As the US faces challenges to public school funding, activists warn that more people should pay attention to what’s happened in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California – a few miles east of Los Angeles international airport – is known as the city of champions. The NBA champion Lakers once called Inglewood’s Forum – famously dubbed “the fabulous Forum” by announcer Chick Hearn – home.
By the mid-2000s, with the Lakers gone and another local landmark – nearby Hollywood Park racetrack – closed, the city was close to bankruptcy. Then came a series of deals – often attributed to the leadership of the mayor James Butts – that reinvigorated the city, as a new epicenter of sports and entertainment such as the new spaceship-like SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome. When the 2028 Olympics roll around, Inglewood is slated to host many of the events as the world watches.
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