Compton Dedicates Square to Civil Rights Leader Maxcy D. Filer

He Served on The City Council and Fought for His Community 

By Marion Apio

For 24 years, Maxcy Dean Filer didn’t quit. He took the California bar exam 48 times, finally passing in 1991 to become a lawyer at age 61. But long before he succeeded at that, he was already fighting for civil rights from his own front porch in Compton. 

As the city of Compton gathered to name a square in his honor, his family, colleagues, and friends made it clear that his life was defined not by the 47 failures but by the thousands of times he stood up for his community. Filer died in 2011 in his hometown, Compton, at age 80. 

City officials and residents formally dedicated the intersection of Arbutus Street and Matthisen Avenue as Maxcy D. Filer Square at the Jan. 24 ceremony. The new sign stands where the local civil rights movement was born in the 1950s. 

“I hope when people are driving through, and they see the sign, they will think about the words on my father’s tombstone,” said his son, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kelvin D. Filer. “Whatever goal you want, whatever your dream is—never, ever give up.”

The ceremony, hosted by Mayor Emma Sharif and Public Information Officer Gabrielle Barber, provided an opportunity for Filer’s children—Dwayne, Kelvin, Stephanie, Anthony, and Maxine—to recount and share stories about their home, which served as a satellite headquarters for justice.

Dwayne L. Filer, an author, recalled childhood memories of a living room where Dodgers legends like Johnny Roseboro, Charlie Neal, and Tommy Davis sat in their front room for NAACP meetings. In addition to Maxcy, the children’s mother, Blondell, also was a fixture of the household.

“The NAACP actually had some of the first meetings right there in the house,” Dwayne Filer said. He noted that his father was a driving force behind voter registration and served as the campaign manager for Douglas Dollarhide, who, in 1969, became the first Black mayor in California history.

Maxine Filer, the eldest child, spoke warmly of her father’s dual nature as a public titan and a devoted “daddy.” She recalled how he didn’t just send his seven children to church. He also helped integrate the First United Methodist Church on Compton Boulevard.

“This is the house where all the kids in the neighborhood would come,” she said. “We were just so blessed to be born from the union of Blondell Burson and Maxcy Filer.”

The city’s official proclamation, read by District 1 Councilwoman Deidre Duhart, painted a picture of a man who was always at the front lines of the American struggle.

Filer’s influence stretched from Compton’s street corners to the steps of the nation’s capital as he represented Southern California at the historic 1963 March on Washington. Following the 1965 Watts Uprising, he testified before the McCone Commission, demanding systemic changes in housing, employment, and healthcare.

In 1976, Filer made history as Compton’s first elected District 1 Councilman. During his 15-year tenure, he became a champion for public safety and fiscal responsibility.

“Among his many legislative achievements, Filer introduced the 1989 ordinance on semi-automatic rifles,” Duhart said, noting it was one of the first local measures in California aimed at reducing gun violence. “He was the conscience of Compton.”

The most personal moment of the morning came when Judge Kelvin D. Filer explained how his father’s “legendary tenacity” shaped his own life. As a third-grader, Kelvin watched his father strategizing in their living room with leaders like Doris Davis and asked, “Who is this lawyer person that everybody seems to like?”

“Daddy said, ‘Scooter, I’m going to be a lawyer. And a lawyer is someone who helps other people,'” Judge Filer recalled. “I said, ‘I’m going to be a lawyer too.’ In two weeks, my mother brought me my very first briefcase.”

Judge Filer, who has now served on the Compton bench for 32 years, told the crowd he has repeatedly refused offers to move to “bigger” cases in downtown Los Angeles.

“I’m never going to leave Compton,” he declared. “I want to continue to serve in the Compton court… so local students can see someone proud to say I was born, raised, and educated in Compton, living out my dream.”

As the ceremony concluded, Mayor Sharif and the City Council presented the family with miniature replicas of the street sign.

By naming the intersection in his honor, the city ensures that Filer’s story of endurance will continue to inspire those who walk these streets. For the residents of the “Hub City,” the sign is a reminder that while Maxcy Filer finally became a lawyer on his 48th try, he never failed at being “Mr. Compton.”

“Maxcy Filer was a trailblazer,” Councilwoman Duhart said as the shroud fell away from the sign. “He marched for us. He made sure that we had equality. He just made a tremendous contribution, and I am just so glad we were able to honor him.”