Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
L.A. Soul Steppers Walking Group Gets Healthier One Lap at a Time
July 18, 2019
It’s 6:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month and more than 30 men and women in matching grey shirts are buzzing around the entrance of a large department store inside Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. This group of individuals aged 50-plus hasn’t arrived early for a holiday sale; they are members of AARP’s L.A. Soul Steppers walking group and they are there to get their walk on. ...
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Common, Sherri Shepherd, Xzibit Premiere Films in LA on Pan African Film and Arts Festival Final Day
March 26, 2019
Stars Common, Sherri Shepherd and Dante Brown (lead actor) hosted a red carpet screening of the short film "HATS" at the 27th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival on February 18. Shortly after, multi-platinum rapper and actor Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner hosted the Los Angeles premiere of his upcoming film "BROKEN GROUND" starring James "Jayo Felony" Savage. America's largest international Black film festival screened over 190 films, and exhibited over 100 fine artists and unique crafts at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza from February 7 to February 18. ...
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Black History Month News: Rev. Dr. Alexander Hamilton
February 7, 2019
In celebration of Black History Month, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas presented a scroll to the Reverend Dr. Alexander Hamilton, who arranged the late Aretha Franklin’s Grammy-Award winning gospel album Amazing Grace, among many other stellar musical achievements. ...
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27th Annual Pan-African Film and Arts Festival To Screen Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace Concert
January 17, 2019
The Pan African Film & Arts Festival announced that it will celebrate its 27th Annual Opening Night with a screening of Aretha Franklin’s cherished Amazing Grace concert documentary at the Directors Guild of America. The festival, which presents an impressive slate of over 170 new Black films from the US and around the world and exhibits more than 100 fine artists and unique craftspeople, starts on Thursday, February 7 through Monday, February 18 at the Cinemark Rave 15 Theatres (3650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd) and the adjacent Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Aretha Franklin’s spine-tingling and uplifting Amazing Grace, produced by Alan Elliott, was originally directed by Sydney Pollack in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California. The film, a rare gem in the crown of the late musical genius, has not been seen before now due to technical and rights issues. ...
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‘La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,’ Makes Independent Magic in Los Angeles

March 26, 2018
Independent filmmaker Bobby Huntley II has been making the film festival circuit rounds with his smash hit “La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” a tale about love lost, sibling sisterhood and Black girl friendships. Screening as a part of the 26th annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival last weekend, “La Vie Magnifique de Charlie,” made a lasting impression on the standing room only audience at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw plaza after racking up numerous feature length film awards from Baltimore International Black Film Festival, Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival and most recently, the Peachtree Village International Film Festival. “Coming-of-age stories are some of my favorites to watch and create. I've noticed a lack of those for or about Black women – without heavy trauma and drama,” says Huntley. “We wanted to show the ups and downs of life, including death, but keeping the audience's spirits up throughout the ride. Also, as a male, I wanted to see a film about women that doesn't center around, or necessarily, bash men. There's space for those stories to exist, too.” ...
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