Conclusion

Most histories that have been written about black Los Angeles center on the community that developed after the Great Migration. After all, the amount of newer arrivals dwarfed the small numbers who had settled in the city before. These histories take advantage of a richer historical record than what remains of the earlier period of settlement, where migrants’ experiences were virtually unknown. But that does not mean they were non ex is tent. In fact, when one looks closely, one finds a small, thriving black community that worked closely with other racial and ethnic communities in order to maintain itself. This early black community, made up almost entirely of working-class people, together with a very small elite class, created black Los Angeles....

The Development of the Underclass

Chapter 4, “The Development of the Underclass,” contextualizes the history of race in Los Angeles within the history of the American West (1870 – 1900). It explores how local white Angelenos combated notions of criminality and attempted to portray Los Angeles as atypical compared to other western American centers, hoping to pin its social ills on the small racialized communities (black Latino/a, and Chinese) that they were actively trying to segregate and minimize. It also explores California’s legal history, and examines the impact of federal, state, and local legislation on the communities of racialized minorities, particularly African American, Native American, and Chinese people. This chapter also examines the role of the local media in shaping mainstream attitudes towards local people of color.

Booker T. Washington Goes West

Finally, Chapter 6, “Mr.Washington Goes West,” examines the two visits by Booker T. Washington, first in 1903, and again in 1914 and investigates whether his national platform was something Black Angelenos wanted for their community, given the relative gains they made during the late 19th century. This chapter also considers the Washington’s relationship with the local leadership while drawing comparisons with Du Bois’s role in early Black Los Angeles history. This chapter also places the black experience in the West within the context of the national experience by considering the relationship of these two African American leaders with Black Angelenos.

Establishing and Maintaining Institutions

Chapter 3 is the story of the creation of a larger black community in Los Angeles at the turn of the twentieth century. It examines the ways in which a few were able to take full advantage of the resources available to all regional settlers. It explores how these few, along with their families, maintained foundational social and cultural institutions for later waves of African American migrants.

They Were All Filled with the Holy Ghost!

Chapter 5, “They Were All Filled With the Holy Ghost!,” emphasizes the role of African American religious institutions, focusing primarily on the early years of the Azusa Street Revival, 1906 – 1908, a multiracial cultural event which marked the beginning of modern Pentecostalism. It investigates the individual histories of the movement’s founder, William J. Seymour, and his teacher, Charles Fox Parham, the movement’s multiracial constituency, and specific activities of laypeople within the movement. This chapter contextualizes the Pentecostalism in Los Angeles as illustrative of the city’s multicultural and multiracial characteristics.

Heaven Ain’t Hard to Find

Chapter 2 focuses primarily on African Americans with some comparisons to other racialized groups. It lays the foundation for understanding the collective black experience from 1850 to 1870. It considers the racial climate and social hierarchy, particularly, the ways in which black Angelenos established a community within the larger society. By examining the lives of the first families in the city, this chapter shows how people connected with one another in order to secure access to education and economic opportunity.

Myths and Origins

Chapter 1, “Myths and Origins” considers the earliest period of settlement in California (1781 – 1848) and the peculiar role of race during that time. It also examines the ways settlers of Afro-Latino descent affected the lives of African Americans a century later. Most importantly, this chapter explores California as an important landscape for establishing a racial hierarchy not only under Mexican rule, but also after it became United States territory (1848), by examining the ways in which African American settlers and other racial minorities in this early period contributed to defining race on the city’s frontier.

Introduction

At the beginning of the twentieth century, two of the most prominent African American leaders, W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, visited California. Washington visited twice, in 1903 and in 1914. Du Bois traveled to the state in 1913, and wrote extensively about Los Angeles in his ...