A few weeks ago, one of my best friends from college lost his home and everything he owns in the fires that have spread across the many thousands of acres in and around Los Angeles. It breaks my heart whenever I think of him and the families who have lost their loved ones as well as their worldly possessions. Photographs, treasured mementos, heirlooms, favorite items of clothing or jewelry, and just little prized possessions that may not have any insurance value but mean the world to an individual.
I am thinking about climate change and how these types of catastrophic events in nature are sadly becoming more common. When we look at the science of a warming planet, more aggressive winds, droughts, lack of rainfall, and so much more, this is our new reality. I think of the partisan divides and the Republican party choosing to use this tragedy as a time to continue to deny climate science while also railing against so-called DEI hires in various levels of leadership in California.
In addition to helping my dear friend keep putting one foot in front of the other each day, I am also paying attention to the stories coming out of Altadena, with its historically Black community east of downtown Los Angeles and directly north of Pasadena. So many Black families settled in Altadena when racist redlining practices prevented them from purchasing homes in Los Angeles. So many Black families poured decades of love and money into their homes in order to create a community that has now been burned to the ground.
As Altadena begins to rebuild in the coming months, we must be vigilant and make sure that predatory practices do not befall this historic community. We must make sure Black residents are not pushed out of Altadena as real estate developers eye new land for the taking.
Everything is so fresh and so raw right now. So many of us are trying to wrap our minds around the devastation we are witnessing throughout the area. So many people are without homes, schools, religious institutions, restaurants, and places that make them feel safe, loved, and secure.
It is my true hope that this devastating event brings out the best in humanity. I also hope that the new regime in Washington, D.C. does not play political football with the lives and livelihoods of the people of Los Angeles and the brave first responders (those who are incarcerated and those who are in unions) who have been risking their lives to secure a safer future for their city and towns.
If you would like to donate or learn more about resources in Los Angeles, go to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority at www.lahsa.org/
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of book “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream” and is co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.