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Dorsey High School: a lesson in transformation

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Dorsey High School: a lesson in transformation

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DORSEY HIGH SCHOOL: A LESSON IN TRANSFORMATION

by

LeTania Kirkland

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(PRINT JOURNALISM)

May 2011

Copyright 2011 LeTania Kirkland
ii

Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………………………… iii
A Recognized Need for Understanding…………………………………... 5
Navigating Dorsey………………………………………………………… 7
Approaches………………………………………………………………. 12
A History of Change………………………………………………………13

A Legacy in the Community………………………………………………16

Push for Change………………………………………………………….. 18

Room for Improvement…………………………………………………... 21

Pulling Together………………………………………………………….. 23

Bibliography……………………………………………………………… 27
iii
Abstract
Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles is at a crossroads. The school
serves a community that, for decades, has been hailed as one of the largest historically
black enclaves in the city. However, as migration throughout Los Angeles continues,
what was once a predominately African-American community is almost equally Latino.
This dramatic shift is mirrored at Dorsey, which some students and faculty call a
segregated campus. However, there are others who believe the school has the potential to
overcome stereotypes of so-called black/brown tension in Los Angeles. Dorsey’s faculty
is working to create cohesion on campus and effectively serve the ever-changing
community that it serves.
1
Ashley Valentine, a senior at Dorsey High School, says there is little time for
divisiveness on the historic Los Angeles campus. Though some call Dorsey racially
segregated, students like Valentine say the similarities between students can be much
more powerful than the differences.
“We don’t really have time to hate each other because we have to help each
other,” said Valentine.
But, despite a recognized need for understanding, integration is a gradual process.
Though there are students who hope for unity, many of them believe they are in the
minority.
“I believe there are only a few of us. Everyone has their own prejudices,
everybody has their own conflict,” said Nancy Diaz, a junior.
Dorsey High School is at a crossroads. Over the last 20 years, what was one of the
few predominately African-American schools in Los Angeles has gradually shifted to be
almost equally Latino. This is inevitable as the surrounding community undergoes a
similar shift. But this change is not without challenges and the Dorsey community is
working to create cohesion on campus and effectively serve the changing community it
serves.
The so-called black/brown tension phenomenon has risen to new heights in the
last decade—especially in Los Angeles. The racial and ethnic makeup of areas like South
Los Angeles, once strong African-American enclaves, has changed as increased
immigration brought more Latinos and large numbers of African-Americans have left the
community for outlying suburbs and cities far from Los Angeles. Increased competition
2
for jobs, education and public resources has been cited as creating a bubbling tension
between African-Americans and Latinos.
Historically, Latino immigrant enclaves were mostly contained in East Los
Angeles and MacArthur Park/Pico Union. But that concentration has shifted into places
like the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys and the historically black South Los
Angeles. In 1980, South Los Angeles was 76 percent African-American and 20 percent
Latino. In the 2000 census, the region was 39 percent African American and 50 percent
Latino. This trend in the community is mirrored in its schools.
During the 1981-82 school year at Dorsey, the student population was 90 percent
black and five percent Latino. During the 2004-05 school year, 56 percent of students
were African-American and 42 percent were Latino. Dramatic shifts like these have been
witnessed across South Los Angeles. Locke High School, for instance, was 98 percent
African-American and 2 percent Latino in the 1981-82 school year. By 2005, the campus
population inverted with Latinos making up 63 percent of the population and African-
Americans 37 percent.
As the numbers continue to shift in the city, the question remains: whose needs
will be represented?
In a 2006 article by the Sacramento Bee, shortly after Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
was elected, African-American and Latino community leaders expressed concern about
increased competition for jobs and fear among African-Americans that their needs would
not be addressed as the Latino presence in local communities and city leadership grew.
3
The Rev. Robert Lee De France, Jr. of Redeemer Baptist Church in South Los Angeles
stated that his congregants feared being left behind in the wake of a Latino mayor.
“The needs of African-Americans continue to be slighted, and the Spanish
population is getting preference in jobs,” said DeFrance. Another African-American
community member (who supported Villaraigosa) described it as a “fear of being
displaced.”
The story also pointed to a growing concern about Los Angeles youth in local
schools. Fights between African-American and Latino students were increasing and many
feared this mirrored the tension between adults—a topic the press would continue to
follow.
On May 9, 2008 a fight between rival tagging crews broke out at Locke High
School in Watts. One crew was black, the other Latino and before the fight could be
contained, it grew into a school-wide brawl involving 600 students that, by most
accounts, was divided along racial lines. The media quickly covered the story, and most
chalked it up to black vs. brown conflict.
To veteran Newsweek reporter Donna Foote, the issue at Locke High School was
deeper. Foote spent a year shadowing three teachers at Locke and insisted that rather than
a mere issue of racial conflict the fight was also an issue of resources. By the time the
fighting at Locke got underway, the school had become a symbol of the lack of quality
education that exists in many poor minority neighborhoods.
“When only three percent of Locke students are receiving the education required
to get a toehold on the American dream, should we be surprised at a melee on the quad?
4
After all, as education reformers would observe, if only three percent of the garbage in
L.A. were being picked up, there would be rioting in the streets,” said Foote. While race
played a role in the conflict, it was just one piece in the complicated reality of life,
survival and education in Los Angeles—a story that traverses racial lines.
Though Dorsey has not witnessed conflict like that at Locke, it faces similar
challenges. Despite a presence of high performing students and faculty, the school has
also been home to waning test scores and a marred reputation, due to a history of gang
violence and a decline in academic excellence.
As a result, Dorsey has been placed on the Public School Choice List, which
makes it eligible for a “charter school takeover” in which a charter school company could
gain control of the school. The deadline to bid for control of Dorsey is March 31. Faculty,
parents and students are now rallying together to improve test scores and present a plan
for restructuring in order to save their school and become a symbol of success for all of
its students.
5

A Recognized Need for Understanding
Four years ago, Dorsey High School set out to make a symbolic gesture of unity
through art. It was then that Dr. Fahashima Butler, coordinator of the 9
th
grade academy
at Dorsey, recruited her students and artists Raul Martinez and Nona Olabisi to create a
mural that would represent the common ground between indigenous African and Latino
cultures and, in turn, that of its students.
“The goal was to take the mural and use it as a tool to really teach them on a
deeper level about the richness of their history,” said Butler.
The unnamed mural was painted on the side of one of the 9
th
Grade Academy
Bungalows. It is vibrant and full of deep reds and blues. It depicts iconic images like the
Aztec pyramid and Egyptian sphinx, which sit under the single moon filled with an Aztec
calendar. A single pair of outstretched arms extends from the body of the piece, the wrists
shackled together by chains. At the center of the painting is a single beating heart with
pulsing veins that travel across the canvas that become roots that disappear into the
ground, as the mural ends and the reality on the ground begins.
Butler has taught at Dorsey for over 17 years. After leaving in 1993, she returned
in 1997 and discovered a school weighed down by student apathy and a gang influence
not present before. One of her own students, a member of a local Salvadorian gang,
accused her (an African-American) of being a racist—an accusation she took to heart.
“That was really painful for me because I have always prided myself in trying to
be culturally responsive and respectful,” said Butler.
6
Though a great deal of the racial tension subsided with a crackdown on gang
activity, Butler said she still recognized the need to help students find common ground
and, hopefully build bridges across racial lines. That bridge was the impetus for the
mural.
“If you have a sense of appreciation and consciousness of where you came from, I
think it diminishes the racist mentality and attitude because you’re hungry to evaluate and
appreciate the strengths of each other’s background,” said Butler.
As sincere as the gesture of the mural might be, inter-ethnic similarity is not
apparent to all students, and the push for unity on campus can be a challenge.
7
Navigating Dorsey
“You can kind of tell they try to keep their distance away from each other. They
have their spot and we have our spot,” said Paradise Donaldson, a junior at Dorsey,
referring to Latino students on campus.
Donaldson arrived at Dorsey High School in 2009 as a sophomore. Before
Dorsey, she attended Monroe High School in North Hills. When her mother passed away,
she moved in with her best friend’s family and started attending Dorsey.
In Donaldson’s eyes, Dorsey has yet to achieve racial cohesion. And that can be
seen, she said, by taking a look around during lunch.
Indeed, when walking onto the Dorsey campus at lunchtime, there appears to be a
split between the Latino and African-American students. In interviews, students and
teachers alike point to lunch period as an example of the lingering segregation on
campus.
“If you walk around you’ll see like all the Latinos hanging out in one place, all
the black student hanging out in one place, all the smart kids hanging out in class. We
just always divide ourselves,” said Isaias Perez, a junior.
Lunch is not just a time eating, but for socializing. The school’s main entrance
opens into the quad. On one side, a group of African-American students talk together; on
the other side a group of Latino students sit on a bench doing the same thing. Beyond the
semi-circle of corridors where most classes are held is the “strip,” an open air space that
teems with energy. The volume is high and students gather in clusters or walk through the
center of activity calling out to friends passing by.
8
During a lunchtime tour of the school, Donaldson pointed to a group of tables and
said, “That’s where the Latinos hang out.”
Some of the division is attributed to crews that are exclusively black or Latino,
and often mark their territory on campus. Though there is usually not much trouble
between the crews, conflict sometimes breaks out when someone steps into an opposing
crew’s space.
But, according to administrators, Dorsey has not been home to any major racial
conflict.
“We’ve been fortunate in not having the major black/brown problems on our
campus,” said Beverly Manuel, head dean at Dorsey.
Manuel said the potential for conflict was ripe when the gang influence on
campus was greater. If there is racial conflict in the streets, she said, it makes its way
back to the campus. When she became dean, her first priority was addressing local gangs
directly and coming to an agreement that school was “off-limits.” Since that time, the
gang presence on campus has diminished significantly.
Manuel admits that crews still exist but faculty try to discourage students from
creating territories. However, that it is one habit that is hard to break.
