The Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building was a “symbol of black enterprise and of loyal service to many thousands.” It represented hope, pride, and a sense of belonging for African Americans in Los Angeles and across the country. While the Ralph J. Bunche House pays homage to the first African American to receive the Nobel peace prize, the first African American to gain a Ph.D. in political science from an American university and the first Black member to be inducted into the American Philosophical Society, was a resident of South Los Angeles.