Aisha Been Altadena
Black cultural resilience post-fire
Since the Eaton Fire, Altadena has been portrayed as an at-risk community: at risk of longtime neighbors never returning, at risk of new developers reshaping the landscape, at risk of losing its trees to county plans.
All of that is true. Yet in my visits to Altadena this month, I’ve also seen another truth.
Those who remain connected to the neighborhood have come together in collective healing and resistance—making the community, in many respects, stronger and more tight-knit than before.
As I move from the skill-building phase further into the project ideation phase of my Artists At Work fellowship, I’m strongly considering Altadena as the next place Aisha been.