“We explain to the kids there are no territories. But, of course on any campus kids
hang out in certain areas,” said Manuel.
Though territories are discouraged, conflicts still arise. Last year, an off-campus
fight between black and Latino students made its way back to Dorsey. Once on campus,
9
the confrontation escalated and students started dividing themselves between black and
Latino, preparing to fight.
Manuel said she snuffed out the clash quickly and the students who started the
fight were brought into her office to discuss the problem immediately. This is her general
practice to prevent major clashes in the future. She also works closely with a group of
students she has recruited to monitor campus and report any potential conflict or
questionable behavior directly to her. After any confrontation, Manuel said her first
move is to bring in the students from both sides (and parents if necessary) to discuss the
heart of the issue and find a resolution. When students refuse to comply, they can be
removed from the school.
“We work hard at squashing those situations very early. As soon as we hear about
it we deal with both groups and we bring both groups in to facilitate peace,” said Manuel.
Beyond crews, these groupings are also a matter of interpretation and are more
complicated than what first meets the eye. Race may be the most obvious factor in the
equation, but it is not the only one. A group of students—African-American and Latino—
with piercings and dyed hair stand in one corner. Another group of African-American and
Latinos boys spend lunchtime playing cards in the library and do not appear to be divided
by any so-called black/brown tension.
“People associate with those they have something in common with. But often
times, we as a society tend to look at color. We see all Latinos here, all black here and
you think it’s a separatist campus,” said Dorsey’s principal, Dr. Reginald Sample.
10
Sample said that it is a gross oversimplification to look at Dorsey and assume the
school is merely defined by racial lines. Like most high schools in America, he said, kids
at Dorsey delineate groups based on interests, looks, music and lifestyle choices. The
classic stereotyped high school cliques—football players, cheerleaders, punks and the
studious types—still exist and thrive with one another.
For some students, finding another sense of common ground is the surest means
of crossing so-called racial barriers. Anibal Serrano, a senior, said that playing football
opened up a door to becoming friends with more African-American students than he
would have otherwise.
“Some of the black friends I have right now, I trust some of them more than the
students that are Hispanic. And I don’t think that would have happened if I hadn’t played
football,” said Serrano.
He recognizes tension between some students along racial lines but, in his
opinion, any effort to create trouble is usually started by “ignorant” students who did not
show up to school to learn in the first place. Others, he said, simply hang out with people
of the same race because that’s who they understand and relate to. It is not racism but a
relationship of assumed similarities because of common cultural heritage. Crossing those
boundaries is something that cannot be forced.
“I think it’s going to happen naturally. Not just in school. You just have to be a
social person, someone you can easily talk to and who respects others beliefs and the way
they grew up”, said Serrano.
11
Serrano is Mexican-American and grew up just seven block away from Dorsey.
The local community is his and he grew up with many of the students at Dorsey.
Growing up in the same environment, he said, has created a bridge for interaction and
understanding.
“We do come from the same community, so we do relate in many ways,” said
Serrano.
During our lunchtime tour, Donaldson explained that student life at Dorsey is
complicated. Though racial tension can create walls of separation, it is not all
encompassing, and she (like Serrano) sees the value in breaking down those walls.
Donaldson walks through the school’s corridors and pathways, rarely taking a
break, and greeting students along the way. She is acquainted with people from different
social groups that many students use to distinguish themselves.
During the first few minutes of the lunch period, she chats with a group of
African-American students. She moves on quickly and soon is speaking with a couple of
freshman girls—one black the other Latina. Donaldson credits her ability to traverse the
group mentality to her frequent moving over the years. She has lived in East L.A., the
San Fernando Valley, Bakersfield and now just blocks away from Dorsey and said the
experience exposed her to a variety of people and gave her a desire to understand them.
“Me? I’m not one person. I have different mentalities. I see myself as I can fit in
anywhere…My ethnicity is one part of me,” said Donaldson.

