LOS ANGELES — Inside Nappily Naturals, herbs are blended and packaged for neighborhood customers. For co-owner Sharon Askia, opening the shop eight years ago was about meeting a need close to home.
“We actually had to go across town to nourish our bodies,” Askia said. “And so when we opened up eight years ago, we said, you know, we have to have something in this community.”
That community is historic Leimert Park, long recognized as a cultural center for Black Los Angeles and a hub for art, music and activism.
“It is the magnet for Black consciousness, Black arts and culture in the Southern California area,” said co-owner Umaar Askia.
For residents who grew up in the neighborhood, that identity has deep roots. Umaar Askia says generations before them worked to protect and define the area’s cultural significance.
“We live here. We grew up around here,” he said. “This is something that our ancestors and those before us worked on. They wanted to have something in Los Angeles to designate the identity of Black people in this area.”
Now, the recognition is official.
The California Arts Council has designated the area as part of its first-ever Black Cultural District, a move intended to preserve and promote Black-owned businesses, artists and cultural institutions. The designation, which also includes the Crenshaw corridor, Historic West Adams and Central Avenue, was championed by State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, who says it reflects years of organizing by community members.
“It’s a validation of what we already knew,” Smallwood-Cuevas said. “But it’s also the outcome of extremely hard work from local artists, small businesses, our local elected officials.”
The designation comes as Black communities across Los Angeles continue to face displacement. A recent Los Angeles County report highlights long-standing disparities affecting Black residents, including housing instability and neighborhood change.
“In a time where there is tremendous dislocation and displacement, where many of our communities are changing, we want to ensure that these assets stay in place,” Smallwood-Cuevas said. “And that they continue to thrive for generations in the future.”
She also describes the move as part of broader conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion at the state level.
“This is about California doubling down on diversity, equity and inclusion,” she said. “It sends a message that culture is important. It’s worth preserving.”
For the Askias, that recognition carries both meaning and responsibility.
“It gives us recognition,” Sharon Askia said. “It’s empowerment, and it’s a legacy. And it affirms our status in the community.”
