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.; The First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles was founded in 1872 by Ms. Bridget (Biddy) Mason, who arrived as a slave in Los Angeles in 1856. Because California was a free state, with the help of black and white abolitionists, she sued the court to successfully win her freedom. The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, also known as the First A.M.E. or FAME, is a megachurch with over 19,000 members. Conducting a service at the First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles, the Reverend H. Hartford Brookins can be seen standing at the altar with arms raised, giving a sermon. Additional clergy can be seen standing behind him, as well as unidentified choir members. Several altar boys stand at the forefront, and a large plant can be seen nestled atop a ledge in the background. The First A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles is located at 2270 S. Harvard Boulevard. Photograph circa 1969. See images 00128019 through 00128023; and 00128428 through 00128429 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 color negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Brookins, H. Hartford First A.M.E. Church (Los Angeles, Calif.) African American men Men African American women Women Clergy Clergy--Clothing Choirs (Music) Altars with pulpits Altars Religion Religious art Religious gatherings Religious institutions Religious leaders Religious services Sermons Singing Churches Podiums Los Angeles (Calif.)
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