February 1, 2023
San Diego Mesa College Black History Month events, featuring Rosa Parks Birthday Celebration
and Libation
By Office of Communications
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.
“San Diego Mesa College seeks to build a culture of diverse, equitable and inclusive
practices that create an enriched environment for our students, staff, faculty and
the broader community,” said Mesa College President Dr. Ashanti T. Hands. “We remain as committed as ever to celebrating diversity by honoring Black History
Month not only on our own campus, but by involving the greater community.”
In the early 1990s a special relationship developed between San Diego Mesa College
and civil rights activist Rosa Parks. At the invitation of then Prof. Elizabeth Hamilton,
Rosa Parks visited the campus on February 4 and 5, 1992 and again in 1995. In 1993,
the campus was named the western branch of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for
Self Development, which was active for several years. Following Rosa Park's death
in 2005 at the age of 92, the college honored the late civil rights activist, and
the Rosa Parks Transit Center was unveiled and dedicated on Thursday, February 25, 2010.
Date/Time: Thursday, February 2, 2023. 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Location: San Diego Mesa College
Humanities and Cultural Studies Building (G building) to the Rosa Parks Transit Station
7250 Mesa College Dr., San Diego, CA 92111
Visuals:
Administrators, faculty, staff, students and community members participating in the
walk and libation
Spoken word and talks given by faculty and students
1:1’s with students and faculty
1:1’s with Mesa College students, faculty and administrators
Please see the 2023 Black History Month calendar of events scheduled at Mesa College, highlighted by a series of performances, exhibits, discussions,
film screenings, and other celebrations. The majority of events are hosted at Mesa
College (map), with several being held in the community. All events are open to the public. Most
events are free (unless otherwise noted) and open to the public. For more information
or to RSVP, contact Thekima Mayasa, tmayasa@sdccd.edu. Learn more about Mesa College’s Black Studies Program.
Find San Diego Mesa College on Social Media:
Facebook.com: sandiegomesacollege
Twitter.com: sdmesacollege
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Youtube: youtube.com: sdmesacollege
Snapchat: sdmesacollege
LinkedIn: San Diego Mesa College
Tags: Rosa Parks, Civil Rights, Black History Month, Mesa College