Larry Earl has spent his life bringing history to life — not through textbooks, but through experience. As the owner of 1619 Exhibits, he transforms stories into spaces, creating immersive exhibitions that invite people to see, feel, and walk through the narratives that shaped them.

A native of Los Angeles with roots in Leimert Park, Larry’s work has always centered on community and truth-telling. He has led some of the country’s most important Black cultural institutions — from serving as Executive Director of the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum, to helping launch the Houston Museum of African American Culture. In every role, he’s worked to preserve history while making it breathe anew for a modern audience.

At Destination Crenshaw, Larry serves as a lead curator and project historian, helping to weave the corridor’s visual art and design into a living timeline of South LA’s creativity, struggle, and triumph. His approach goes beyond display — it’s storytelling through place, ensuring that every mural, sculpture, and detail carries the heartbeat of the community.

For Larry, history isn’t something to look back on — it’s something to stand inside of. And through his work, he’s making sure South LA’s story is seen, heard, and remembered exactly as it should be: boldly, beautifully, and on its own terms.