Celebrating Joseph White and EOP
Dignitaries from the community, state and even a Congressman showed up Friday to celebrate the work of Dr. Joseph White, founder and driving force behind the school’s Educational Opportunity Program.
The event marked the 50th anniversary of EOP on the Cal State Long Beach campus, a program White is credited with initiating while a professor here in the 1960s.
Willie Brown, who served two terms as mayor San Francisco and was the 58th Speaker of the California Assembly (1980-95) said he wouldn’t have succeeded without the efforts of White. “I am here because of you,” Brown said, looking directly at White.
“The nation owes Joseph White and his counterparts a profound ‘Thank you,’” Brown said.
Brown was the keynote speaker at the event held at the Pointe.
U.S Congressman Alan Lowenthal honored White with a plaque that marked him being placed in the Congressional Record for his work in bringing about educational opportunities for students of color and all nontraditional students.
“We are honoring him not only for reaching out to the community and creating a program like EOP but for being one of those civil rights heroes who walked the walk and talked the talk,” Lowenthal told the roughly 200 in attendance.
EOP serves approximately 2,500 a year at CSULB, providing access to historically low-income and first generation college students. The program is credited with opening the door for many students who might not otherwise have qualified for a four-year institution.
