Douglas Dollarhide represents a significant change in Compton. Dollarhide was the first Black mayor of a city in California. After his election victory in 1969, the once majority White city of Compton soon became a majority Black city after Whites fled. Dollarhide died in 2008 at the age of 85.
Compton struggles with its identity as a gang-riddled city with high crime rates. But the residents have a sense of pride for the location and it’s often expressed through clothing. It’s not unusual for Compton residents to wear city-influenced paraphernalia as if it were a sports team.
