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Josh Sides, director of the Center for Southern California Studies at the California State University at Northridge, explains the development of Compton as a result of land speculation and its proximity to the entertainment industry.
Compton lies on what was originally part of the San Pedro Ranchero with the roots of Richland Farms dating back to the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries.
Yvonne Arceneaux has served as a councilwoman in District 3, Richland Farms since 1993.
Lloyd Wilkins has been a property owner in Richland Farms since the 1960s, he owns two merged lots including rental homes and stables where he raises Tennessee Walking Horses.
Marie Hollis moved from Oklahoma to Southern California in 1967 and settled on a one acre lot in Richland Farms that had once housed 10,000 chickens, six…
By the end of the 1960s, African-Americans had abandoned the search for a racial Promise Land and had come to terms with the near impossible task of overcoming the physical, philosophical and economical barriers created by centuries of racism.
Today, the lush vegetation along Compton Creek provides a glimpse into a time when the wetlands of Compton and Vernon were zoned for agriculture.
When black families began migrating from the rural South to Compton and Richland Farms in the 1950s, they found their "home away from home" in this small community.
Cliff Williams is the owner of Cliff's Burritos, a Mexican food joint just off the northeast corner of Richland Farms.
Mayisha Akbar, executive director of Compton Jr. Posse, is recognized through her efforts to empower youth by using horses as motivational tools; she is considered one of the most influential leaders in the African-American community.
Compton is experiencing a re-birth thanks in part to the perseverance and vision of some of its residents and political figures.
County Director at UC Cooperative Extension, Rachel Surls is fascinated by the complexities and contradictions of Los Angeles' agricultural and planning history.
