Dr. William Syms with his family. (Courtesy photo

“Altadena is everything to me. I was born in the house that we lost,” shared Dr. William Syms, a lifelong Altadena resident and community advocate.

Referring to himself as a “child of the city,” Dr. Syms has worked tirelessly to enrich both the unincorporated area of Altadena and the city of Pasadena. His roles have included seven years at Pasadena City College, serving as program coordinator for Neighborhood Connections for the City of Pasadena, and working as a congressional liaison for California’s 29th District.

On the morning of Jan. 8, the Eaton fire claimed the Syms Family Home. This was a multi-generational residence, where Dr. Syms’ own son spent much of his childhood — even where he learned to ride a bike. Fortunately, Dr. Syms evacuated at the onset of the fire.

“We could see the fire on Tuesday in a way that was too dangerous to stay there, so I decided to get a hotel and come back [in the morning]. We didn’t grab anything because we just knew we could come back,” he recalled.

This was the story for many families impacted by the Eaton fire; they believed that their house would be unscathed, or, at the very least, not reduced to ash.

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“The plan was to come back at noon,” said Dr. Syms, “but when we did, the entirety of our neighborhood was reduced to rubble. It’s a devastation that I don’t have the words for. ‘Trauma’ doesn’t feel like the word for it.”

Before and after the Eaton fire destroyed the Syms Home. (Courtesy photo)
(Courtesy photo)

Reflecting on the personal and collective significance of Altadena, Dr. Syms shared, “I’ve grown up in the community, I participated in scouts and the police academy, played youth sports, went to Jackie Robinson School, rode the buses that Octavia Butler rode, joined the NAACP community.

“You look back at the history of the city in the late 1800s and the Great Migration — Black families from Texas and Arkansas were moving to Altadena. You have families like the Prince or the Hampton families that settled and built homes, built communities. This is a place where Black people could build their lives and businesses.”

Dr. Syms has been deeply moved by the community’s response. “There are too many people to name who have stepped in and filled the gap.” Leaders of the community, the fraternities like Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Kappa Alpha Psi, sororities including Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, First AME Church, Brandon Lamar, the Flintridge Foundation, and NOBLE — the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement —have all come together to support the community who lost their livelihoods.

“Despite having lost everything, they have stepped up to ensure that the community is whole and that we are safe and that we will rebuild. I am humbled by the support,” he said.

“We will rebuild and help other families and anyone who wants to restore that land. We are committed to keeping their land and saving it from any vultures who want to come be prospectors on that gold.

“We have clarity about that. Planners, engineers, architects—we are ready to make this a Mecca. This will be a premier destination for the county of Los Angeles.”

To support the Syms Family, please contribute to their GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-hope-for-the-syms-family