LA Commons will organize a series of dynamic programs titled We Are the Harvest, working in concert with partner organizations in neighborhoods across South LA, including Willowbrook, Leimert Park and Historic South Central. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the lack of access to food—especially healthy food—in South LA. Therefore, We Are the Harvest will integrate agricultural arts and sciences with community gardens, urban farms, and local activism concerning food insecurity and environmental justice. The project will include an artist-designed interactive map that will connect the stories and civic activism of South LA urban farms, and it will culminate in community events across the region, highlighting local food vendors, artists, and cultural bearers.
Artist Lewa Nana Pinkney participates in 2023 Annual Festival of Masks Procession to Honor Five Leimert Park Ancestors. Photograph by Mercedes Carreto. ©LA Commons.