Pacoima’s early future was shaped by the Southern Pacific Railroad—and by Leland Stanford, the railroad magnate, former California governor, U.S. Senator, and founder of Stanford University.

After African American families began moving into the Joe Louis Homes in Pacoima in 1951—and later into neighborhoods such as San Fern Manor—women organized social clubs, sororities, and community circles that helped shape a new Black suburban life in the San Fernando Valley.

Pacoima Historical Society co-hosted Latino Heritage Day at the Museum of the San Fernando Valley on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at the...