Mayisha Akbar - Executive Director, Compton Jr. Posse
As told by
Student Producer Angeles Urban
When Mayisha moved with her family to Richland Farms in the mid-eighties, Compton was riddled with gang violence. Youth in the area had very few options or role models to follow and so Mayisha and her family began a program on their ranch. Compton Jr. Posse became a leadership skills program that used horses as motivational tools. Today, kids learn to ride and take care of horses while learning responsibility, discipline, and the importance of returning to nature. Because of her efforts, Mayisha Akbar is considered one of the most influential leaders in the African-American community; her fame however has only made her more determined to use the people and the history of Richland Farms to set an example for the rest of the country.
About Richland Farms
"Once upon a time, Compton and Richland Farms grew the best fruit and vegetables in the country."
Junior Posse
By taking care of horses, the Compton's Junior Posse provides a social structure to troubled youth in the area.
The Political Machinery
"Richland Farms has deed restrictions that allow residents to have horses."
Richland Farms Today
"In Richland Farms people used to make a living off the land, nowadays, the political machinery has put a stop to these "informal" agricultural practices."
