Altadena’s Black community devastated by LA fires

As flames tore through the picturesque foothills of Altadena and Pasadena on January 7, 2025, the Eaton Canyon fires left a historic Black community—rooted in the Civil Rights Movement—nearly wiped out. Among the hardest-hit areas in Los Angeles County, Altadena has seen its many Black-owned homes, churches, businesses, and landmarks reduced to ashes.The unincorporated community in the San Gabriel Valley, home to 42,000 residents, has long stood as a beacon of Black homeownership and middle-class stability. With 18% of its population identifying as Black, Altadena also hosts a diverse community that includes Latino and Asian American residents. Tragically, the Eaton Fire alone destroyed over 1,000 structures, killed at least five residents in Altadena and displaced thousands.Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, a native of Altadena, lost his beloved childhood home on Loma Alta Drive to the blaze. His mother, Ruthie Hopkins, 81, and his son, Joshua, narrowly escaped thanks to the swift actions of Hopkins’ older brother, who evacuated them to safety.Hopkins described the devastation in a GoFundMe post, writing, “This isn’t just a loss for our family; it’s a loss for a community that has thrived despite challenges.”Ruthie Hopkins, the former editor and co-owner of The Pasadena Journal, a Black-owned newspaper, has been...