LA> historical note: White flight/Compton (Hawthorne, Redondo Beach: house, neighborhood)

[laquests]

OK call me wierd but one of my hobbies is collecting old 50"s early 60"s LAUSD high school yearbooks. Here"s a comparrison of two from Compton (El Companile). In 1961 the graduation senior class: White 245, Black190, Latino 80, Asian 7. Now two years later the 1963 senior class: White 42, Black 210, Latino 75, Asian 5. Total 61: 522 grads, in 63: 332. Now a few did not have their pictures taken but, YIKES!!! Talk about White flight; in just two years the White student population dropped from 245 to 42!!! What happened? I don't think the Watts riot was until 64 or 65. Anybody out there have personal or other knowledge about this? Laquests.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by laquests

In 1961 the graduation senior class:
White 245, Black190, Latino 80, Asian 7.

Now two years later the 1963 senior class:
White 42, Black 210, Latino 75, Asian 5.

Total 61: 522 grads, in 63: 332.


in just two years the White student population dropped from 245 to 42!!!

That is amazing. I wonder if there was some redistricting or a new school was built or something.

[karkyco]

Wow, that's a trip. You should also look into the stats in recent years, since Compton and south LA have become so heavily Latino. Although many are loathe to admit it, the phenomenon of black flight has taken place - blacks have left in huge numbers to go inland and to other states for cheaper housing as well as for "flight" reasons.

[laquests]

Thanks for responses people. To be honest I don"t know if their was a redistricting or new school or what. Also my count tho fairly accurate is based on looking at grad photos and last names. However I too was amazed. I have a 1959 El Companile and the demographic ratios are about the same as in 61. What I need to find is that inbetween year 62. Josh Sides in his history of Black settlement in LA. (LA City Limits) says that in the early 50's when Blacks first began to escape the narrow Central Ave corridor that red lining racial covenants confined them to, and started settling West Compton (served by Centennial High in Willowbrook?) that crosses were burned on their lawns. Tho I grew up in the 50's and often (under the influence of nostalgia- a powerful narcotic!) think of it as California's golden age I now know there was a dark underside of racial intollerance and worse. Yours from Porterville Ca: Laquest.

[ST CRoix To Seattle]

I have a white African American friend that says in 1959 when he decided to buy his first house in America the decision came down to 3 choices Compton, Hawthorne and Redondo Beach...he picked Redondo Beach evn though there was no grocery store or services and he would have to go over to Hawthorne or Compton on his way from work. and Compton was having a bit of trouble as the majority white started selling their homes when blacks started moving in and he though for sure any purchase in compton would lose value...he was raised in an orphange in South Africa and grew up with lots of black kids as the orphanage was not segregated as they treated white orphans no better than blacks....anyway by 1963 all of his friends that told him he was stupid for moving to "Clifton Heights" as the locals called Redondo Beach back then were themselves moving to places like El Segundo,Hawthorne,Redondo Beach many of his friends in Construction loved Compton as the homes were quite large compared to what you could get in Redondo..I have to ask but i think he said he paid 8k or 18k back in 1959 for the 2 bed/1 bath tract home on Avenue A at 86 he still lives in the home but it is a 1.1 million 5 bedroom/3 bath that he remodeled over the years...Now blacks are fleeing compton to escape the violence...back in 1991 when I came to California from the Caribbean i lived near compton and I did not run from Latinos they were too busy working to bother anyone,but I did have to run from Blacks all the time that would rob me daily in packs of 4 or 5 when I did not get a head start running home from school...now they have become the victims of these latino kids that remember the days they could not walk outside without getting mugged....I would be happy with one of those mega mansions in compton but just would like it without having to step over the body of the sidewalk and I don't much care for helicopters overhead all day either

[Sorcerer68]

I've never even been to Compton, I've had no reason to do so.

Looking for all white? I suggest Arkansas.

[bhcompy]

comtpon and north long beach(neighborhood around jordan high school) used to be much whiter.. times change though. lakewood seems to have a growing black community now. regardless of racial makeup its a great place to live, so i can see why anyone would want to move there

[GracieJJ]

Perhaps the KKK had to disband in the area? lol

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by ST CRoix To Seattle

I have a white African American friend that says in 1959 when he decided to buy his first house in America the decision came down to 3 choices Compton, Hawthorne and Redondo Beach...he picked Redondo Beach evn though there was no grocery store or services and he would have to go over to Hawthorne or Compton on his way from work. and Compton was having a bit of trouble as the majority white started selling their homes when blacks started moving in and he though for sure any purchase in compton would lose value...he was raised in an orphange in South Africa and grew up with lots of black kids as the orphanage was not segregated as they treated white orphans no better than blacks....anyway by 1963 all of his friends that told him he was stupid for moving to "Clifton Heights" as the locals called Redondo Beach back then were themselves moving to places like El Segundo,Hawthorne,Redondo Beach many of his friends in Construction loved Compton as the homes were quite large compared to what you could get in Redondo..I have to ask but i think he said he paid 8k or 18k back in 1959 for the 2 bed/1 bath tract home on Avenue A at 86 he still lives in the home but it is a 1.1 million 5 bedroom/3 bath that he remodeled over the years...Now blacks are fleeing compton to escape the violence...back in 1991 when I came to California from the Caribbean i lived near compton and I did not run from Latinos they were too busy working to bother anyone,but I did have to run from Blacks all the time that would rob me daily in packs of 4 or 5 when I did not get a head start running home from school...now they have become the victims of these latino kids that remember the days they could not walk outside without getting mugged....I would be happy with one of those mega mansions in compton but just would like it without having to step over the body of the sidewalk and I don't much care for helicopters overhead all day either

WOW...this reads like the world's worst run-on sentence.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Originally Posted by laquests

OK call me wierd but one of my hobbies is collecting old 50"s early 60"s LAUSD high school yearbooks. Here"s a comparrison of two from Compton (El Companile). In 1961 the graduation senior class: White 245, Black190, Latino 80, Asian 7. Now two years later the 1963 senior class: White 42, Black 210, Latino 75, Asian 5. Total 61: 522 grads, in 63: 332. Now a few did not have their pictures taken but, YIKES!!! Talk about White flight; in just two years the White student population dropped from 245 to 42!!! What happened? I don't think the Watts riot was until 64 or 65. Anybody out there have personal or other knowledge about this? Laquests.

per your post, the vast majority of graduates were black. this is very good no? they are setting a good example for the other students. white students dropping out of school is very negative and needs attention. thank you for your concern and for the good post. would like to hear more about your year book collecton.