UCLA

Few studies have focused attention specifically on ethnically branded cultural districts and even less have investigated the pursuit of these districts in Black neighborhoods. By using Leimert Park, a Black cultural hub in Los Angeles, as my case study, this study examines the historical, cultural and economic considerations that can emerge when Black communities pursue cultural tourism and seek the formal establishment of an ethnically branded cultural district. In highlighting the voices of community members, this study identifies four important concerns: consensus building in naming of new districts, the challenges of reframing community cultural assets for cultural tourism, the dilemmas of markets and capital access and issues of gentrification.