Liberty Park is one of the very few public green spaces left in Koreatown; the choice for ‘Ktown for Black Lives’ to meet here is intentional.
Organized by the neighborhood’s activists and community members, the monthly gathering aims to mobilize residents against state-sanctioned violence that regularly takes the lives of Black and Brown people. Since its start in June, hundreds of ‘Ktown for Black Lives’ attendees have assembled on the 2.5 acres of land to participate in political education and mutual aid efforts such as the redistribution of meals and sanitary supplies.
‘Ktown for Black Lives’ points to the growing momentum among L.A.-based Korean and Asian American organizers standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and calling for Black liberation.
The Korean response to today’s Black Lives Matter movement is rooted in deep personal education. The excitement one gets from connecting with immigrant parents and grandparents about public safety and divestments from law enforcement is ineffable. As more Korean and Asian Americans continue to self-educate and rely less on white-centered media, they develop personal ways of participating in the fight against anti-Black racism.