AfroLatine roots in Los Angeles go deeper than what most people think. Areas of Los Angeles is home of the Chumash and Tongva American tribes. In 1781, fourteen families comprising of 44 individuals, established an area nine miles from the San Gabriel Mission, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula, which translated in English to “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angeles of Porciúncula.” These 44 individuals were of multi-racial backgrounds: 26 of them with African ancestry, 16 with Indigenous ancestry and 2 of Spanish descent. This is recognized in the Los Pobladores Plaque, a monument located in the plaza, center of the Historic District, in Olvera Street. Some of the prominent figures in the city’s early history were Afro-Mexicans, such as Pio Pico, and Californios after Mexico won its independence from Spain. Throughout the years, under the rule of Spain, Mexico, and the United States, the history of Afro-Mexicans in Los Angeles is an example of endurance, resilience, cultural impact, and contributions to the city’s heritage and economy. This history is also an important example of the broader AfroLatine and African diaspora in understanding the diverse tapestry of Los Angeles and the ongoing struggle for social justice and recognition within these communities.
Image: Los Pobladores: The Founders of the City of Los Angeles
Los Pobladores (Spanish for "the settlers") traveled from the interior of Mexico, arriving months later at the Mission San Gabriel. There they awaited other members of their party and the provincial governor Felipe de Neve to escort them to the site of El Pueblo de la Reina de los Angeles (see The Settlement of Los Angeles). In 1978, Miriam Matthews, the first Black librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, was appointed by Mayor Tom Bradley, to the Los Angeles 200 Committee to help plan Los Angeles’ bicentennial celebration in 1981. She proposed and fought for the installation of a new monument to honor the 44 pobladores who journeyed north from Mexico to found Los Angeles on September 4, 1781. She insisted that the monument recognize the multi-ethnic background of the pobladores. Over half of the pobladores were of African descent. (Los Angeles Public Library Blog. “The Incomparable Miriam Matthews,” 2021, Kelly Wallace)
Image: Plaza Church and La Plaza, c. 1869, Unknown photographer. Dating from the era of the Pueblo de Los Angeles, The Plaza and "Old Plaza Church" (Mission Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles) in 1869 as seen from the Pico House. There is a square main brick reservoir in the middle of the Plaza at the right, which was the terminus of the town's historic lifeline: the Zanja Madre. The Plaza itself was rounded and turned into a traditional ornate plaza, with a fountain that later became a bandstand. The building in the top right background was the Lugo House: first home to St. Vincent's College (now Loyola Marymount University). They are now a part of Olvera Street. Source: https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/search/searchterm/00032727
"The Black Founders of Los Angeles You May Not Be Aware Of" by Hadley Meares, LAist, June 19, 2024
"Many of us learned it in history class. In 1781, 44 men, women and children traveled from Mexico under the banner of Spain, settling indigenous land to found what is now Los Angeles.
But did you know that over half of those pobladores, as they were known, had African ancestry? For decades, the information was repressed or derided by racist historians and civic leaders, eager to Europeanize the past."
"The Lost History of Los Pobladores" by Dennis Arguelles, February 26, 2021
We have a new opportunity to preserve the little-known stories of Los Angeles’ Black founders.
"Los Pobladores: The 44 Founders of Los Angeles" by Tom Fassbender, Los Angeles Explorers Guild, September 4, 2021
Today Los Angeles is a sprawling metropolis covering more than 500 square miles and home to nearly four million people. But when the city was first founded back on September 4, 1781, it only had 44 residents (known as Los Pobladores) and covered just four square leagues.
"The Life and Times of Pío Pico, Last Governor of Mexican California" by William D. Estrada, October 10, 2017, PBS SoCal
"Pío Pico was the last governor of California under Mexican rule, serving from 1845-46, just before the U.S. military occupation. Today, the name Pico is a familiar place name. Driving or walking throughout Southern California one will encounter busy Pico Boulevard; the City of Pico Rivera; two Pío Pico elementary schools; the Pico-Union district near downtown L.A.; Pico Park; the Pío Pico Koreatown Library; the three-story Pico House building; natural landmarks such as Pico Canyon north of Los Angeles and Pico Creek near Oceanside; and Pío Pico State Historic Park in the City of Whittier, just to name a few. His name has been commercialized in several businesses from corner grocery stores, shopping malls and fast food restaurants. And yet, despite the veneration in the popular mind, much of what we know about Pío Pico remains clouded in myth. His significance as an historical figure, as well as his connection to the contemporary Latino and African-American communities, is worth remembering."
"California on the Eve - Californios", Oakland Museum of California