Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
February 1, 2016
On February 4, Black Studies professors Thekima Mayasa and Candace Katungi led a special Libation and Appreciation Ceremony to commemorate Rosa Parks’ 103rd birthday.
The libation ceremony – a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit, or in memory of those who have died – involved pouring water into the rose vessel at the Rosa Parks Transit Center built in 2010 to commemorate Mrs. Parks’ relationship and visits to Mesa College in the 1990s.
“One of the aspects of the African tradition is honoring our ancestors with everything that we begin,” said Mayasa during the ceremony to Mesa students, staff, faculty, and media. “I think it’s most appropriate as the semester begins, in our first two weeks, that we give honor and respect to this amazing woman who had the courage to make a difference.”
“Rosa Parks did so much for civil rights,” said student Deka Gedleh. “To be able to acknowledge her during Black history month means a lot.”
Tags: Black Studies, Rosa Parks, Black History Month
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Every year, the San Diego Mesa College Library joins in the celebration by creating and curating a Black History Month Library Guide – filled with resources of what is available not only at the San Diego Mesa College library, but through other community resources as well.
Denise Rogers is a professor of art history at San Diego Mesa College, manages the college’s World Art permanent collection, and is the curator of “Africa in Context,” currently on display through Feb. 23 at the college in celebration of Black History Month. By Lisa Deaderick | February 4, 2023 As a young girl growing up in southeastern San Diego’s Shelltown neighborhood, Denise Rogers spent time flipping through the pages of Time and Life magazines her mother kept on their coffee table. At the time, she just enjoyed the pictures from galleries in New York, Paris, and Italy. Later, after an introductory art course prompted her to change her major from fashion design to art history, she found a career path that allowed her to pair her love of both history and art.
San Diego, CA, - Black History Month celebrations begin today at San Diego Mesa College, and the annual Rosa Parks Birthday Recognition & Libation is scheduled for Thursday, February 2. Community members are invited to join Mesa College administrators, faculty, staff and students at 12:00 p.m. for a silent walk from the Osani Circle at the Humanities and Cultural Studies Building (G-103) to the Rosa Parks Transit Station, on the corner of Mesa College Dr. and Mesa College Circle, for a traditional libation and remembrance. The walk is to honor those who walked instead of riding the bus after Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.
Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
