Juanita Tate
Juanita Tate (1938 – July 5, 2004) was an American community activist who advocated green space for the poor citizens of South Los Angeles, California. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and relocated to the city of Los Angeles in the early 1980s. After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, she became involved in Concerned Citizens of South Central LA.
Tate opposed the community farmers who wanted to keep the South Central Farm. She advocated for the eviction of the farmers and the construction of a sports field in place of the community garden.[1]
Tate was a member of the City of Los Angeles's Environmental Action Commission from 2002 until her death from complications of a stroke.
There are plans for a school to be built named Juanita Tate Elementary School on land seized by the Los Angeles Unified School District from the Concerned Citizens of South Central LA.[2]
There is a retail shopping center named for Juanita Tate, The Juanita Tate Marketplace. Opened in April 2014 in Southern Los Angeles, the retail shopping center built on a brownfield that was formerly a scrap yard and recycling center, commemorates her contribution to the community while she was a CCSCLA member. In April 2015 the marketplace was sold to private investors.[3]
Honors
- NAACP Legacy Award
- Western Center for Law and Poverty Community Service Award
- California Community Foundation Unsung Hero Award
- California State Legislature Woman of the Year Award
See also
- South Central Farm
- Concerned Citizens of South Central LA
References
- The Garden, documentary film
- Sahagun, Louis (2009-08-12), "Disputed lot in South L.A. is seized by school district", Los Angeles Times, retrieved 2009-09-14
- "Juanita Tate Marketplace Sold to Private Investors". PR Newswire. April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- "Juanita Tate, Civil Rights Hero (1938-2004)", Center for Law in the Public Interest newsletter, 2004.
- "Los Angeles Says Goodbye to Juanita Tate", An Environmental Affair, Volume 15, Issue 8, August 2004.