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January 17, 2024

Explore the Black history of Altadena.

• Donate to GoFundMes of those evacuated or displaced by the fires in the region.

• Hear first-hand accounts of the history of Altadena in this video from the local senior center.

• Explore the digital archives of the Pasadena Museum of History for more photos of people and their stories.

The fourth annual 28 Days of Black History month series is back! Join us again for the month of February for daily newsletters highlighting Black leaders. This year, we’re honoring the stories of Black labor organizers. The series is free and requires you to subscribe using this link. I hope you enjoy as much as I’ve appreciated telling these stories!

The Eaton Canyon fire that struck Altadena this past week caused devastating damage: over 1,000 homes destroyed and 16 lives lost. But beyond these immediate losses, the fire threatens something else – one of California's most successful stories of community integration and Black prosperity.

Altadena’s story begins in 1887, when brothers John and Fred Woodbury from Marshalltown, Iowa, tried to establish Altadena as an exclusive retreat for millionaires. But the real estate bubble burst in 1888, throwing their plans into disarray. This setback created unexpected opportunities for early Black settlers who had the opportunity to obtain affordable land and shape a welcoming community.

Among these pioneers was Joseph Holmes, who had driven cattle from Nebraska to Los Angeles in 1883, and the Prince brothers, William and Frank, who arrived from Tennessee and established Prince Brothers Feed and Fuel, the area's first Black-owned business. Families like Booker and Carrie McAdoo came in the late 1890s seeking better opportunities and a healthier climate. Seaborn B. Carr, who arrived from Georgia in 1893, became one of the area's early civil rights pioneers, organizing Union Day picnics to celebrate the end of slavery.

But the community's major transformation began in the 1960s. Before then, Altadena was 95% white, and Black families were largely confined to specific areas, particularly along Vernon Street (later removed for freeway construction) and in western Altadena.

Urban renewal projects in neighboring Pasadena demolished thriving Black business districts, including the vibrant commercial area along North Fair Oaks Avenue. These displaced families found new opportunities in Altadena, where housing remained relatively affordable and the lack of formal city governance (having rejected Pasadena's annexation attempts) meant fewer restrictions on development.

The timing coincided with the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin or sex. Before, real estate agents traditionally used Lake Avenue as a dividing line between whites-only blocks and blocks for people of color. But after the bill passed, these boundaries gradually blurred. As Black residents moved in, white residents would move out, a pattern of "white flight" reflected in gentrifying cities across the country. Over time, this area became known as Altadena Meadows, a developed into a thriving middle-class Black community.

By 2020, the community maintained a stable population of around 43,000 people with just a 9% poverty rate, compared with 14% countywide. The overall homeownership rate exceeded 70% - notably higher than Pasadena's 42%, the state average of 56%, and the national rate of 65%. Nearly 82% of Black residents were homeowners, nearly double the national average. And half of African American households earned more than $100,000/year.

Before World War II, northwest Pasadena was one of the few neighborhoods of color outside of Los Angeles' core. By 1960, this area was significantly more diverse than Los Angeles County overall - 80% of residents were people of color, compared to just 19% in the county and 20% in Pasadena as a whole.

This prosperity attracted notable residents including Academy Award-winner Sidney Poitier, acclaimed science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, and civil rights activist Eldridge Cleaver. Their presence highlighted Altadena's unique position as a haven for Black achievement across all fields.

However, even before the 2025 fire, Altadena was changing. By 2020, the Black population had declined to 18%, and the white population grew to 46%. Asian Americans and Latinos made up most of the remainder, reflecting broader changes in Southern California's population patterns. And the same patterns of gentrification – rising home and food prices, divided opinions on public safety – were affecting its residents.

Now, in the wake of the Eaton Canyon fire, many residents face a difficult decision: rebuild in an increasingly expensive market, or leave a community their families have called home for generations? Many of those impacted were older Black homeowners who had been instrumental in building and maintaining the community's character over decades.

The response to this crisis will determine Altadena's next chapter, and so far, it seems rooted in community. Stories about the plight of Altadena’s community are circulating on social media, and individuals and celebrities alike have donated millions to relief efforts. In this way, the spirit of Altadena lives on if we embrace it and let it shine in how we hold space for others.

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