Last Updated on May 20, 2025 by BVN
Alyssah Hall
On January 7, 2025, California wildfires broke out in the Palisades and Eaton that took innocent lives and destroyed many homes and businesses in these communities, including the historically renowned Black community of Altadena.
One of the Altadena homes destroyed was that of architect Charles Bryant, 73, and his wife, interior designer Lynelle, 60. Prior to the wildfires, the Bryants lived in Altadena for over 30 years, where they raised their four children and founded their architecture and interior design firm, Masbuild, in neighboring Pasadena. The Bryants were able to evacuate to safety at Masbuild, but lost over two acres of property and the majority of their possessions to the Eaton fire.
BVN health reporter, Breanna Reeves, and photojournalist and Report for America/Catchlight fellow, Aryana Noroozi, visited Masbuild in January to speak to the Bryants about how the Eaton Wildfire tragically affected them.
“But the difference that we had and other victims didn’t have, is that we left early. We made a choice to leave, and we chose what we wanted to leave because we had the time,” Lynnelle said in a previous BVN article. “We, emotionally — even though we didn’t really know the full scope, were able to say goodbye.”
The California African American Museum (CAAM) in Los Angeles opened their Ode to ‘Dena: Black Artistic Legacies of Altadena exhibition on April 15, 2025, in honor of the “rich and dynamic Black cultural heritage of Altadena.” The exhibit will be open for public viewing upon purchase of museum tickets until October 12, 2025.
One of the many images sourced and incorporated into the exhibit was one Noroozi took of the Bryants looking over their architectural plans to rebuild their Altadena home that was destroyed in the fire. For Noroozi, it was a full circle moment as she has covered an exhibit at CAAM for BVN in the past and now has her own work with BVN considered and added to their Ode to ‘Dena exhibit.
“It’s really neat to see the collaborative visual archive created by this exhibition and to be part of it,” Noroozi said. “[Altadena] is going to be a big part of Black history, seeing that so many Black and brown families were affected by the fires.”
“Visual representation of this issue is important…I’m happy that we were able to be a part of that,” Noroozi continued.
