L.A. Times ‘Behold’ Project Celebrates Black Culture in Los Angeles
On Sunday, to coincide with Juneteenth, the Los Angeles Times is publishing an extensive multi-media portrait series highlighting Black culture in L.A.
“Behold” is a collection of portraits of Black Angelenos from different walks of life, along with extended captions that talk about their experiences in Los Angeles, “and how they feel seen — or unseen — in daily life,” according to Nate Jackson, deputy editor for Entertainment and Arts.
The project kicked off in late February on Instagram with portraits of a range of Black business leaders and members of the area’s arts, religious and sports communities.
“L.A. does not move without its Black thinkers, creatives and curators,” noted an introduction on the Instagram page. “From Ladera Heights to Crenshaw, we pay homage to residents through our lenses. They are the culture, an amalgamation of what makes this city come alive.”
This weekend, the project will expand dramatically to include a dedicated landing page within the Entertainment and Arts section and a print section in Sunday’s newspaper. Along with dozens of portraits and captions, the online version will include audio clips featuring interviews with some of the portrait subjects, as well as a behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoots and interviews.
The print version will have five different covers in circulation, each featuring a different portrait.
The project will be spotlighted in a number of ways this summer. At the Los Angeles Times Eat See Hear Juneteenth event on Saturday, June 18, which will feature a screening of “42” (the film highlighting legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson), Times photographers will offer a pop-up portrait studio for event-goers. In addition, the behind-the-scenes video, and a marketing spot for the project, will be screened ahead of the film.
“Behold” is also being promoted through a billboard installation at the Beverly Center, on the corner of La Cienega and Beverly, and a house ad campaign in Los Angeles Times’ platforms, such as latimes.com, newsletters and the newspaper, and on social media.
Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.
