Understanding this article requires an understanding of Altadena itself. This city exudes storybook charm. Located on the edge of mountain ranges, birds can be heard chirping and squirrels rustling, and perfect houses are on display. Deeper into the city, though, the landscape shifts as blocks of destroyed homes and shuttered businesses come into view.
On Feb. 9, Jewel Theus agreed to an interview regarding the current affairs of her beloved city, Altadena. Theus is a proud resident, having lived there the entirety of her 24 years. She is a John Muir High School graduate and attended UCLA for college where she studied Sociology.
Theus has been a social justice activist in her community since she was 16. She’s led police brutality protests, volunteered in soup kitchens, and planted trees and foliage in the gardens by Loma Alta Park among other communal contributions.
Her home was bought in the 1970s by her grandparents. During that time, they could not buy property in Pasadena because of the discriminatory redlining. But they were welcomed to buy in Altadena, which is significant because that home ownership is a fundamental element of generational wealth.
At one point, Jewel, her mother, father, and siblings shared one small room in that house until they could afford to rent a place nearby. More recently, her grandparents moved, and Jewel and her mother decided to hang onto the property. They took over the mortgage and Jewel moved back into that small room she used to share.
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She deemed it a “full circle moment.” She reflected on the love, effort, and time her grandparents spent in maintaining their legacy home. Theus planned to keep the home in their family as her grandparents intended.
When asked what life was like before the Eaton fire, Theus reflected on her childhood in “Dena.” With a smile on her face, she explained that the city was filled with “hidden gems.” She gleamed while telling a story of an elderly man who owned a storefront, now wasted in the fire, where he sold soup, among other goods.
“I would go there, and every day, there’s a different soup of the day. Like on Wednesday, it’s garbanzo or white bean soup… and his place is just gone,” said Theus.
With the understanding that Altadena is a historically Black and Brown community, Theus was asked if the city has been present in the re-establishing and restoration process. She sighed, shook her head, and said, “No. The city has turned its back on us.”
Not only has there been little contact with the community and city, but the area is militarized— with the National Guard and police force lingering, she noted.
Stressing that her community needs compassion and grace during this time, Jewel lamented, “Why do I have to suffer when I’m the victim?”
She further explained that relief has been at the hands of mutual aid efforts, meaning aid from community collaboration – separate from state or federal government charity systems, except for the presence of the Red Cross.
Theus put together a flyer that had a list of resources gathered by word of mouth. She said that there is an influx of information, but it’s not straightforward, so it’s overwhelming and difficult to keep up.
Theus is confident that she and her fellow Altadena residents will rebuild, it will just take time and support. She urges and hopes that her neighbors and peers do not sell their property, although it may seem like the only reasonable option.
Stating the community will need long-term support, Theus explained, “I feel like this is a long-term commitment in a sense. The clothes that people are giving are fine, but in like six months, people are going to need furniture and mattresses.
“People are going to need housing. People are going to need therapy. A couple of my friends are having nightmares where they are on fire and their house is on fire. Like, we have PTSD.”
When asked if she had anything else on her mind, Theus said “Just one thing… Altadena is not for sale.”
