Black California Dreamin’: Stories of Claiming Space with Dr. Jefferson

Join Campo de Cahuenga in celebrating Dr. Jefferson's recent book, Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During the Jim Crow Era which was awarded the Miriam Matthews Ethnic History Award by the LA City Historical Society for its exceptional contributions to the greater understanding and awareness of regional history.

The book explores the significance of place within the African American experience in geography, California Dream mythology, Southern California outdoor culture, American history & identity, and contemporary heritage conservation efforts. Among other projects, Dr. Jefferson was a guest curator for the “Black California Dreamin’: Claiming Space at America’s Leisure Frontier” exhibition at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. She and Phil S. Hart recently completed a new essay titled “Long Beach Airport and Southern California: A Brief New Aviation and Aeronautics History (1900s–1980s),” which illuminates histories of overlooked women and people of color who contributed to making Southern California a global center of aviation and aerospace over the last century.

Dr. Jefferson’s current projects include working on an in depth exploration of the Black Venice community of Los Angeles for a manuscript and an Applied Public History project which was helped along by a Getty Conservation Institution Scholar Residency.

We hope to see you there! Reception with light snacks & beverages to follow. Books will be available for sale.

RSVP at [email protected]

Host or Publisher Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks