Hi All,

How often do you have the opportunity to meet the daughter of one of our college founders? A few weeks ago, I met Dr. Sandra Cox, the daughter of Dr. Odessa Cox, one of the founders of Southwest College. It was a powerful and humbling experience to be in the same room with a legend. I was there because I was invited by Dr. Sandra Lee, Southwest Chapter President, to a welcome event for the new campus President of Southwest College, Dr. Anthony Culpepper. This event illustrated the force that unions and the community have.

It all started in August 2021 with the creation of the Los Angeles Southwest College Community Coalition. This community coalition comprised of local citizens, community-based organizations, led by Pastor Bruce McCall, Dr. Sandra Cox, Dr. Janet Clark, Dr. Earnestine Thomas-Robertson, and Dr. Yasmin Delahoussaye. The group also included campus members, campus union leaders such as Dr. Sandra Lee, Cassaundra Walker and Dr. Erika Miller-Tate. This coalition was formed to address administrative leadership’s increased exclusion of the community in the college. Eventually, the college president left, and this coalition was instrumental in shepherding in a new campus president, Dr. Culpepper.

Dr. Culpepper is from the local community and graduated from Southwest College. The LASC Community Coalition held this event to welcome Dr. Culpepper home, give him support, and let him know that he is accountable to the students, campus, unions, and community. This event demonstrated the strength of community, the importance of Southwest College, and the respect of our union. The LASC Community Coalition has not just reached into the campus but the campus has reached out to the community. The campus and the community will be partnering in seeking the removal of empty box cars and truck trailers scattered throughout the surrounding neighborhood. When you bring the community back to community college, you have community power and engagement. Good luck to Dr. Culpepper; his success is our success. Last, thanks to Dr. Lee, who has demonstrated creative and progressive union leadership. This is how we win every day, not just Wednesdays.

In Unity,

A. James McKeever PhD
AFT 1521 Faculty Guild President