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Losing A Legend
The city’s first Black mayor, Douglas Dollarhide, heads home

By Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin Staff Writer

COMPTON – The Hub City is in a state of mourning and celebration as it acknowledges the homegoing of one of its foremost trailblazers.

Douglas Dollarhide, Compton’s first Black elected official and the state and city’s first Black mayor, died Saturday, June 28 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Dollarhide single-handedly set the tone that changed the Compton political landscape and opened the doors to local minority involvement in the community’s political process.

Before he became the city’s first Black mayor and the state’s first Black mayor of a metropolitan city in 1969, he was the city’s first Black elected official following his election to City Council in 1963.

Born in 1923 in Oklahoma, Dollarhide and his wife Ruby moved to Compton from San Jose in 1956. According to 47-year Compton resident Shirley Chatters, who grew up in San Jose around the same time Dollarhide and his brother lived there, Dollarhide was highly active in his community and fought in WWII. His brother, Emmett, was president of the NAACP chapter in San Jose for many years, she said.

After heading south, Dollarhide worked for the L.A. Post Office and as a car salesman. He served as Compton’s mayor until 1973. After leaving politics, he became a successful businessman and real estate broker.

The city in 2006 renamed a portion of Tamarind Avenue leading into Compton Towne Center to Dollarhide Drive in his honor.

“He was a fighter for equality and a pioneer in Compton politics and government who broke down barriers and changed the face and future of Compton politics,” said Councilman Isadore Hall at that event.

“Mr. Dollarhide was one of the first people I met when I moved here 40 years ago,” said Councilwoman Lillie Dobson in 2006. “He paved the way for me and others to move on up.”

“It’s a sad day,” said Councilwoman Barbara Calhoun last week. “I don’t know all of his history, but I’ve had the chance to see him. He’s a trailblazer and a pioneer.”

She added that she hopes his story will continue to live on in the community because “his story definitely needs to be told.”

A longtime resident who has worked at Dollarhide Senior Center for seven years and requested her name not be printed said last Wednesday she was “hurt” by the news of his death. His wife, she said, just passed two or three years ago.

“They were a lovely couple,” said the woman, who earned her cosmetology license under Mrs. Dollarhide’s instruction.

A resident since 1964, she described Dollarhide’s election to the Council and then to the mayoral seat as having a tremendous impact on her life.

“Are you kidding? That was a great honor to have a Black man in such a position at that time – a person that looks like you and talks like you,” she said.

Maxcy Filer told The Bulletin last week that he feels as though he’s lost a brother. The two met in the NAACP while Dollarhide was president of the Compton branch more than 50 years ago.

“He gave his all to Compton,” said Filer. “He was working at the post office when he became a councilman, and he quit the post office and gave all his time to Compton.”

Filer credits Dollarhide with integrating the city’s government.

“He made sure that Blacks were on the planning commission and some other committees and things of that nature. He brought in Jim Johnson as assistant city manager, and he was Black.”

The City Council last week adjourned the July 1 council meeting in Dollarhide’s honor.

Judge Kelvin D. Filer, Filer’s son, reminisced during the meeting about his childhood interaction with the man he regards as an “icon” in the Black community.

“ Some of my earliest memories, to be very frank, when I was a boy, was basically sitting in the living room of my parents’ home when the NAACP would meet for their monthly meetings. At that time we didn’t have an office, so whoever served as president, they would meet in the home of whoever happened to be president,” said the judge. “Although I was a little boy at that time, I distinctly recall my father, Douglas Dollarhide, Doris Davis, Ted Baskerville– I distinctly see them sitting around talking about strategies.

“He opened up doors,” continued Kelvin. “I will always remember and cherish him for teaching us how to open doors, going through that door and then holding it open for others to follow.”

Yesterday, Dollarhide lay in state in the Council Chambers from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to allow community members to pay their last respects.

A memorial service open to the public will be held this Friday, July 11 at 10 a.m. at Crossroads United Methodist Church, 2354 N. Wilmington Ave. in Compton. The church’s phone number is (310) 639-3136.