The Horses of Athens

An unincorporated section of LA county along South Figueroa between 131st and 132nd streets is a tight-knit neighborhood known as Athens. A neighborhood nestled right in the South Central LA district, south of Watts and west of Compton, would seemingly have a fair share of distractions for the young people, mostly black and Latino, distractions that lead to stereotypical places. Not so in Athens.

See, in Athens they have horses and stables.

This picture isn't of Athens, but another one of the rare horse neighborhoods in LA.

The horses in Athens have brought the youth of the normally hardscrabble surroundings together constructively.

That it, until a fire killed a pair of horses and a goat a few weeks ago. That was followed by a reactionary 24 hour eviction notice for the folks and 200+ horses in the small neighborhood.

The eviction notice came yesterday, and residents had until 7 am today, Thursday, to have the horses gone. Many of the folks were working all night amid the chaos hoping to get a stay. They say the conditions aren't as bad as they're painted in reports, and that many of the residents won't be able to afford to get their horses out of the county site they're supposed to be moved to, and the county may in turn be forced to either care for or destroy the horses. That would be an immeasurable tragedy.

I watched an interview last night of a young black man, from South Central LA, wearing a cowboy hat and talking about his equestrian scholarship to Texas Southern University, where he'll be attending in the fall, pleading with viewers to talk to their council members to try and get an extension on the eviction. That time frame was just too short.

Like New York, there are plenty of things here in the Southland to keep it interesting.

You can read about it a little here, with a video link as well.