How can higher education help create a more effective pipeline to community success? On Thursday, April 9, 2015 leaders and community members from six higher education institutions met with elected officials at Cal State Los Angels for the Joint Higher Education Town Hall and Reception to discuss post-secondary education and community issues specific to the East Los Angeles area.
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce held Access Washington, D.C., a Southern California public-private partnership advocacy event. Leaders from the civic, business, and educational sectors, as well as public officials met with members of Congress and representatives from the executive branch. The goal was to express the priorities for Southern California and discuss key issues.
(Pictured: Assistant Vice Chancellor Keith Parker with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti)
On March 10, 2015, public higher education advocates traveled to Sacramento from across the state — representing all ten University of California campuses. Over two dozen UCLA advocates, comprised of parents, alumni, students, and donors met with legislators to ask for greater state support for the UC system.
UCLA advocates shared personal narratives of what UCLA has meant to them and their families and why protecting higher education in the state budget should be a priority.
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On February 10th, as part of Black History Month celebrations, the Legislative Black Caucus held a screening of the film, “The Forgotten Four.” The film is about the integration of the National Football League in 1946 by four African American players. Kenny Washington and Woody Strode played for the Los Angeles Rams and Marion Motley and Bill Willis played for the Cleveland Browns. Both Kenny Washington and Woody Strode were UCLA alumni and played on the same UCLA football team with Jackie Robinson.
Assemblymember Cheryl Brown, the host of the film screening, has nominated Woody Strode for the California Hall of Fame in honor for his athletic prowess, acting career and life long philanthropy. Governor Jerry Brown was presented with the number 27 UCLA jersey commemorating Woody Strode, which he wore while at UCLA.
On Friday, January 30, 2015 California Attorney General Kamala Harris spoke at the UCLA Law Review Symposium, “Examining the Roots of Human Trafficking and Exploitation.” The audience was comprised of UCLA students, government officials, and victim rights groups. Attorney General Harris met with UCLA officials, including Chancellor Gene Block.
According to Attorney General Harris, human trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year world-wide industry, and is the second most profitable criminal enterprise after drug trafficking.
On Saturday, January 17, 2015, Senator Ricardo Lara’s Junior Senators Program was hosted on campus by the UCLA State Government Relations unit. Lara’s Junior Senators Program is a leadership program designed to expose high school students from the 33rd Senate District to the complexities of government, business, and education by sponsoring monthly visits to Los Angeles community partners. This month’s session at UCLA was their first for the incoming 2015 class of Young Senators.
Their UCLA visit consisted of a hosted breakfast, a meet-and-greet with the UCLA Spirit Squad, and several academic presentations from the UCLA Undergraduate Admissions department, and the UCLA Graduate Division. The Junior Senators program campus visit is one of many ways that UCLA Government and Community Relations has committed to the mission of building bridges between UCLA, the greater Los Angeles community, and the government entities with which it interacts with each day.