A Little History About the Famous Los Angeles Southern League

The famous "Southern League" high school athletic conference of the Los Angeles City Schools represented the pride of the postwar Los Angeles African American community. The Southern League high schools include: Dorsey, Fremont, Jefferson, Manuel Arts, Los Angeles and Washington High from the 1940's well into the 1970's. Athletically, Southern League athletes overcame the many social obstacles of the time to dominate the sports scene and achieve local, state and national prominence, particularly in basketball and track & field as those sports traditionally identified "State Champions". Athletes from the Southern League went on to become among the first African-American high school students to receive sports scholarships to major universities. Many went on into successful careers in professional sports and other walks of life, and have left their mark on American society. Those students who attended Southern League schools from the 50's through the 80's didn't know they were making history.