12
Approaches
Dorsey’s faculty has tried a number of approaches to creating cohesion on
campus. During an interview, Principal Sample lauded Dorsey’s monthly assemblies that
focus on the usual topics such as discipline and test scores as well as cultural sensitivity
and respect.
Dorsey is dedicated to holding special assemblies for the purpose. During Black
History Month, the school presents programs highlighting the significance of African-
American leaders. On holidays like Dia De Los Muertos—a day celebrated by Mexican-
Americans to honor the dead—assemblies are held to explain its cultural roots and
relevancy.
“We work together. It’s not just a Latino thing or an African-American thing. We
all take part in celebrating each other’s culture because we know how valuable each is
and what they contributed,” said Sample.
Dr. Butler, who led the creation of Dorsey’s mural, said she is broaching the issue
directly in the classroom. She teaches cultural awareness classes to freshmen that focus
on helping students understand the complexities of race and nationality. She hopes it will
sow a seed of respect in the students early in their high school careers, and said creating
more cultural awareness is key to change. In her class, something as simple as educating
students about the varying traditions and cultural traits within the black and Latino
communities is the beginning.
“I think it’s changing very slowly. It’s a long process and a catalyst for expediting
the process is what we do in the classroom,” said Butler.
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
14
flight ensued, those same investors purchased the remaining homes and sold them to
black families eager for change. What would result is the Crenshaw district, and South
Los Angeles as a whole, becoming a booming heart of black Los Angeles.
But a black presence was not the only one to be felt in the area. Pre-World War II,
a strong Japanese-American community was building in South Los Angeles in the
1930’s. After Pearl Harbor, many of these families were held in internment camps. With
the close of the war in 1945 coupled with the integration of South Los Angeles, the
community was largely rebuilt as Japanese-Americans moved back to the region.
Dorsey was no exception to this change. Yearbooks from the 1930’s display a
predominately white school with the occasional student of color. But the yearbook
archives display how the school changed with the community. Dorsey’s 1941 yearbook
pictures a predominately white school, with a few African-American and Japanese-
American students. By 1963, black and Japanese-American students had increased even
more so and the photos display a diverse student body, complete with an African-
American “May Day Queen.”
“I’ve always felt that diversity is very important and if there is an opportunity for
diversity so much the better. I think that in itself tends to allow you to look at things from
a different perspective.” said Willard Love, an alum and former vice principal of Dorsey.
Love attended Dorsey High School for three years in the 1950s and has felt a deep
connection to the campus ever since. When he attended Dorsey, he said, the campus did
not just look diverse but felt diverse—a characteristic that he has always considered an
advantage in his life during his time at Dorsey and beyond.
15
He is a product of Los Angeles schools from the elementary level to college at
Cal State Los Angeles. After completing his degree, he began working in Los Angeles
Unified schools and served as Vice Principal of Dorsey from 1979 until 1993.
“I renamed myself ‘L.A. Love’,” he said.
After his retirement, Love began volunteering at the school, and when Dorsey’s
former principal was promoted last year, he served as interim principal during the search
process. He recently handed over the reins to Dr. Sample and said he will return to his
volunteer work at the school. His dedication to Dorsey runs deep.
“I feel that whatever I am as a man and whatever I’ve been able to do with my life
was formed here at this school,” said Love.
Love said the diversity he experienced while a student Dorsey has been “lost”
over the years. In his time, the campus was filled with black, Japanese-American and
white students who, he said, interacted with one another and found camaraderie in their
shared “Dorsey Don Pride,” which has waned in recent years. Now, he said, the campus
is composed primarily of “black and brown” and there are fewer opportunities for
students to be exposed to a variety of perspectives. That opportunity, he said, was one of
the guiding forces during his time at Dorsey.
“I think that in itself tends to allow you to look at things from a different
perspective. For me, it was just more enriching and rewarding to have that experience,”
said Love.
16

