Compton, California marks a change in my life because it shows me what my father went through growing up. My dad always told us stories about how hard his life was as a kid and I always thought it to be another "back in my day story" until taking the time to visit his town. If someone else were researching this place, they'd probably find it through old school rap songs or movies like "Boyz In The Hood", etc. This location showed me a change in community and surroundings. People sleeping on the roads, vandalized homes and even witnessing crimes while just being there for the day, but the community seems to think it's "normal". I am mapping this place because looking at it today, in 2026, makes me realize that with how bad it is today, I couldn't imagine what it would look like around the time my father lived there. He was raised to be a "troubled child", in and out of foster care, jail and homes, so seeing him now living in a suburban neighborhood in Myrtle Beach, SC, shows how far he has come to break the barrier between his "norms" and what is better for him.
Bibliography: https://www.comptoncity.org/our-city/visitors/about-compton/history-of-the-city
Image: https://share.google/2ILbQkLqWreO9Vg2G