South Los Angeles embodies a complex history that captures the dynamics of spatial inequality. It is an area where some of the largest protests reacting to a system of racial oppression have imprinted a persistent image on the names South Central and Watts. This article analyzes how the stigma attached to the South Los Angeles area has translated to place specific forms of inequality. We take advantage of the consistency in the boundaries the Census used to collect data in the area from 1960 to 2016 to test hypotheses about the relative importance of race, place, and economic class in the Los Angeles region. The analysis revolves around three themes critical to furthering equality: housing, employment, and transportation. We find that the significance of place has changed significantly over the course of half a century without ever disappearing. In each of the themes we study, the significance of the factors we highlight changes, but South Los Angeles remains disadvantaged relative to the region.
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