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. Flossie Burnley (right) is pictured at her desk with Manual Arts High School senior student and Council Member representative for the 8th District, Gloria Wright, who is participating in Girls Day in Government at Los Angeles City Hall. "Girls Day in Government" is an annual program sponsored by the city school district and Los Angeles City Hall to expose high school girls to the workings of municipal government. Regarding her interest in politics and participation in Girls Day, Ms. Wright stated, "Councilman Mills came to Manual [Arts High School] once, and I thought he was a very good man." Mrs. Burnley is the first African American in the city's history to be appointed executive assistant to a council member. What appears to be a district map is partially visible hanging on the wall behind the women. The event took place in April, 1971. This photo appeared in the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper on June 17, 1971 and the Southwest Wave newspaper on June 10, 1971. See images 00128929 through 00128932, and 00143652 through 00143661 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Los Angeles City Hall (Los Angeles, Calif.) Manual Arts High School (Los Angeles, Calif.)--Students African American women African American young women Women Secretaries High school student activities High school students Student government Teenage girls Students City halls Offices Desks Paperwork (Office practice) Typewriters Nameplates (Plaques) Name tags Maps Posing Smiling Los Angeles (Calif.)
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