Los Angeles, CA–The Great Crenshaw Wall has been the site of various murals by artists since the 1970’s. Many of these murals have celebrated Black history, Black music, Black politics, or some form of Black culture.
The current piece on the wall, the ‘Our Legacy’ mural, has been a staple in the community since 2001.
On November 29, 2018, the faces of four Black Panther women who are painted on the wall were defaced with swastikas. It was immediately removed by the artist and police were alerted.
The defacement is being viewed as a hate crime and is currently being investigated by the LAPD.
In a community that is already beginning to see the effects of gentrification from the metro rail project currently being built on Crenshaw, someone has decided to blatantly disrespect the people of the community.
On Decmeber 7, 2018, the LAPD held a community forum to give updates on the case and hear community concerns.
District 8 City Council representative Marqueece Harris-Dawson was unable to make it but his Communications Director was present on his behalf.
Detective Anthony Wong relayed that the LAPD currently has no witnesses and urged the public to contact crime stoppers if they were in the area that night.
Community members were not too pleased with what appeared to be a lack of suspects in the investigation.
Artist and curators shared insight on the history of the mural. Many community members shared their concerns over the current gentrification that is happening in the Crenshaw District.
“We have gentrification happening in the neighborhood, I am on alert for white male terrorist. Because it’s real. What are we going to do to self protect? We need to come up with some sort of strategy. Because the police, they come after the fact.”
