USC’s Charlotta Bass Lab Modernizes Public Memory with ‘Monumental’ Mobile App
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rafiq Taylor, Public Relations Associate
basslab@usc.edu
(213) 821-3323
LOS ANGELES — March 12, 2026 — On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 6 PM, the Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab will reveal its latest technological project, an app titled “Monumental.” The presentation will take place at Octavia’s Bookshelf in Pasadena, and will be invite-only.
In a time where Black history and public memory is actively being attacked, the need to preserve and celebrate Black culture and identity is bigger than ever. Monumental acknowledges and memorializes the overwhelming number of Black landmarks on the West Coast that are not officially listed as historical landmarks. Users of the app will be able to explore listed locations and exhibits virtually, with details and commentary from those who either live in the area or witnessed historical events there. Such events include the Eaton fires, which burned through much of Altadena and Pasadena one year ago.
A predominately Black city, much of Altadena was affected by the Eaton fires early 2025. Its neighboring city Pasadena also suffered damage. Student workers and full-time staff and partners of the Bass Lab collaborated directly with residents to establish these cities as the first to be recognized in the app. Octavia’s Bookshelf, the first Black-owned bookstore in Pasadena named after revolutionary science fiction author Octavia Butler, will welcome the Altadena and Pasadena community to celebrate the launch of Monumental.
“The purpose of Monumental is to map the hidden landmarks of Black press history.” Says Dr. Allissa Richarson, founding director of the Charlotta Bass Lab. “In spotlighting Black Altadena, we are tracing its civic and cultural sites — one year after the Eaton Fires — as a meditation on memory, resilience, and rebirth in Southern California’s creative corridor.”
Other projects by the Bass Lab include the Second Draft Project and the Media Trailblazer Award series.
The Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab is dedicated to:
- Preserving the legacy of Black media makers
- Training the next generation of journalists to challenge systemic inequities
- Experimenting with emerging technologies to capture and share Black testimonies and historical narratives
About the Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab
For nearly 175 years, Black activists across California, Oregon, and Washington have launched human rights campaigns that reshaped national and global movements—from the Gold Rush era to Black Lives Matter. The Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab serves as a living archive and creative hub where students, educators, and the public can explore, study, and honor these enduring contributions.
Through immersive storytelling, community partnerships, and student-centered research, the Bass Lab bridges past and present to illuminate how Black media has shaped public memory, civic engagement, and democratic possibility. By centering voices historically excluded from the archive, the Lab not only preserves history—it activates it, equipping students and audiences alike to better understand the power of media as a tool for justice, accountability, and collective imagination in the digital age.
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