Title supplied by cataloger. Rolland Joseph 'Speedy' Curtis was born in Louisiana in 1922. After serving three years in the Marines during World War II, he and his wife, Gloria, relocated from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1946. Curtis served four years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but resigned from the force in order to pursue both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from USC. He later became involved in city politics, as an associate of Sam Yorty, and later a field deputy to City Council members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. He was briefly director of the Model Cities program in 1973. Rolland J. Curtis died in his home in 1979, the victim of a homicide. An affordable housing complex on Exposition Blvd. near Vermont Ave. was named in his honor in 1981, along with a nearby street and park. An unidentified man (presumably a team doctor or coach), is seen tending to a young athlete who appears to have injured his right foot during a football game. The young player lies on the ground still wearing his helmet, as his football cleat lays behind him on the grass, and an equipment bag lays next to him. An unidentified young teammate looks on as the player's injuries are being assessed. What appears to be a first aid kit is visible under the bench, and the forty yard line marker can be seen in the background at top right. Photographer Rolland Curtis was known to capture community activities in South Los Angeles, so these coaches and players may be a part of the Baldwin Hills Youth Football Association or the Los Angeles Youth Sports Association, a non-profit organization based at Jefferson High School in South Los Angeles, which sponsored pop warner football for young boys and beginning in the 1970s also added cheerleading for young girls. The location where this youth football game took place is unknown, and no further information has been given. Photograph circa 1975. See images 00130176 through 00130193 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Youth league football--Coaching Youth league football Men Boys Coaches (Athletics) Football coaches Football for children Football players Football stadiums Football teams Football uniforms Football helmets Football Sports for children Sports teams Sports Athletes Athletic fields First aid in illness and injury Medical personnel Los Angeles (Calif.)
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