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February 1, 2023


San Diego Mesa College Black History Month events, featuring Rosa Parks Birthday Celebration and Libation

By Office of Communications

rosa parks birthday 2023

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.

 

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Tags: Rosa Parks, Civil Rights, Black History Month, Mesa College