Chronology of N. Fair Oaks Empowerment Initiative

2015 - 2026

The N. Fair Oaks Empowerment Initiative started January of 2015, when the Interdenominiational Ministerial Alliance (IMA), the oldest association of Black pastors in the greater Pasadena area, voted to give us the opportunity to plan that years’ employment fair with and by the community.

• In April  2015 we launched with a potluck to raise funds to hire part-time staff to help develop and translate the survey, to set up survey orientations held at some of the ten churches, mobilizing people to conduct 150 surveys.  This enabled us to discover the concerns and dreams of the 18 businesses, 10 churches and residents between Woodbury and Howard.

  
  

• After surveying about 30% of our target population, we held a potluck at Bethel Church July  11,  2015 to unveil the survey results and begin a discussion on the results, and begin to identify some of our first projects.

  
  

• From this effort community leaders emerged to help plan the highly successful Northwest Job Fest  which took place November 21, 2015, where we closed down Tremont, set up 20 booths, and 500 neighbors from the community came together for a fun festive day applying for jobs, free haircuts, dress shirts, games for kids of all ages, audition for adults to be on the stage where pastors and dignitaries also stood celebrating the neighborhood and its history and talent.

  
  

• In response to the 150 surveys the top concerns were about the 65,000 cars speeding down Fair Oaks, the lack of parking, trash and not feeling safe. So July 23, 2016 we hosted the NW Community Gathering in partnership with the Complete Streets Coalition began efforts to gain the support of the North West Commission and Councilmember Hampton so we could realize our dreams for North Fair Oaks.

• In  January,  2017 we walking our corridor with Council member Hampton and other city staff who shared information to assist us in our efforts to move forward. The Transportation Advisory Committee voiced unwavering support.  We wrote to the Pasadena City Council and attended multiple Council meetings to present our letters with 87 signatures of people within our N Fair Oaks corridor.

• In  March, 2017 We enjoyed the Damascus Road Church Mission Team that came from Tucson, AZ during spring break for a week. They painted over graffiti, played with kids, spent time with elderly disabled neighbors in two N Fair Oaks nursing homes, and to roll up their selves to clean up on the street. Estella at Rio Meat Market’s opened her doors

The community came out and spoke at the NW Commission, the Public Safety Commission and the City Council presenting a list of 15 “ASKS” at numerous public meetings

• May 8th, 2017 Council victory winning five of our 15 requests and beyond what we requested—a $268,000 traffic light!

• From 2018-23, interns were hired as community organizers through funding provided through a generous donor. We now have a full-time staff person named Stephen Berkley who is our community organizer. He can be reached at stephen@makinghousinghappen.org.

• In 2023, a team of university students from Tucson and Phoenix, AZ, came to work with the Hispanic Church on N. Fair Oaks. Within one week they demolished a garage and fill several big trash bins to create for a youth chapel and playground, which turned out beautifully.​

• In February 2023, the N.W. Commission voted unanimously to support it and sent a letter of support to City Hall.

• In September 2023, Making Housing and Community Happen invited neighbors to La Pintoresca park for feedback on MHCH's North Fair Oaks Vision Plan. (See article by Pasadena Star News' Larry Wilson.)

• In December 2023, the Professional Vision Plan was completed. A beautiful Vision Plan that was created in 2023 with and by the community which consisted of four outreach events that year, which included all the research and outreach the North Oaks empowerment team had done since 2015.  The Plan was then created by the Arroyo group, an urban and design firm, the same firm that planned Old Pasadena.  You can find the Plan here: https://makinghousinghappen.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/north-fair-oaks-vision-plan-1.pdf. The four main components to the plan include: 1. Slowing traffic through a complete street redesign- which has been approved, but is still waiting to get funded. 2. Affordable housing with a right to return using the local preference policy, https://www.cityofpasadena.net/housing/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/Local-Preference-Guidelines.pdf and using the 100% and mixed income housing (utilizing the inclusionary housing policy, which is MHCH to get passed where 20% of the units would be set aside as affordable). 3. Entrepreneurship with incentivizing local businesses,  to bring back what was once a thriving “Black Main Street” or the black history parade continues marching to this day. 4. And beautify the area, public art, decor, crosswalks, trees, and medians.

