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. Numerous demonstrators are pictured holding picket signs and marching outside the Thriftimart, located at 2600 S. Vermont Ave. Some of the signs read, "Thriftimart Unfair. UAW Supports. UCRC Boycott. Vote NO on #14"; "We demand equality not tokenism. U.C.R.C."; "Thriftimart exploits minorities. Keep your dignity. Don't shop here. U.C.R.C."; "UAW fights for Equality, Justice, Freedom on the job in the community. Vote NO on #14"; and "Minorities want better jobs less pushbrooms. C.O.R.E." Several other signs advertising supermarket specials are displayed along the front of the store. The group was protesting discriminatory hiring practices by the company. Photograph circa 1964. See images 00128421 through 00128426; and 00143362 through 00143406 for all photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Thriftimart Thriftimart--Employees African American men Men African American women Women Community activists Grocery stores Supermarkets Stores & shops Strikes and lockouts Picketing Lost architecture Neon signs Advertising--Supermarkets Advertising--Food Signs and signboards Sales promotion Sidewalks Streets Los Angeles (Calif.)
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