SDCE Honors Black History Month at ECC Campus
San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) President Carlos O. Turner Cortez, Ph.D. invites the Mountain View community back to school in honor of Black History Month. The celebration, To Be Young, Gifted and Black, will be held on Tuesday, February 28 at 11:00 am at the Educational Cultural Complex (ECC) theater.
The morning program to include spoken word, urban youth dancing, singing, and a powerful message infused with poetry. SDCE’s High School Diploma and DSPS students show their understanding of African-American heritage through art. These posters will be on display outside of the ECC theater.
As the nation continues to struggle for social justice, SDCE extends the invitation to the community free of charge. To Be Young, Gifted and Black will draw themes of African-American historical events to inspire the next generation of leaders to keep equality moving forward.
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and SDCE proudly serve every individual, white, of color, low and high socioeconomic status. President Cortez comments, “We advocate for all people. When you help one group of people you help all people.”
“One race is often excluded from education and especially postsecondary education,” President Cortez says. Latino and African-American students make up 40% of the SDCE population of 44,000 students enrolled annually.
SDCE attends to underserved students who are looking for stability. Students enroll to complete high school diplomas, earn career technical certificates and to learn English. President Cortez states, “We have students who are trying to make enough money in their pocket, just to get through to their next day. My objective for them is to come to SDCE and create a vision for themselves.”
President Cortez looks forward, “This event is our opportunity to celebrate the perseverance, the beauty, and the legacy of millions of African-Americans. When we work together as a human race we ultimately benefit as a result.”
SDCE received first place in the float division for their entry Let Freedom Ring at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in January. The SDCCD colleges honored Black History Month every week in February with a celebratory gathering at the San Diego Mesa College Rosa Parks Transit Bus Stop and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Expo hosted by San Diego City College.
On Tuesday, February 28, SDCE outreach faculty will be on site for interviews.
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San Diego Continuing Education is the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District. It was one of the first community college continuing education institutions in California to meet the standards for independent accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. More than 44,000 students are served per academic year at six main campuses in San Diego. Noncredit classes are available at no cost, including online options.
Classes are free because San Diego Continuing Education is part of the California system of higher education. Funding also comes from business and industry partnerships.