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.; Established in 1966, the Watts Summer Festival is one of the longest-running African American cultural festivals in the United States. Its inception followed the 1965 Watts Rebellion, founded by a collaborative effort of anti-poverty organizations and black nationalist groups. The festival aimed to cultivate community pride and cultural understanding, particularly in the aftermath of the rebellion. The 1968 festival, which notably included a parade, marked its official incorporation. Pictured in the third annual Watts Summer Festival parade, is a 'Protect Head Start' float with unidentified adults and children waving to the crowds as it proceeds down the parade route. An easel is covered with cartoons representing diseases like whooping cough, diphtheria and lock jaw to support the immunization of children. Two signs, one above the cartoons reads "Protect your children. Immunize" and on the side reads "Stay healthy." A large crowd of parade watchers consisting of men, women and children can be seen lining the sidewalk in the background. Photograph 1968. See images 00053440; 00053419; 00146279; 00146284 through 00146300 and 00148281 through 00148307 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
African American men Men African American women Women African American children Children Parade floats Parades Immunization of children Signs and symbols Crowds Business districts Watts (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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