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. Pictured is City Councilman Gilbert Lindsay and Pasadena candidate for Nisei Queen, Debora Yukiko Hiraoka. Hiraoka is dressed in a traditional kimono and Lindsay is wearing a yukata. They are present for the 29th Nisei Week Japanese Festival; though the word, Nisei means, "second generation" the festival celebrates and promotes both Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions. The festival is held in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Photograph dated August 19, 1969. See images 00119474 through 00119477 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Lindsay, Gilbert Nisei Week Japanese Festival (Los Angeles, Calif.) Festivals Japanese--Clothing Sashes (Clothing) City council members African American politicians African American men Men Japanese American women Women Little Tokyo (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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