2 days ago · The Eaton Fire has had devastating and disproportionate impacts on Altadena’s Black community, according to a new data brief from the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge and the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. “Altadena’s Black community has long served as a symbol of resilience and opportunity in the Los Angeles ...

Jan 19, 2025 · For many African Americans who built their lives and businesses in historically Black communities like Altadena, the combined loss of generational wealth and personal heirlooms is indescribable.

Jan 16, 2025 · Unlike other communities that saw an influx of African Americans accompanied by significant white flight, Altadena adapted to the changing demographics while maintaining its unique character. As late as 1970, the town was 68% percent white. By 1980, the percentage of Blacks in the population peaked at 43%.

6 days ago · At one point in history, African Americans made up over 40% of Altadena's homeowners. In 2025, of the 18% of Black residents in the town, 81% own homes—almost double the national rate.

Jan 13, 2025 · Altadena, located just 13 miles northeast of Los Angeles, boasts a population that is 18% Black, with a significant portion (65%) of residents aged 65 and older, according to the U.S. Census...

Jan 18, 2025 · Altadena’s Black community had begun to sprout in the area as early as the 1920s and 1930s, when the Great Migration brought Black families looking to escape discrimination …

Jan 14, 2025 · The historically Black city has been reduced to ashes, displacing families who've lost everything. The Altadena cemetery, where science fiction novelist Octavia Butler is buried, caught fire. Butler wrote about 2025 wildfires caused by climate change in her popular book “Parable of the Sower.”

3 days ago · Introduction Altadena, a historically Black, middle-class and culturally vibrant community, has been devastated by the January 2025 Eaton fire. This Data Brief provides new information on the historical trajectory of Altadena’s Black community and the impacts from the wildfires, using multiple data sources.

Jan 16, 2025 · Altadena’s Black community has shrunk in recent decades — representing 18% in the 2020 census — but its influence is deeply embedded.

Jan 14, 2025 · For Black residents, Altadena represented something more than suburban living. It was a foothold in generational prosperity.