Residents Only

How is this different from the deep south?
There is no “Whites Only” sign
on the front of the Orange Grove Plunge.

That’s one difference.
The sign says,
“South Pasadena Residents Only,”

and you need an official
South Pasadena resident ID card
to show at the door.

That gets you into the pool.
How do you get the official ID card?
You have to live in the city.

How do you get to live in the city
when every residential property
in the City of South Pasadena

is restricted to persons
of the Caucasian race?
The admitting person at the front desk

of the Plunge
knows this is an all-white city.
If you are a person of color,

you can’t buy a home.
If you can’t buy a home,
you can’t get an ID card.

If you can’t get an ID card,
you won’t get into the pool.
Again,

how is this different from the deep south?
There is no “Whites Only” sign
on the front of the Plunge.

NOTE: This is a memory from the year 1955 when I was 13.