I Was Born and Raised in Compton

[Elle Oh Elle]

Not born and raised in Compton, but glad to hear from someone who is. I met people from SC (Watts), which is the same area... they told me they went to Compton and it's not bad. Just depends on who you know although it was quite dangerous two, three decades back. It's been cleaning up nicely.

[Fontucky]

I like seeing positive stuff about those areas. Being a son of Inglewood and the son of two people raised there from the 1920s on, I'm all about highlighting the good parts of those places.

[bradleyyo]

♪♫ ♪♫ South Compton born and raised, the playground is where I spent most of my days... ♪♫ ♪♫

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by Elle Oh Elle

Not born and raised in Compton, but glad to hear from someone who is. I met people from SC (Watts), which is the same area... they told me they went to Compton and it's not bad. Just depends on who you know although it was quite dangerous two, three decades back. It's been cleaning up nicely.

South Los Angeles is not the same as Watts. Watts is a community within South Los Angeles.


These are the areas that are included as part of South Los Angeles and several of these communities have million dollar homes (notably Baldwin Hills, Gramercy Park, West Adams and University Park)

• Athens
• Baldwin Hills
• Baldwin Village
• Baldwin Vista
• Chesterfield Square
• Crenshaw
• Gramercy Park
• Harbor Gateway (northern section)
• Historic South Central
• Hyde Park
• Jefferson Park
• King Estates
• Leimert Park
• Manchester Square
• University Park
• Vermont Square
• Watts
• West Adams

[git45]

Originally Posted by antredd

I was reading a post from someone who was very irritated by the fact that people have been dissing the City of Compton. That poster inspired me to to start my own thread, for those of us who were Born and/or raised in Compton, can give our perspectives on what it was REALLY like to grew up in Compton.

First of all, I was born at Dominquez Valley Hospital right there just south of the 91 fwy before they closed it down in the 1980s. My birth certificate says on it city of birth---COMPTON, and I am very proud to say that I was born and raised in Compton.

When I was growing up in Compton, I went to Bursch Elementary, Tibby Elementary, Davis Junior High, and Compton Senior High School. I was a good student, and not the stereotypical black Compton male who ended up gang banging and doing other crimes.

With that said, papers don't report all of us Compton graduates who have become successful, and are doing positive things.

After I became a teacher, I went back to my city, which I didn't have to, and taught at some of the very schools I attended. My main goal was to let my students see that sucessful people can and do graduate out of Compton and go on to do productive things.

We always hear the negative news that happens in Compton, but nothing positive. So if you were born and/or raised in Compton, I would love to hear your story and what life was like for you there growing up.

I'm not dissing Compton, but I think you're a badass growing up there when you did. It's got grit, but its not destitute by any means. Compared to North Philly or the South side of Chicago, Compton might as well be on the Pacific Palisades.

[antredd]

Originally Posted by git45

I'm not dissing Compton, but I think you're a badass growing up there when you did. It's got grit, but its not destitute by any means. Compared to North Philly or the South side of Chicago, Compton might as well be on the Pacific Palisades.

Agreed.