13
A History of Change
Susan Miller Dorsey High School opened in 1937 and has always been a
reflection of the surrounding community. Dorsey serves students primarily from West
Adams, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills and other parts of the Crenshaw neighborhood. This
includes “The Jungle,” a sprawling low-income apartment complex that sits at the foot of
Baldwin Hills and just north of the campus. The name was given to the complex because
of its green foliage but would become synonymous with a presumed culture of disarray
and gang activity—a reputation many in the community have tried to separate themselves
from.
Though “Crenshaw” is often recognized as a historically African-American
community in Los Angeles, it has never been static. In the 1930’s, the area was
predominately white. Restrictive Housing Covenants prevented African-Americans and
other people of color from owning homes outside of “South Central” and White
Neighborhood “Protectives” went out of their way to keep black residents out. In 1948,
the Supreme Court Case of Shelley v. Kraemer deemed housing covenants illegal.
Since they could no longer depend on covenants to keep African-Americans out,
residents resorted to more aggressive means like cross burnings, shootings and bombings
against families who attempted to move in. But as the 1950’s progressed, some of the
tension subsided and black families continued their migration west.
Real estate investors also engaged in what was known as “blockbusting” in which
they purchased formerly white owned homes and sold them to black families. As white