A building once envisioned as one of southeastern San Diego’s only centers for education and arts 44 years ago will soon take part in a projected $35 million renovation. San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) will host the Coretta Scott King Inaugural Benefit, a brunch fundraiser, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 pm on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at the Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Blvd.

The ticketed event will feature live entertainment by Gospel Soul artist, Daneen Wilburn, and the Dennis Dawson Jazz Ensemble. The school’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts program will prepare an array of Southern style brunch items.

Mrs. King’s address at the Educational Cultural Complex (ECC) in 1983, ultimately influenced the decision to sign the law creating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. In addition to establishing the federal observance, many other significant events have ties to ECC, including performances by human right champions, Stevie Wonder, Maya Angelou, Shirley Caesar, James Meredith, and Jesse Jackson.

To further this affluent history, SDCE’s Historic Preservation Committee is working with the city of San Diego and state officials to have ECC named as a Civil Rights Landmark Designation, the first step is the renovation of ECC’s historic theatre. The Coretta Scott King Inaugural Benefit will kick off a $35 million capital campaign to remodel the space to include a community room, lobby, and restrooms.

“ECC’s founding trailblazers recognized that there were very few places for developing culture and knowledge in a creative way across the city’s south side, and for black and Latinx residents in particular. We are honored to continue that vision in Mrs. King’s name,” said SDCE President, Carlos O. Turner Cortez, Ph.D.

“With this fundraiser we hope to deepen the connection between SDCE and the San Diego community by enriching the public’s understanding of the grassroots social justice activism that occurs at ECC.” Dr. Turner Cortez is cohosting the benefit with SDCE’s Foundation, an organization that raises money annually for scholarships and barrier grants for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and often from rural areas and inner cities.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Councilmember Monica Montgomery, Assemblymember Shirley Weber, Council President Georgette Gómez, San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., and members of the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees including President Maria Nieto Senour, Ph.D., are among the city’s Elected Officials and VIPs that will be in attendance.

Other special guests include, SDCE’s former Provost, Dr. Robert Matthews, and philanthropist, Michel Anderson. The civil rights activists welcomed Mrs. King and the California Commission to ECC in 1983.

For Matthews, Anderson, and other members of SDCE’s Historic Preservation Committee, the Educational Cultural Complex renovations will be a dream continued for Southeastern San Diego.

Today, ECC is the center of a comprehensive continuing education program serving approximately 40,000 students, many of whom transition to San Diego City, Mesa, or Miramar colleges for associate degrees.

Contact Dr. Laurie Coskey lcoskey@sdccd.edu for sponsorship opportunities.

Coretta Scott King Inaugural Benefit tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.