Known as "the Jewel of Central Avenue," the Dunbar Hotel holds a special place in Los Angeles history as the first hotel built expressly by and for Black people. While the hotel is most famous for housing greats such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, W.E.B. DuBois, and Duke Ellington, the Angelenos behind its construction, John A. Somerville and Vada Watson Somerville, have a...
LAPL Blog
Latest Posts
Pages
21st Century Kids: Travel by Pedal Power
A bicycle might be one of the best inventions ever. They offer the rider transportation and provide hours of fun at the same time. Moreover, riding a bike is a universal experience for most children. No matter the setting, urban, rural, or suburban, bike ridership is everywhere. President John F.
Discover LGBTQIA Los Angeles: The Black Cat
Los Angeles has over 1,200 Historic-Cultural Monuments, yet only a dozen have been designated because of their association with the LGBTQIA community.
Mad Libs With Hanif Abdurraqib
Hanif Abdurraqib is a good sport. I mean, he's an amazing writer with his work being featured in The New Yorker, Pitchfork, and Fader.
Interview With an Author: Samantha Silva
Samantha Silva is the author of the novel, Mr. Dickens and His Carol, and a screenwriter who has sold projects to Paramount, Universal, and New Line Cinema.
Queer Up Your Stereo! Underground Music by LGBTQIA Artists
Ever since the Stonewall riots brought the struggle for queer rights and representation to the forefront in June of 1969, June has been celebrated as LGBTQIA Pride Month.
Discover LGBTQIA Los Angeles: The Crenshaw Women’s Center
Los Angeles has over 1,200 Historic-Cultural Monuments, yet only a dozen have been designated because of their association with the LGBTQIA community.
Happy Record Store Day L.A.!
Even as music increasingly moves online, for true fans the local brick-and-mortar record store will always be the holy place of discovery and sharing, where like-minded fanatics and novices gather to dig through the bins for new releases, dusty gems, and 180-gram gatefold pressings, trade band tips and deb
Interview With an Author: JJA Harwood
JJA Harwood is an author, editor, and blogger. She grew up in Norfolk, read History at the University of Warwick, and eventually found her way to London, which is still something of a shock for somebody used to so many fields.
Children's Book Authors at the Library
Here at the Los Angeles Public Library, our staff members don't just work with books—they write them, too! I had the honor of interviewing these three wonderful authors at our library who write books for children.
21st Century Kids: Set Sail for Ocean Adventures
What could be a better adventure than sailing the high seas? In many stories, the sea and its unpredictability add excitement to a tale.