Hacia el Río

The Hacia el Río PhotoVoice Initiative brought together community members from Paramount, Compton, and unincorporated East Rancho Dominguez to share their stories and experiences along the Lower LA River. Conducted in collaboration with the Lower LA River Restoration and Access (LLARRA) redesign which reimagines the half-mile stretch between Rosecrans Ave and Somerset Blvd. The initiative amplified voices often excluded from decision-making.

Through photography and storytelling, community photographers illuminated the challenges and opportunities they experience along the river, underscoring the need for equitable access, cultural relevance, and environmental justice in restoration efforts. By centering the lived experiences of historically marginalized communities, Hacia el Río fosters a deeper connection to and understanding of the river’s role. Our community photographers represented experiences of folks who are undocumented, low-income, monolingual non-English speakers, formerly incarcerated, formerly unhoused, and currently unhoused.
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The initiative culminated in a community art gallery where photographers shared their work and neighbors learned more about the LLARRA redesign. To view the final Hacia el Río report, see below.