Image Awards, a British Academy Film Awards, ...

(South L.A.) * Issa Rae (South L.A.) * Kehinde Wiley (South L.A.)

Education

* Rosemarie Allen (born 1950), American academic specialized in diversity, equity, and inclusion

Clergy

* Frederick K. C. Price (South Los Angeles)—founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center

Government and infrastructure

The

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Health Services Los Angeles County, officially the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and is the United States' second largest municip ...

operates the South Health Center in

, serving South Los Angeles.South Health Center
"

. Retrieved on March 18, 2010.

References

Notes

External links

* *
Image of the Vessels of Christ Ministry Choir in South Central Los Angeles, California, 1986.

Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,

Charles E. Young Research Library The Charles E. Young Research Library is one of the largest libraries on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. It initially opened in 1964, and a second phase of construction was completed ...

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

.
Image of South Central residents demonstrating against crime, Los Angeles, California, 1983.

Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,

.
Black Experiences of Latinization and Loss in South Los Angeles
{{Authority control Los Angeles County, California, regions Chicano and Mexican neighborhoods in California California Enterprise Zones Neighborhoods in Los Angeles African-American history in Los Angeles

Geography

City of Los Angeles

Los Angeles Times Mapping Project

Google Maps

Districts and neighborhoods

City of Los Angeles

Unincorporated county neighborhoods

History

Pre-1948

1948–1960s

1970s–mid 2000s

2010s

Early 2020s–present

Demographics

Education

Los Angeles Unified School District

Colleges and Universities

Landmarks

Notable people

Music and entertainment

A-K

L-Z

Sports and athletes

Politicians

A-K

L-Z

Artists, filmmakers and writers

Education

Clergy

Government and infrastructure

See also

References

Notes

Further reading

External links