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History & Society

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Westward Migration
In 1884, Lummis walked 3,507 miles to Los Angeles. His suffering, even as part of a publicity stunt, seemed to prove that he had earned his golden California destiny.
Cover of Upton Sinclair's "I, Governor" pamphlet (cropped)
MGM and other Hollywood studios helped defeat Upton Sinclair's 1934 "End Poverty in California" campaign for governor.
Harriman and Socialist Party buttons, 1911
Socialists seemed poised to gain control of L.A.'s city government – until explosive developments disrupted the 1911 citywide election.
Red Flags
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 20th century, the war of Capital and Labor seemed to be turning in favor of Labor, with socialists in the vanguard.
Jordan Downs Housing Community
Plans to turn Jordan Downs into a 119-acre mixed-income urban village has been declined twice.
river_media_camera_900.jpg
In the last five years, the Los Angeles River has become a kind of celebrity of its own thanks in no small part to a slew of media coverage, for better and worse.
Watts Waits
7:13
Filmmaker Drew Bachrach captures the current climate of anticipation and frustration at Jordan Downs in his film, “Watts Waits.”
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Earlier this year, a woman came into Contra Costa County Supervisor Mitchoff’s office in northern California. She had a message for the supervisor, but…
Santa Ana Freeway in Tustin, circa 1960
Built from 1950-60, Interstate 5 lured aerospace firms, millions of residents, and a Magic Kingdom to once-rural Orange County.
Map of Newport Harbor (cropped for header)
The Corona del Mar institution, named after Los Angeles land developer and railway baron Moses Sherman, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
MISP Farm landscape
When Fresno lost its MISP, thousands of undocumented immigrants lost health care access. Today, a glimmer of hope lies ahead.
clinicas salud group shot
Promotoras are key in connecting immigrants with urgent health care services, MISP
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