The Inglewood Oral History Project was established in 1997 in order to help the people of Inglewood rediscover their past through the on-going recording, publishing and dissemination of oral histories. Sixty (60) oral histories have been videotaped, transcribed and archived in the Inglewood Main Library, 101 W. Manchester Boulevard.

Since its beginnings in 1834, the City of Inglewood has accumulated a rich history.
Information and artifacts are waiting for discovery. The elders of the community, from many
places and of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds, possess history of the community and its influence on their lives from different perspectives. Resident artists and cultural treasures need to be documented.

Each spring, community volunteers interview and tape the stories of ten (10) to fifteen (15)
Inglewood elders; produce a booklet of summaries and present a program about the oral histories for the community. The theme for 2006 is stories based on the “History of Transportation” mosaic mural, an historical and cultural treasure created during the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and in the process of restoration. Previous themes have included: “The many Cultures of Inglewood,” “Arts and Culture in Inglewood,” and “Stories of Historical and Cultural Sites in Inglewood.”

The development of this Project has been assisted by AmeriCorps volunteers, young people between the ages of 18 and 24, who are sponsored by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service. For the first four years these volunteers spent from six to twelve weeks in Inglewood, working alongside the community volunteers. Currently, the youth volunteers are students from Inglewood High School. They have developed a community education program about the Mural. To request a presentation or for further information, please call (310) 412-8750.