Pat Washington Honored at NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Dinner

October 2, 2004

Pat Washington was recently honored at the San Diego NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Dinner on October 2, 2004. Below is a bio that the NAACP did on her.

Read more about the NAACP.

Dr. Pat Washington with Civil Rights Activist Dick Gregory (center) and NAACP President Douglas A. Oden, Esq. (right)

Since moving to San Diego in 1996, Dr. Pat Washington has repeatedly demonstrated her commitment and activism on behalf of social justice all people, particularly African Americans in San Diego and beyond. An engaged member of the leadership team of the San Diego Branch NAACP, Dr. Washington actively participates in a number of formal and informal NAACP efforts to raise awareness of, and sensitivity to, the issues and concerns of people of color, women, and other underrepresented groups.

Dr. Washington worked tirelessly on voter outreach and voter registration efforts for the San Diego "No on 54" Campaign. She also participated in voter education and registration efforts with the Peace and Freedom Party, Imperial Court de San Diego, GLBT VOTE 2004, We the People Democratic Club, San Diego Democratic Club, the San Diego Branch NAACP, and other organizations committed to voter registration and voter turnout for elections. In fact, under the leadership of Branch President Douglas Oden, she spearheaded the San Diego Branch NAACP/GBLT VOTE 2004/LGBT Black Leadership Alliance for Change "Touch screen Voting Machine Demonstration" Community Outreach Program, in collaboration with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters for the 2004 Primary elections.

Dr. Washington has facilitated workshops in the San Diego community regarding the needs of racialized communities for several years. She has also published extensively on the relationship between one's race, class and gender and one's access to society's resources. From 1996-2003, Dr. Washington taught classes for San Diego State University's Women's Studies Department where she successfully coordinated student participation in community-based service learning projects, many of which placed students in community helping agencies, such as Supportive Parents Information Network, Bayview Community Development Association, and the YWCA.

Dr. Washington has held a number of organizational leadership positions and participated in a broad range of activities, including serving as Education Chair of the San Diego Branch NAACP and President of San Diego County National Organization for Women, Board member for the Lambda Letters Project, Co-Chair of the People of Color Organizing Institute for the NGLTF Creating Change Conference, Board member for Imperial Court de San Diego, Secretary for the National Women's Studies Association, and Chair of the Women of Color Caucus of the National Women's Studies Association.

Dr. Washington has received numerous commendations from community organizations; political leaders; and SDSU faculty, staff and students for her service, civic engagement, and commitment to social justice, as well as for her efforts to promote alliances across categories of age, race, sexuality, gender, social class and (dis)ability.

Dr. Washington is currently spearheading the Branch's efforts to promote universal preschool for all California children, working to get out the vote, and organizing a state conference on race and gender equity in higher education. She continues to fight her unjust termination from San Diego State University--a fight in which she is proudly backed by the San Diego Branch NAACP and numerous other organizations committed to social justice and educational equity.

Over 20 academic and social justice organizations support Dr. Pat Washington's discrimination and retaliation complaint against San Diego State University.