With Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and CicLAvia Sunday coinciding, the South LA community and beyond showed up in great spirits for this fun-filled day!
Our 47th event, CicLAvia—South LA (Vermont Ave), kicked off with our amazing panel of speakers: LA County SD2 Supervisor - Holly J. Mitchell, Mayor of LA - Karen Bass, CD8 Councilmember - Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Mayor of Inglewood - James T. Butts, CEO LA Metro - Stephanie Wiggins, LADOT Interim GM - Connie Llanos, CicLAvia Executive Director - Romel Pascual, and CicLAvia Vice-Chair Board of Directors - Israel Rojas. Many spoke on the importance of community, safe streets, and how CicLAvia creates special connections in each host community.
We also had the opportunity to hear the Negro National Anthem sung by Sha'Leah Nikole, as well as some touching remarks by CicLAvia’s Vice-Chair Board of Directors, Israel Rojas.
“I didn't grow up learning about Juneteenth, so it was only recently that I learned about the occasion …Seeing that there was a long history of exclusion, CicLAvia is a space where I feel absolutely included, where I feel absolutely embraced. And our #1 goal is to make sure everyone feels included, embraced, and celebrated which is the core reason why CicLAvia rotates into different neighborhoods - we want everyone to enjoy this experience.
When we come into a community like South LA, we lean into the cultural history. We know CicLAvia attendees come from all across the county. We want people to have fun, but we also want to ensure they create personal and meaningful connections. Connection and inclusion are critical for us. When we make our streets safer and more fun to explore, people participate.”
From the start of the day, there were free services provided at the Juneteenth Hub. LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and her team provided access to free community and county services such as on-site record expungement, mental health services, support with tenant protections, mental health services, and more as part of the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration and Resource Fair!
And activities included WalkGoodLA’s morning group yoga session, S.H.I.N.E. Muwasi dance and drum performances, and A Great Day in the Stoke sharing their love and passion for surfing with participants trying out different surf boards from their collections!
The community showcased the artistry and diversity that exists within South LA through live dance, music, and vocal performances curated by LA Commons on stage at the Vermont/Slauson Hub throughout the day made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs and with the support of Community Partners. Ballet Folklorico Nueva Antequera performed a colorful dance, DJ Don Thomas had the crowd grooving with his tunes, and many poets shared stories of growing up in Los Angeles and overcoming many challenges throughout their young lives.
Thanks to LA Commons for bringing the Cultural Treasures of South LA asset mapping and activation and allowing participants to visualize the cultural treasures South LA has to offer such as: Coffee Del Mundo, Slauson Super Mall, Casa Honduras, and many more! Be sure to check out their digital map here to view a more extensive list of locations in the community.
There was no shortage of arts and crafts to do throughout the day! LACMA had a station to design your own patch and bike reflector along with information about the Afro-Atlantic Histories Exhibition, on display now until September 10th 2023. Piece by Piece had participants collectively create a community mosaic art piece, and Investing in Place provided a map for those to visualize and create their ideal street in Los Angeles.
At the Westmont Hub you could find our partners in the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP), a California Air Resources Board (CARB) California Climate Investments (CCI) grant program. Los Angeles Department of Transportation - Universal Basic Mobility Pilot (UBM), Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), LADOT, and Blue LA had multiple booths sharing info on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase access to clean transportation, and address community transportation needs in climate-burdened neighborhoods.
ACLU of Southern California, in partnership with ACT-LA, shared information on how bicyclists and transit riders can advocate to create just, equitable, and sustainable transportation systems. They also distributed ‘Know-Your-Rights’ fliers for bicyclists to let them know their legal rights during a bike stop as well as rear bike lights. And the 2028 Olympics are right around the corner so LA28 had info booths, sporting equipment, and play zones for all participants to enjoy!
Last but not least, special thanks to Bike Oven, Hollydale Cycling Club, DAG Riders, and East Side Riders Bike Club for providing free onsite basic bike repairs at all of the Hubs.
CicLAvia is a non profit organization and none of our events are possible without the financial assistance and generous support from our community and volunteers. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation and learn more about becoming a CicLAvia Street Star. For just $10/month you’ll be invited to the Friends of CicLAvia lunches for every event!
Interested in volunteering at the next event? Click here for more information.
And if you didn’t get a chance to swing by a merch tent, no need to worry, you can find everything there and more on our online store.
There are 4 events left in 2023! Make sure you are signed up for our mailing list so you don’t miss any details about upcoming events.
Did you enjoy these photos? There’s plenty more to see here on our Flickr album!
Photos: Brian Feinzimer, Kristian Ranker, Farah Sosa, and Kirk Tsonos.
