How to Become Erasure Proof

Abstract

“If we possess the land,” cultural activist Ben Caldwell said, “we can become erasure proof.” The essay reveals how BIPOC community arts spaces negotiate spatial sovereignty that fortify ecologies of culture and place. The work analyzes a culminating activity in a participatory action research process structured around the themes of land, story, memory, and leadership. The axis of the paper is an intergenerational conversation with cultural producers and arts administrators at Self Help Graphics & Art in the Latinx neighborhood of Boyle Heights, Kaos Network the African-American neighborhood of Leimert Park, and Visual Communications in the Asian Pacific Islander led neighborhood of Little Tokyo. The conversation is set in Los Angeles—a megalopolis on the Pacific Rim recognized globally for its creative and cultural production. “How to Become Erasure Proof” provides a robust conceptual framework, and highlights BIPOC strategies for community organizing that cherish culture and land. The discussion contributes to broader movements centering BIPOC imaginaries, creative flourishing, and organizing for spatial justice.