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Preserving the History of South Los Angeles
0216
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Contributing Institution:
Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.
Title: Preserving the History of South Los Angeles Collection
Identifier/Call Number: 0216
Physical Description:
378.39 Gigabytes
Date (inclusive): 2023-03-03-2023-12-07
Abstract: Collection consisting of recorded oral history interviews and digitized photographs from elders in the African American community
in South Los Angeles. This collection began as a grant-funded Humanities for All Grant from the California Humanities foundation.
Individuals were selected who came from a Christian tradition, especially Churches of Christ, and who had some relationship
to Pepperdine or its original campus. The project is an ongoing one and materials will continue to be added.
Language of Material:
English
.
Oral history interviews and digitized photographs created during the California Humanities grant-funded project, Preserving
the History of South Los Angeles. Interviews include a full interview file as well as the edited versions which have been
published on a dedicated website.
Materials are arranged into series based on individuals interviewed. Each series includes interview files (preservation and
access versions of video files and backup audio) as well as digitized photographs. Series 1: B.(Bertha) Ruth Allen; Series
2: Carl Baccus; Series 3: Woodrow Bailey; Series 4: Billy C. Curl; Series 5: Joan Guinses; Series 6: Bernice Pitts; Series
7: Loretta Randle; Series 8: Michael Smith
George Pepperdine College was established in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles on September 21, 1937. The
college became Pepperdine University in 1971, after opening a new campus in Malibu. Between 1937-1981, George Pepperdine College
was deeply connected to and shaped by the South Los Angeles community. George Pepperdine, the college's founder, was an elder
at Normandie Church of Christ, where Carroll Pitts (Pepperdine alumnus and faculty member, and late husband of narrator Bernice
Pitts) was a minister and one of our interviewers (and current Pepperdine faculty member), Dr. Stanley Talbert, is currently
the minister. Narrator Billy Curl was the minister of Crenshaw Church of Christ, where many Pepperdine faculty, staff, and
students attended. Los Angeles was an epicenter for national civil rights and Black liberation movements, which were active
on college campuses, including George Pepperdine College. During this time, a significant Black community was taking root
in South Los Angeles. In 1956, reflecting this shift, 10% of George Pepperdine College's student population was Black, growing
to at least 22% by 1970.
In 1968, an opportunity to expand the university emerged, made possible by a gift from the Marblehead Land Company of 138
acres of land in Malibu. In 1981, the difficult decision was made to close the original campus. Many of the interviews in
this collection touch on that decision and its repercussions in the community.
Each of the participants who have been interviewed are elders in the Black community in South Los Angeles. All participants
have been community organizers and leaders who have done work to empower and support their community in South LA. Two ministers
from the Churches of Christ tradition were interviewed, a restauranteur, a real estate broker, and an artist. Several went
to or worked with Pepperdine.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Most interviews were filmed at Normandie Church of Christ as a part of a grant-funded project. The Carl Baccus interview was
recorded using the Zoom application. Backup audio was largely recorded internally on the Rode mic clipped to the participant
- the backup audio may be different than the full interview and should not be shared publicly without review. Images were
largely scanned immediately following interviews, or digital surrogates were donated by participants via email. No physical
photographs were donated as a part of this collection.
All video files, buth full and edited, are available to access. Backup audio belonging to Joan Guinses may contain sensitive
financial information and should not be accessed by the public until 50 years after her passing. Loretta Randle's full interview
includes material about child abuse that may be triggering for some users- users should be made aware before accessing her
full interview.
Pepperdine University retains copyright of interviews and digital images
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Pepperdine University
Churches of Christ -- History
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History