Report on Diversity Awareness Projects
EHRAC Meeting 9/29/26
Ad Hoc Subcommittee Members: Haifaa Moammar, Rebecca Rona, Ifunanyan Nweke, Carlos Valverde
With the assistance of staff the Diversity Awareness Ad Hoc Subcommittee is in the midst of creating a webpage for the City website which highlights and educates visitors about culturally significant locations in Culver City.
As has been described at recent EHRAC meetings, the webpage will feature the following:
1. The Kunisawa family and farm, located on the land where Farragut Elementary, Culver City Middle School and Culver City High School currently stand;
2. Sebastian’s Cotton Club, with a rich musical history that included performances by prominent African American artists
3. Pacific Electric Labor Camp, which was located in the area of the Warner Media building, where countless Latinos resided for decades;
4. The Gabrielino-Tongva, who lived and worked throughout the area, their ancestral land, for millenia.. This land includes the banks of Guashna, now known as Ballona Creek. This description was drafted with the assistance of a local Gabrielino-Tongva historian.
The ‘Diversity Awareness’ webpage will be created exactly like the https://www.culvercity.org/Explore/Arts-Culture page, located under the “Explore” “Arts & Culture”page of the City website.
UPDATE
The landing page is built and includes one completed article (PE Labor Camp). A special Thank You to Jeanine Houchen for putting it together.
The suggested landing page intro:
Step into Our Stories and Our History
Every city has a story. Culver City has many. Explore the people, places, communities, and moments that have shaped our shared history—from the rhythms of Sebastian’s Cotton Club and the fields of the Kunisawa farms, to the Pacific Electric labor camps and the deep-rooted history of the Gabrielino/Tongva. These stories offer a glimpse into the many layers of history that continue to define Culver City. (EHRAC Approval needed) In addition, for the Our City, Our Stories, Our History page, we will include:
Remembering Our History, Celebrating Our Diversity
Culver City’s history is shaped by people and communities from many different cultural backgrounds. The Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee highlights these stories to help ensure that important parts of our shared history are not forgotten and to recognize the rich cultural diversity that has helped shape our community. Through learning, sharing, and remembering, we can better understand the people, places, and experiences that are part of Culver City’s story. (EHRAC Approval needed) The DRAFTS for the other three articles are currently being worked on along with obtaining the permission for appropriate photographs. The ad hoc subcommittee members are working closely with staff on formatting, licensing, etc.
The ad hoc subcommittee’s target completion date is November 2026 and the final drafts will be shared with the entire EHRAC committee at the January 2027 meeting for full Committee approval.