South Los Angeles or “SOLA?”

We start today with a story about the power of perception. Can you change a neighborhood by changing its name? Twelve years ago, the city council tried when it rebranded South Central Los Angeles as “South L.A.” The idea was to free the community from the negative connotations of violence and crime that had become associated with “South Central.” Today, the council decides whether to create yet another name for the area. They’re scheduled to vote whether to make the acronym “SOLA” officially synonymous with “South L.A.” But why? And could it have any real-world impacts on the ground in the neighborhood?