Pacific Oaks College Announces Social Justice Hero for Inaugural Social Justice Night

On November 2, 2018, Pacific Oaks College will host its first Social Justice Night to support and honor community heroes who have shown outstanding leadership in building inclusion and equity. As a social justice-centered institution, Pacific Oaks recently sent out a call for nominations to recognize individuals who share the College’s mission in fostering diversity, social justice, respect, and inclusion. Among numerous nominees, Pacific Oaks’ first-ever Social Justice Hero is Lesford Duncan.

For many years, Lesford Duncan has worked to develop and improve partnerships, coalitions, and systems that enhance the health, mental health, and resilience of children, families, and communities throughout Southern California. He is currently the Cultural Competency Officer for the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health. Duncan has also worked on policies against child abuse and commercial sexual exploitation of children, and served as a Global Citizenship Fellow for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Duncan is a Leaders for Health Equity/Atlantic Fellow with George Washington University.

Social Justice Hero Honorable Mentions include Angeline Chen and Dr. John M. Perkins. Chen is an immigration attorney and co-founder of the Rise to Reunite coalition, a local grassroots organizing effort to improve the situation of families that have been separated and detained by the current administration. She is also Board President of the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley.

Dr. John M. Perkins is an American Christian minister, Civil Rights activist, and co-founder of the Christian Community Development Association. He is the Founder and President Emeritus of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation.

Sponsors of Social Justice Night include Pasadena Tournament of Roses; Total Education Solutions; Webster, Kaplan, Sprunger, LLP; and YWCA Greater Los Angeles. For a complete list of Social Justice Hero nominees and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.pacificoaks.edu/social-justice-night/.