A Legacy in the Community
With time, diversity as Love knew it, has declined. By the late 1960’s the
majority of students at Dorsey were African-American. That majority began to decline
gradually beginning in the mid 90s. Dorsey is now at a tipping point—57 percent of
students are “black” and 43 percent “Hispanic,” according to LAUSD statistics for the
2009-10 school year.
But what do the numbers really mean for Dorsey? At the heart of the issue is that
the school has, over the years, stood as an emblem in the community that surrounds it—
all historically African-American neighborhoods.
As the neighborhood changes, the school must now stand up to the challenge of
representing the evolving dynamics and create a sense of community for every student
that walks through the doors of the school. It is an adjustment period for all.
“There is definitely a sense of loss,” said David Richardson, president of
“Motivated Men” a volunteer-run mentoring program on the Dorsey campus.
Richardson lives in Baldwin Hills and has been involved with Dorsey for over 20
years. For some, he said, there is a feeling that Dorsey is no longer an emblem in the
black community, which can be difficult to accept. He has listened as black community
members have blamed the negative aspects of Dorsey on Latinos moving into the
neighborhood. He said that is an ill-found perception and adults have to learn acceptance
when it comes to the inevitable change in their neighborhood and schools.
17
“If you don’t get involved and understand and allow these two major groups of
people to be better educated about each other, these are the types of things you are going
to hear,” said Richardson.
Richardson is growing accustomed as well. When describing “Motivated Men”
the main goal, he said was “investing in African-American males” to help them become
better students. Because of the school’s shifting demographics, he said, the Motivated
Men are working for greater inclusion of Latino students as well.
The Motivated Men have an everyday presence on campus. They provide
mentoring, monitor classes and most recently developed a program called “Embodi,”
which offers specialized tutoring, mentoring and extracurricular activities for male
students (both black and Latino) showing low academic performance.
The group has only one Latino mentor. In a recent Tuesday night meeting, the
revised mission statement noted the need for Latino inclusion—a call for action that was
met with some hesitant and other enthusiastic “amens” in agreement. Though it may not
be easy, creating racial cohesion on campus, said Richardson, is part and parcel of
improving the culture at Dorsey and cultivating influential men in the community.
“I think it’s important for them to understand and respect each other and
understand, long after I’m done, they’re still probably going to be living and working
together,” said Richardson

