After the LA Fires: Scholars and Activists on Altadena's Black History, Present, and Future

Dr. Wesley Cox, Dr. Dani Haogue, and Zaria Smith all grew up in Altadena, CA. In the wake of the Eaton Fire which destroyed more than half of the city in January 2025, they share their personal stories and how they connect to the wider picture of Black history in Los Angeles, environmental racism, and the struggle for a brighter future.

DONATE to Dena Rebuild: https://denarebuild.co/

Mentions/Sources:

• Better Watts Initiative (Dani serves as research director): https://wlcac.org/community-service/better-watts-initiative-bwi/
• Mapping LA History (Wesley’s project at UCLA): https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3defcb2c438343d58b035428e3b95fbb
• Eaton Fire burn map: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/eaton-fire
• NASA/JPL Pollution in Altadena:
  • https://www.toxicsites.us/site.php?epa_id=CA9800013030
  • https://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-me-monkhill-20130620-story.html
• Solid Waste Sites and the Black Houston Community (first environmental justice study): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-682X.1983.tb00037.x
• Association of Black Estate Planners: abepp.org

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Solarpunk Now! is hosted & produced by Luka Dowell. The solarpunk theme is by Red Keener, with additional music by Gabriel Rivas. You can follow the show on Instagram or Mastodon, and support my work at Buy Me a Coffee. Keep dreaming big, and keep up the good work!