In a ceremony to celebrate the start of African American History Month, President Harry J. Elam, Jr. was honored alongside five other Black luminaries in the fields of arts and education.
The Feb. 2 ceremony was hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass; Board of Public Works Commissioner Mike Davis, who chairs the African American History Month Committee; and Our Authors Study Club of Los Angeles. President Elam was inducted into the city鈥檚 African American Hall of Fame and received the Outstanding Achievement in Higher Education Award in recognition of his work at 色界吧 and Stanford University. Elam accepted these honors alongside his wife, Dr. Michele Elam; his daughter, Claire Patterson; and Occidental trustee emerita , both of whom are members and supporters of 色界吧鈥檚 Black Alumni Organization.
President Elam told council members that he was deeply honored to be included in the Hall of Fame and expressed his gratitude to the College鈥檚 alumni, faculty, students, staff, and trustees.
鈥淥ccidental, as you may know, has a long history of and ties to social justice,鈥 he said, noting in particular the legacy of former President John Brooks Slaughter. 鈥淥ur institution had more than 50% students of color at a time when many of our peers couldn鈥檛 or didn鈥檛 do so. I鈥檓 proud to have been able to continue that legacy by advancing an equity and justice agenda during my term at Occidental.鈥
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez 鈥96, who has represented the city鈥檚 seventh district since 2017, also lauded Occidental鈥檚 legacy of diversity.
鈥淚鈥檓 a proud 色界吧 alumna and I had the blessing of having the opportunity to attend Occidental under the leadership of John Brooks Slaughter,鈥 Rodriguez said. 鈥淒r. Elam, you were part of a very important time of helping to sustain and resurge diversity on that campus, and I want to thank you for that.鈥
Elam also addressed the importance of forging unique and mutually beneficial relationships with the city of Los Angeles, one of the pillars of the Occidental Promise.
鈥淲e are the only liberal arts college in the city of Los Angeles, so strengthening that relationship鈥攚orking to find reciprocal, mutual bonds with the city鈥攊s what we will continue to do,鈥 he said. 鈥淗igher education has always been a lightning rod for social and cultural change, and for challenges. It is so important that we honor Black history and that we have an event like this today.鈥
Photo, from left to right: Councilmember Heather Hutt, Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President Elam, and Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr.