18
Push for Change
Due to outside forces that may be stronger than any cultural awareness assembly
or volunteer intervention, students at Dorsey may have to come together sooner than
imagined. In 2010, the campus was placed on the Public School Choice Program list. The
program was created by the Los Angeles Unified School District and selects the district’s
low performing schools based largely on state test scores and graduation rates. Charter
school corporations as well as the school’s present administration and faculty are then
allowed to bid for control of restructuring the school.
There are several criteria for placing schools on the list, with testing being one of
the high priorities. Those schools that score less than 600 on the Academic Performance
Index and show less than 100 points of improvement over the course of five years are
subject. In 2010, Dorsey’s API score was 571, which was an improvement from its 2005
score of 501. Though numbers have steadily increased since that time, they have not met
the 100-point improvement mark.
Dorsey faculty and many parents are opposed to the notion of a charter school
takeover. Charter schools credit themselves with improving test scores and graduation
rates. Critics say that is often a result of cherry-picking the highest performing students
and the exclusion of Special Education and English as Second Language programs. Some
worry that some students in the community would be left out in the cold.
“I think our students would be forced to change schools to find a public school
that serves their needs,” said Lorena Santos an English as Second Language instructor at
Dorsey.
19
In an effort to improve Dorsey’s chances of survival, the school has shifted its
focus to improving tests scores. The school now holds “School-Wide Wednesdays,”
which are dedicated to practice testing and preparation.
But even the attempt at improvement has been subject to trial and error. In 2008,
administration became concerned that African-American students’ test scores were the
lowest in the school. Dr. Butler, along with a committee of other African-American
faculty, organized a series of special “Heart to Heart” assemblies, which were open solely
to African-American students and faculty.
The program was met with opposition. Latino students complained about being
left out and teachers criticized the assembly’s exclusivity. But Butler said it was a
necessary step to make students comfortable in discussing their performance and the
expectations faculty had for them to improve.
“At the dinner table there are some things you wouldn’t talk about with strangers
from the outside present. That was the rationale for having that assembly so that a very
hard conversation could be had,” said Butler.
Latino students questioned why they did not have an assembly of their own. Soon,
the news about the test scores was viral. Santos, the English as Second Language teacher,
said this created a rift between some African-American and Latino students who saw test
scores as an opportunity to be “better” than the other side.
“It became this competitive kind of thing. Competitive in the wrong way,” said
Santos.