• On November 23, 2024 the Rio Market Mural was unveiled. The first step in creating public public art was a provision of a mural, depicting the amazing history of the area.  The goal of this mural was to instill pride in the past and hope for the thriving future. In the Pasadena Now article linked below, you can read about and view a video on the unveiling of this mural which took place on November 23 at 10 AM. City Councilmen Tyron Hampton and Justin Jones spoke as well as Jose Robeledo, the son of Cantor Robeledo,  a blind trainer professional boxers,  and Doug Kosobayashi, who owned Berry and Sweeny with an African-American man,  and more. Be sure bring your cell phone and go by the mural which is on the north wall of the Rio Meat Market on the southwest corner of Montana and North Oaks.  Each amazing leader featured on this African-American quilt design has a QR code that leads to event yet about each one.  See: https://pasadenanow.com/main/a-picture-of-history-and-hope

  
  

• ·       2024 and 2025—We presented the Vision Plan for most of the 7 African American churches on N. Fair Oaks between Woodbury, for the Boys and Girls Club, and the NW Commission where they gave full support and a strong letter of support they sent to the City Council.

  
  

• ·       On May 25, and Oct 22, 2025, and April 22^, 2026  members of the N Fair Oaks Empowerment Initiative testified at these three Public Meeting, wearing bright yellow-gold T-Shirts what read “ RESTORE OUR COMMUNITY”. After the first Planning Commission Meeting it was an honor to commissioners to hear them compliment us on who well organized we were as 30 speakers told the history of glory days, what caused the demise and how the city can do its part of implement the Vision Plan.   They supported almost everything we were requesting.

  
  

  Because of our organizing efforts on N. Fair Oaks, the Pasadena Planning Staff asked if we would like to name the area—what an honor!  A large group met at the Bethel Church to and decided on possible names: The Legacy District: Historic Black Main Street but the city felt it was too long, so the Planning Staff shortened it to “The Legacy District.”  Team members felt that this name erased their history. Legacy for who” So a smaller team formed to build a convening rationale to why “Black Legacy District”  was essential. Below is a letter to the  Planning Commissioners by Joe Ford and the speech that Harriotte Victors gave at the Commission meeting. We were thrilled that on April 22^nd they voted to support this name! 

Harriette Vickers writes:

When I moved to Pasadena, I’d loved the sense of culture and camaraderie with other African-Americans like myself.  North Fair Oaks was the place to be, with a hubbub of black owned businesses, including lawyers, doctors and other professionals.  It gave me a sense of identity and pride.  

       Then I began to see the demise of the area through urban renewal and housing built with residents  that did not reflect our beautiful community.  Gangs came in and our culture was destroyed. 

      I personally needed to have that culture in my life and to be around my people.  It broke my heart to see what was happening in Pasadena so I moved to Oakland, California.  ~

        To boost the morale of the black community in Pasadena, and to restore the pride and culture, it is essential that the name of the area reflect the black history

Joe Ford writes:

Dear Mayor and City Council Members,

We are writing to you as a concerned long time residents and advocates for the preservation of Pasadena’s diverse heritage. We are formally proposing that the City of Pasadena officially designate and name a "Black Main Street" district—specifically centered along the historic North Fair Oaks Avenue corridor—to recognize, honor, and preserve the legacy of Black entrepreneurship and community life in our city.

For much of the 20th century, this area served as the economic and social heartbeat for Black Pasadenans. However, the construction of the 210 and 134 freeways resulted in the systemic displacement of hundreds of families and the literal dismantling of a thriving business hub. By officially designating a "Black Main Street," the City has an opportunity to perform a vital act of restorative justice.

This designation will serve several key purposes:

• Historical Correction: It acknowledges the "erased" history of the 210 freeway corridor, ensuring that the contributions of Black doctors, business owners, and civic leaders are not forgotten by future generations.

• Economic Vitality: Official designation creates a "Sense of Place" that can drive cultural tourism and provide a platform for local small businesses to thrive under a recognized historical brand.

• Cultural Preservation: As Pasadena continues to evolve and grow, this landmark will serve as a permanent anchor for the Black community, signaling that their roots are a respected part of the city’s identity.

• Grant Eligibility: A formal historic or cultural district designation opens doors for state and federal preservation grants, which can be used to beautify the area and support local infrastructure.

  
  

Pasadena is a city that prides itself on its history—from our Craftsman architecture to the Tournament of Roses. It is time our official geography reflects the full spectrum of that history. Naming "Black Main Street" is not just a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment to an inclusive future where every community’s story is written into the map of our city.

We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this proposal further and to work with the Commission on the specific boundaries and implementation of this district.

• Summer 2026: To identify the area as the Black Legacy District, an excited public art team has emerged. It has met twice and so far the key ideas are being identified:

  • to work with youth with older artists as  mentors.to assure that the history of the area is told in the public art

  • to integrate it with education in the public schools

  • to first look at teams to plan: banners on light polls, painting the electrical boxes and art on medians, more murals and a sidewalk hall of fame, and decorative cross walks.

If you are interested, please contact us at jill@makinghousinghappen.org.

Download our Powerpoint presentation HERE to learn more about the early days of the N. Fair Oaks Empowerment Initiative. Click HERE to see the North Fair Oaks Vision Plan.