Alston and Woodruff each had to his name a dynamic body of work exploring the aesthetics, struggles and historical consciousness of the African Diaspora. Their business in California, however, carried them to new ancestral landscapes. They crisscrossed the state in search of historic landmarks and artifacts, retracing by highways and automobile the centuries-old footsteps of Black explorers, settlers and leaders. Along the way, they encountered not only their triumphs and tragedies, but also the hardships these pioneers faced in their "battle[s] for a place in the sun." Their mission was to assemble a new memory site in Los Angeles out of many, one that would illuminate the accomplishments of their forebears while arguing for full integration into postwar life.