20
Cynthia Ruiz, a junior at Dorsey, recalls sitting in class while her black
classmates left for the assembly. She felt left out and said the separate assemblies seemed
pointless and caused more tension than they prevented.
“In the end, we all found out the same info,” said Ruiz.
To create an “equitable” situation, a few Latino teachers were encouraged to
address Latino students’ scores. “Adelante” was formed to organize a series of in-class
presentations about testing. Santos helped lead the presentations. She said the group made
a conscious decision not to exclude any students because, ultimately, it was the entire
school that needed to strive for improvement.
“We didn’t solely focus on our Latino students even though that’s what we were
asked to do. We’re all in this together,” said Santos.
21
Room for Improvement
While test scores have risen at Dorsey, there is still room for improvement.
Beyond “school-wide Wednesdays,” there are other approaches to merge student interests
in an effort to save the school and create unity where it may not have existed otherwise.
Nancy Diaz is a junior at Dorsey and has been a member of the Coalition for
Educational Justice for two years. Last year, she led a student sit-in to fight budget cuts.
Though she finds the racial division at Dorsey to be overwhelming at times, being a part
of the CEJ has opened a door for solidarity that is not dependent upon race.
“We’re all fighting for the same thing. We want to be open-minded,” said Diaz.
Noah Lippe-Klein is the director of the CEJ. The organization is a collaboration
between teachers, students and parents working together to address issues of educational
justice. The latest mission of the CEJ is combating school budget cuts and the impending
charter takeover.
“The students call it a double shark attack,” said Lippe-Klein.
The CEJ is preparing to challenge the privatization of Dorsey, budgets cuts and
become “involved in the process of putting together a vision of what our school could
look like,” said Lippe-Klein.
One of the primary aspects of the Public School Choice program is allowing each
bidding group to come up with a vision and proposal as to how the school in question can
be reformed.
Lippe-Klein is part of a team of teachers and administrators who are helping to
piece together a new vision for the school. In addition to researching various methods of
22
instruction to make school interesting for students, he said members of the team are also
interested in ensuring that students, parents and community members are equally invested
in Dorsey.
“Then this school can be a fairly democratically run place that meets the needs of
the young people and those who have a historically deep connection to the school,” he
said.
Beyond creating student leaders, Lippe-Klein said the CEJ is symbolic of much
more. One of the primary goals of the organization is bringing together a diverse group of
students to rally around social justice causes. Movements like these, he said, are a vital
element in a school like Dorsey that has experienced such marked changes in recent
years. In the midst of seeming differences, there is common ground.
“We’re trying to build something to demonstrate that students from different
backgrounds and racial identifications can work together and can build together against
what they see as unjust things going on in the community or in the school system,” said
Lippe-Klein.
23
Pulling Together
Diaz wishes that mentality of working together were more pervasive throughout
the school. She immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico seven years ago with her
parents and younger brother and began attending Dorsey last year. She said, given the
diversity in the school, there should be an opportunity to get to know people from
different backgrounds. But, outside of groups like CEJ, it is difficult to go “against the
flow.”
Diaz would like to know those people, but she said she is often surrounded by
racial bias. She’s overheard friends make disparaging comments about African-
Americans. And her father, who is far less accustomed to interacting with African-
Americans than she, often resorts to blaming problems in the community on its black
residents. Though Dorsey is far from a storybook notion of racial harmony, she said,
being exposed to students of varying cultures and ethnicities has opened her eyes and
given her a different perspective than her father.
“Being in communication with other races I think makes you more open minded,”
said Diaz.
Djuana Cunningham is African-American and also a member of CEJ. The group,
she said, has given her a new appreciation for the other students in the coalition whether
they be black, Latino, “geeks” or members of the “in” crowd.
“You get to meet new people in different groups and ethnicities and find out not
to judge them by how they look or how you think they are. They are actually kind of cool
24
people if you really take the time out of your day to understand somebody and get to
know them,” said Cunningham.
The CEJ has given Antoinette Stokes the ability to look at problems beyond
herself.
“It has become a part of me because it makes me feel important because I’m
actually trying to do something for others and not just myself because I’m kind of selfish.
It brings the more likeable personality that I have within me,” said Stokes.
Stokes is both African-American and Mexican-American. She is heartened by the
fact that the CEJ can bring together a diverse group of students to rally around the same
cause.
“All the kids in CEJ, we really want to fight this. We want to help Dorsey not
become a charter school,” said Stokes.
Though Dorsey has lots of improvements to make, Stokes said there are students
who want to learn, go to college and see the world (herself included). Others, she said
need encouragement and to be convinced that education is important—a characteristic
that cannot be attributed to any single race.
“Because of a lack of equipment a lot of kids don’t really care about their
education and they just blow it off because no one really says ‘Hey we need to do this so
we can be better,’” said Stokes.
Though standardized test scores have been low, members of the school
community argue that positive aspects of Dorsey are often overlooked. The school is
home to a highly regarded Law and Public Service magnet as well as an award-winning
25
culinary arts program, for example. Dorsey has also been home to a top-ranked football
team for decades.
Antoinette Russell’s son is a freshman in the Law and Public Service magnet at
Dorsey. Her family lives in Baldwin Hills and she previously sent both of her sons to a
charter school because of the negative impression that she had of local public schools in
the neighborhood. When her older son graduated and the commute to the charter school
became too much, she and her husband researched Dorsey and were surprised to find that
some of their preconceived notions were wrong.
“I think the resources are here. I just think that schools get a bad rap. I think once
you come into the school and you find out what’s really going on then you see,” said
Russell.
Russell is an active parent in the Dorsey community. While sitting at one of the
school’s monthly parent meetings, she said the challenges that Dorsey faces have the
potential to bring parents and students together. Though she would like to see more
parent involvement, she said just looking around the parent meeting is evidence of the
diversity at the school. Over 30 parents, both black and Latino, attended the Saturday
meeting. Though the majority were black, Russell said she is hopeful that parent
involvement—across the board—will increase. That involvement, she said, is essential to
saving Dorsey and creating a school that will serve everyone in the local community—
without a charter school intervention.
26
“We can do that with parent awareness, teachers administration, everybody
working together in the community can get that done. We don’t have to lose what’s
here,” said Russell.
Dorsey’s 1939 yearbook theme was “The Community.” That year’s editor,
Karleen Saxton provided the following explanation for the theme:
The theme chosen for this, the second volume of The Circle, is the
community, not only in the immediate surroundings, but in a
larger sense of the city. It is our hope that the following pages will
present to you an appreciation of the close bond that exists
between the community, its businesses, its art centers, its
institutions of higher learning and Susan Miller Dorsey High
School.

