The Community We Build

[Sound of school bell ringing and talking students in the distance]

Ollie: Ugh. I wonder what it would be like if we actually had a legit place to sit for lunch.

Sid: Yeah, it’s so hot right now. Have you seen it in there? It’s packed. I barely got through the line in time to eat. Pure chaos.

Ezra: That line gets so long, and there’s nowhere to stand.

Alex: Yeah. I don’t know why they didn’t make that space work for more students.

Ollie: Yeah, and I don’t think it’ll ever get any better. We’d have to convince the school to tear down the cafeteria and just start over.

[upbeat music]

[sound of metal locker opening]

Ollie: Here’s the deal. We’re trying to make a difference, and we want decision-makers to see why change matters. So we’re using journalism. Our camera, our mics, and our voice to tell real stories about what’s actually happening around here, and what students can make happen when we work together to make our school work for us. I just need to figure out how building a new space for lunch can help our school.

[sound of metal locker closing]

Ezra: Well, at least the air is nice out here.

Ollie: Yeah, maybe there’s a bright side. I don’t even like that cafeteria.

Sid: What’s not to like?

Ollie: It’s nerve-wracking. Lunch is our main chance to get a break from class. But, like you said, the lines are chaos.

Sid: Yeah.

Ollie: It’d be nice if we could actually relax a little instead of getting stressed out.

Alex: And not get caught in the crowds.

Ezra: Yeah! Right now it’s so cliquey. I don’t even know where to sit or where I belong sometimes.

Sid: I wish we could change it.

Ollie: Maybe we can. Let’s convince the school to build a new one.

[laughter]

Alex: Though, they always come back with “budget cuts” or needs “board approval.”

[reflective music]

Sid: Yeah, it might not matter anyway. Why would a new one change anything? Spaces can’t change anything. Can they?

Ollie: Let’s do some research after school. Gary, that curator from the Getty. He shared some drawings of local buildings with us in class the other day.

Sid: Yeah, yeah, somebody must have thought of this stuff when they designed those, right?

[jazz music]

Ollie: Hi.

Gary: Hey. Welcome in.

Ollie: Thanks for meeting with us.

Gary: Yeah. So super happy to have you today. We’re thinking about architecture and community, and we’re looking at a few drawings. And I know you’ve been thinking about this, but the way a space is designed really shapes your perception, right? Think about the difference between a classroom, a room at your house. What makes sense in one kind of doesn’t make sense in the other.

Ollie: Yeah, we definitely couldn’t fit the whole class on my couch at home.

Gary: Exactly. So architects really have to design these spaces to meet the needs of the people who use them.

Sid: Whoa. I gotta get a shot of this.

Gary: So here we’re looking at an example of a floor plan for Family Savings and Loan, a bank designed specifically for the Black community in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

Ollie: Whose sketch is this?

Sid: Paul R. Williams.

Gary: That’s right. He made not only many contributions to architecture, but to the civil rights movement at the time. His buildings, I think it’s clear, weren’t just structures. Paul Williams was one of the first and most prominent Black architects working in the city at the time, and his design for something like Family Savings and Loan really gave opportunity and access to banking to communities who were often denied service.

Sid: It seems like it would have been really tough to be a Black architect back then.

Gary: That’s exactly right. He wasn’t just a brilliant architect. He was incredibly impactful. Imagine designing in a period which the country was largely segregated, and over the course of his career, he realizes about 3,000 buildings. Staggering achievement.

Ollie: He managed to do all this?

Gary: That’s right.

Ollie: Oh, wow. Oh, what about this one?

Sid: Yeah. What is that?

Ollie: It’s a big building for sure. And look how small the people look. And that little gazebo thing in the front.

Gary: What about the inside?

Ollie: That’s the inside? Kind of looks like a ballroom?

Sid: Gathering of some sort? Dressed up. Nice.

Gary: Or what do you think about these ones?

Ollie: Well, in this one, they’re, like, facing forward to, the stage.

Sid: Listening to something.

Ollie: Maybe like a theater?

Ollie and Sid: It’s a church!

Sid: These buildings are amazing. I mean, they’re giving me some ideas for the lunchroom.

Gary: You know, Paul Williams designed his spaces with his community in mind. He designed this space for his congregation. Places for people to worship, but also places for people to celebrate. Places for people to eat. There were even medical offices.

Sid: This is amazing. All right, I got to get more shots of this.

Sid: Oh, man. Incredible.

[transition]

Ollie: The church. Really?

Sid: Yes. Like you said, it’s about community. And look at the community space here. They have a space for worship, career fairs, food pantries, legal clinics, and a support group for elder care. If this isn’t a community space, I don’t know what it is.

Ollie: You know what? You’re right. Let’s talk to the principal. We’ve got to convince him to build a new cafeteria. That’ll work for us.

Sid: Let’s go.

Ollie: All right. Let’s do it.

[upbeat music]

Ollie: Thanks for meeting with us.

Principal Gu: You’re welcome. What are we here to talk about today?

Ollie: Well, this is a design for a new lunchroom.

Principal Gu: A new lunchroom. Okay.

Ollie: What do you think?

Principal Gu: I think you’ve worked really hard on this. And I appreciate your enthusiasm, Ollie. I don’t see us being able to just tear down the cafeteria and rebuild it. These plans are never going to work.

[sound of phone dropping]

Sid: All that research. For nothing.

Ollie: Maybe not for nothing. The bank, the church, our cafeteria. You know what they all have in common?

Sid: The community?

Ollie: Exactly.

[inspiring music]

Ollie: Paul R. Williams wasn’t just an architect. He was a game changer for Black communities in Los Angeles. At a time when so many doors were closed to people of color. He designed the places for people to actually come together and make things happen. Churches, community centers, businesses. Homes. Real spaces for organizing, planning, celebrating, and building a future. His work didn’t just change the city skyline. It created room for Black voices, Black leadership, and Black progress. Williams proved that design isn’t just about buildings. It’s about giving people the space they need to get things done. Maybe we can’t tear down and rebuild the cafeteria, but we can find ways to change it to better serve our needs.

Sid: Nice. Give me some.

Ollie: Awesome. Good. Sweet. Yeah. Okay.

Alex: So how are your plans for the cafeteria coming along?

Ollie: I don’t know yet, but I’ve got some interviews with classmates later on to figure out together what our community needs.

Ezra: And whatever we do, let’s be sure to include everyone.

Sid: Even the principal?

[chuckling]

Ollie: Turns out community and space are connected.