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Displaced Black and brown families from Eaton wildfires in CA

I recently made a 2025 calendar and mug of my Coded_Toons series (autobiographical toons about mental health and self-love), and I am selling them as a donation to support the recovery of Black and brown families displaced from the recent wildfires in Altadena, CA. I lived in LA for some years with deep community born and raised there, it is a place dear to my heart.

The wildfires in Southern California have decimated swaths of neighborhoods, forcing 200,000 people to evacuate. Thousands of people have lost their homes. In particular, the historically Black neighborhood of Altadena has been largely decimated. Historically, Altadena was one of the few communities that offered housing and loans to Black Americans during the Civil Rights movement. As a result, it became a popular community for a growing Black middle class seeking to escape discrimination elsewhere. Homeownership has been key to families building wealth in the U.S., but this was a privilege allotted almost exclusively to White families until the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Until today, the racial wealth gap and homeownership gap across the country remains starkingly wide. Yet in Altadena, the Black homeownership rate was 81.5%–double the national rate (AP).

Over the last decade, Altadena has been gentrifying, driving out many Black families, but there are still many generations of these famillies that continue to live there. For many of these Black and brown households, the whole of their wealth is not in savings in a bank account, but is rather tied to their home that has been in their family for generations–homes that are now no longer standing. Supporting these Black and brown families is not just about supporting them to have a roof over their heads, but about re-establishing access to safety, security, and a home that can be passed down for generations to come. Let us be in solidarity and support their recovery!

This excerpt was partly written by my dear friend Kiki Williams, who grew up in Altadena and lost their childhood home amongst many losses. They are the store manager at Octavia’s Bookshelf, a Black-owned bookstore in Pasadena in the evacuation zone that jumped in to provide mutual aid for the community. All funds raised minus costs to send your product will go to support the bookstore’s staff efforts as well as support various fundraisers for displaced Black families in Altadena.

To read more about the stories of the families that have lost their homes and donate more money directly, visit bit.ly/rebuildAD.

Learn more about Altadena and racial inequality in housing and wildfires in this Axios article and AP article.

Artwork and content by Giovania Tiarachristie. Visit their Instagram @coded_toons and/or their patreon for more info!

More products coming soon. Free shipping on orders over $50. Pick up in Albuquerque available, text 213-349-6490 to place your order.