Morningside High School's "Varsity Yell" Pep Squad, 1973. Courtesy of Inglewood Public Library.

A Case Study of Inglewood, California written by Edna Bonacich & Robert F. Goodman

There is simply not enough space to fully discuss this superb book. As such, I’ll stick to basic points.

Published in 1972, Bonacich and Goodman set out to document in significant detail the manner by which school desegregation was carried out in Inglewood Unified School District. At the time, there was a distinct paradigm change occurring regarding demographics in Inglewood, and it provided a unique case study.

What the authors noted back then has become vitally important today. Some of the very people who were starting out at IUSD as well as at city hall remain entrenched there today. Moreover, the radically religious nature that has been allowed to fester at IUSD—certain school board members no longer observe the separation of church and state—means that IUSD has again become a focus of study, albeit for different reasons.

But it is not a myopic view the authors present. Most every aspect of Inglewood is preserved from the time period. It makes this title one I strongly suggest folks seek out and read.

(Praeger Publishers, 1972, 6” x 9”, 107 pp, hardcover)