Cindy and Dora didn’t know where they were going on a recent Saturday night, but they knew they were headed to a “show.”
Around 11 p.m., Cindy texted a friend in Compton but didn’t immediately hear back. She and Dora grabbed some tacos from a stand and waited. About 40 minutes later, the women — who didn’t wish to be identified by their last names —had their answer: East Compton Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue.
A little after midnight, nearly 200 people blocked the streets in what has become a weekly ritual in the city. Two cars whipped around the intersection, burning tires and worn-down brake pads sending shrouds of thick smoke into the air.