For years, Dorsey has been a reflection of the ever-shifting community that
surrounds it. Now, the school is working to drive itself back into educational success, to
shed negative images of the past and work itself back into the favor of the larger
community. It will take the efforts of as many students, teachers and parents as possible
to reach that goal. Once a symbol in the black community, Dorsey is beginning to
symbolize the nature of urban migration and transformation that is at the very heart of
Los Angeles.

27

Bibliography
Blume, Howard and Landsberg, Mitchell. “Rival Latinos and Black Start Melee on South
L.A. Campus,” The Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2008.

Butler, Fahashima, Dr. Personal interview. 28 Jan. 2011.

Cunningham, Djuana. Personal interview. 11 Feb. 2011.

Diaz, Nancy. Personal interview. 19 Nov. 2010.

Donaldson, Paradise. Personal interview. 19 Nov. 2010.

Foote, Donna. “Rewriting the Locke Story,” The Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2008.

Hunt, Darnell and Ramon, Ana-Christina. Black Los Angeles: American Dreams and
Racial Realities, New York University Press, New York, 2010.

Los Angeles Unified School District. http://www.lausd.net.

Lippe-Klein, Noah. Personal interview. 15 Jan. 2011.

Love, Willard. Personal interview. 12 Nov. 2010.

Manuel, Beverly. Personal interview. 14 Jan. 2011.

Perez, Isaias. Personal interview. 25 Jan. 2011.

Pastor, Manuel and Ortiz, Rhonda. “The Color of Change: Inter-ethnic Youth Leadership
for the 21
st
Century, USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity, Nov. 2010.

Pastor Manuel and Ortiz, Rhonda. “Immigrant Integration in Los Angeles: Strategic
Directions for Funders.” USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity, Jan.
2010.

Richardson, David. Personal interview. 21 Jan. 2011.

Rojas, Aurelio. “Blacks, Latinos Try to Find United in L.A.,” Sacramento Bee, 23 July
2006.

Ruiz, Cynthia. Personal interview. 25 Jan. 2011.

28
Russell, Antoinette. Personal interview. 19 Feb. 2011.

Sample, Reginald, Dr. Personal interview. 7 Jan. 2011.

Santos, Lorena. Personal interview. 10 Feb. 2011.

Serrano, Anibal. Personal interview. 18 Feb. 2011.

Stokes, Antoinette. Personal interview. 11 Feb. 2011.

Terriquez, Veronica and Carter Vanessa. “Celebrating the Legacy, Embracing the Future:
A Neighborhood Study for Second Baptist Church,” Center for the Study of Immigrant
Immigration, Sept. 2010.

Valentine, Ashley. Personal interview. 18 Feb. 2011.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles is at a crossroads. The school serves a community that, for decades, has been hailed as one of the largest historically black enclaves in the city. However, as migration throughout Los Angeles continues, what was once a predominately African-American community is almost equally Latino. This dramatic shift is mirrored at Dorsey, which some students and faculty call a segregated campus. However, there are others who believe the school has the potential to overcome stereotypes of so-called black/brown tension in Los Angeles. Dorsey’s faculty is working to create cohesion on campus and effectively serve the ever-changing community that it serves.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Kirkland, LeTania R. (author)

Core Title Dorsey High School: a lesson in transformation

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Print Journalism)

Publication Date 05/04/2011

Defense Date 03/28/2011

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag class,demographics,Dorsey High School,education,immigration,Los Angeles,OAI-PMH Harvest,Race,South Los Angeles

Place Name California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place), USA (countries)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Gutierrez, Felix (committee chair), Celis, William (committee member), Wilson, Fracille (committee member)

Creator Email letania.kirkland@gmail.com,letania_kirkland@yahoo.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3890

Unique identifier UC1280544

Identifier etd-Kirkland-4459 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-469558 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3890 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Kirkland-4459.pdf

Dmrecord 469558

Document Type Thesis

Rights Kirkland, LeTania R.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu