Drew, The: No Excuse, Just Produce (DVD)

The predominantly African-American community of South Central Los Angeles carries the burdens of crime, poverty, an escalating gang population and dwindling opportunities for its youth. In response, a young man named Alvin Willis formed a six-team competitive basketball league at Charles Drew Junior High School. It was an outlet for himself and his friends. It became known as the Drew League. Or, more affectionately, "The Drew." Its motto, "No excuse, just produce." More than just a place to play ball, the Drew League provided a safe haven for kids and young men seeking refuge from the negative influences around them. The Drew quickly became neutral ground. Whatever gang affiliations players arrived with were left at the gym doors. Whatever violence occurred outside its walls never penetrated. The residents of South Central nurtured this local treasure as a counterweight, helping balance the scales against darker paths more easily found. In 1983, after more than a decade in charge, Wil