Destination Crenshaw (DC) is an upcoming project in South Los Angeles intended to honor the Black community and create an artistic atmosphere and culture for residents in Los Angeles County.

There are a lot of residents that have helped out with this upcoming project and it is growing and thriving. Many Individuals have helped by creating beautiful artwork and also setting up different sculptures, murals, and various media in relation to DC to engage the audience.

According to the DC website, “The Crenshaw District is the cradle of Black American creativity. Who we are – our joy, our strength, and our struggle – is rooted in this neighborhood. We are unapologetically Black, and we want the world to know it. With beautifully designed community spaces, new murals, iconic sculptures, world-class landscaping and architecture, and artistic programming, Destination Crenshaw is a commitment to our cultural and spatial permanence. It is a place to honor Black triumphs, build Black futures, and make a statement celebrating our present and our presence.”

“We are stamping Crenshaw Boulevard, the spine of Los Angeles’ Black community, with a transformative infrastructure project that will boost our community through economic development, job creation, and environmental healing, while elevating Black art and culture.”

“This project is going to be the largest black project in Los Angeles and also in California. This project is more than just art but it’s also all about culture when you look at the big picture and this project is meant to inspire many people all over the world,” said Jason Foster, South Los Angeles native and President of Destination Crenshaw.

I had an opportunity to ask Mr. Foster some additional questions that follow.

KL: How does being a part of DC personally affect you?

JF: The Destination Crenshaw (DC) allows me to work on a project that has a goal to create cultural permanence for the local community. As a resident of South Los Angeles, I understand the concerns that residents hold. This work is for me and my family as well.

KL: How does this impact the community?

JF: When plans for the K-Line were announced, DC knew the train’s arrival would provide an unprecedented opportunity to expose thousands of tourists and new visitors to the cultural heart of the Black community.  Coming together, the community decided to create the country’s largest reparative Black art and economic revival program. We are building community spaces, planting 800 new trees, investing in local businesses, creating jobs, and funding commissions for more than 100 Black artists.

KL: Do you feel like DC brings the community closer together, especially people of color?

JF: We aim to join community members in co-creating our future through this project. Our workforce development program currently hires over 70% of our workforce from the local community, and our DC Art Corp programming will commission over 50 Black artists from the Crenshaw district.

KL: What will Destination Crenshaw mean for you personally? Will it be a frequent destination for you?

JF: Personally, Destination Crenshaw is a future-oriented project that Black people deserve. The investment that we are making is an equitable one, tied to creating a place for Black contributions to LA to be celebrated.

Yes! I plan to walk up and down Crenshaw for years as we continue to grow the organization.

KL: What kind of impact do you aspire for DC to have on the community?

JS: When completed, Destination Crenshaw will be the most dynamic expression of Black American culture in the United States. We are transforming a 1.3-mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard from an area with long-deserved economic investment and strategic urban planning, into a thriving commercial corridor linked by architecturally stunning community spaces and pocket parks, hundreds of newly planted trees, and over 100 commissioned works of art.

KL: Is there any other comparable location like this in greater L.A. intended to be a gathering place for people of color like this?

JF: Its mission of Destination Crenshaw is to place a cultural stamp of Blackness on Crenshaw Boulevard – a stamp akin to those in Chinatown, Mariachi Plaza, Koreatown, and other ethnic enclaves. This investment is about what hasn’t been present as much as what we are creating.

Destination Crenshaw will be available to view by the public by Spring, 2024 and its inaugural event will be held in February 2024.

Photo from the DC Website