A Los Angeles mayoral hopeful who led the Socialist city of Llano del Rio, aiming to create a self-sufficient socialist community with innovative ideas such as the first Montessori school in Southern California.

A Massachusetts-born journalist credited with crafting a romanticized vision of Southern California as a WASP paradise, which influenced early 20th-century real estate and Hollywood's mythology.

An influential figure in Los Angeles' ruling class in the late 19th century, who expanded the city's harbor and infrastructure, turning the Los Angeles Times into a leading regional paper.

Son-in-law of Otis who continued the expansion and control of Los Angeles, using the LAPD to suppress dissent and promoting the city to affluent immigrants and tourists.

A renowned architect whose work reflects Los Angeles' themes of security and exclusivity, critiqued by Davis for reinforcing social divisions.

The law enforcement agency in Los Angeles that Davis argues serves the city’s elite, often at the expense of disadvantaged communities, and noted for its innovative use of surveillance technology.

Rival African-American gangs from South-Central Los Angeles, whose activities Davis examines in the context of broader socio-economic issues and the capitalist structures they mirror.

A religious institution in Los Angeles with a significant Latino congregation, struggling with internal power dynamics and controversies concerning representation and sanctuary for migrants.