![]() ![]() ![]() When word began to spread that Black people could buy homes in Compton - which was considered a suburb at the time, according to David - his family jumped at the opportunity. “I can remember standing on the curb, looking at white national guards holding guns, literally riding down my street.” “We literally lived a couple of blocks from the downtown area, so I remember the flames,” said 61-year-old David, who was 4 years old at the time. But their lives changed after the Watts Riots happened in 1965. The couple had four children, including Colbert’s father, David, and moved into a small duplex in Watts, which was among the few neighborhoods where Black people were allowed to live due to restrictive covenants, he said. In the late 1950s, he married Colbert’s grandmother, Vernice, who was also from Louisiana. As a teenager in the 1930s, he bounced around the country, becoming engulfed in the emerging Delta Blues scene, before making his way to L.A. His grandfather - a blues musician who went by the name Stormy Herman - left his home in Louisiana after both of his parents died. The journey to Compton for Colbert’s paternal side of the family was much different. “It’s a beautiful city and I’ve been here for so long.” Her community, which has gone from primarily Black in the 1970s to mostly Latino, has changed significantly, but her reason for staying in the city is simple: “I just love Compton,” she said. She’s stayed in Compton, living in the same house that she purchased more than 50 years ago. It actually brings tears to my eyes,” Morris added. “It’s just amazing to me and I’m just so proud of it. ![]() “I’ve carried that on with my children,” and now they’ve taught that to their children. “I’m a go-getter,” Morris said, adding that the women in her family have passed down their drive to her. She later went on to become an occupational therapist and earn her bachelor’s degree online at age 72. With three children, including Colbert’s mother, Yolondra, Morris stayed home while her then-husband worked. neighborhood, which was diverse, but by 1962, she found herself in Compton, where she was able to fulfill one of her lifetime goals: purchasing her own home. Morris had fond memories of her South L.A. Her mother had just gotten a divorce and wanted to be closer to her brother, who already lived in the city, which had been offering more job opportunities to Black people. with her mother and sister when she was a preschooler. “Our passion for the city is multigenerational,” Colbert said.īorn in Chicago, Morris - Colbert’s maternal grandmother - moved to L.A. And Colbert’s younger sister, Christian, has a clothing brand called Compton Flight Crew, which pays homage to their hometown. Colbert’s parents, Yolondra and David Colbert Sr., who’ve been married for more than 40 years, met at Compton High School and regularly volunteer at their alma mater and with other local nonprofit organizations. I’m from Compton’ in any space.” He plans to open a large-scale gallery or museum in Compton in the near future.Ĭolbert’s dedication to his hometown, whether it’s through Gallery 90220 or the Compton Art Walk - which he launched in 2018 - stems from his roots in the city, which go back three generations.Īt 85, his only living grandparent, Maryland Morris, is among the oldest living residents in Compton. “But it was important for me to say like, ‘Hey, I’m 90220. “I could have named the gallery anything,” he said about Gallery 90220, which is inspired by his Compton ZIP code. complex known as the Beehive in 2021, Colbert made sure to represent his hometown right from the jump. That’s why when SoLa Impact - an affordable housing and real estate investment company - offered Colbert an opportunity to open the first business inside its South L.A. “So I always took pride in that and wanted to leave my mark.” “What sets Compton apart is that we have a long lineage of success stories,” said Colbert, a gallery owner and longtime art curator. ![]()
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