Inglewood has been a city catalyzed and sometimes challenged by change. While systemic inequality has affected many South L.A. communities, Inglewood has found itself energized by setbacks; and through vision, planning and relentless execution of social, economic and business principles, the city has forged a way forward.

While the city has trumpeted its investment in public institutions and venues, it has more quietly but no less importantly made itself a welcoming and continually affordable place for its diverse populace, giving local businesses a chance to thrive and creating a renewed sense of community for its longtime residents.

A few statistics that might surprise even lifelong Southern Californians: Inglewood is over 90% minority populated, and its average age is under 30. This puts it in the forefront of what a dynamic American city is becoming – a bastion of inclusivity, equity, and accessibility, in a time when other institutions are struggling to catch up. Building on a past that did not include these forward-thinking tenets, Inglewood has risen beyond its undeserved reputation as a hotbed of strife and developed its own culture, largely based on its indigenous population, the Black and Brown communities that call it home.

From creating families and lives to generational wealth, small businesses and renewal, their stories are equal to any headline-grabbing megadevelopments that dominate conversations about Inglewood – their stories are stories of being there.