By Eliz Dowdy

Southern California Edison (SCE hosted their tenth annual Black History event on Friday, February 3. The celebration has grown by leaps and bounds; this year the invitees were scaled down from the 600-plus of the last few years. The celebration is held at the Energy Education Center in Irwindale.

The idea of a company celebration for Black History was the brainchild of SCE employees Dave Ford and Alfarah Board, who reside in the Inland Empire. They chose to connect the celebration to the evolution of energy, Black inventors, and electrical technology. The list of invitees is drawn from business customers, nonprofit organizations, community leaders and political representatives.

After registration, a continental breakfast, networking and vendor visits, the program was opened by SCE vice president, Lisa Cagnolatti, Customer Service Business Unit; she introduced Loren Smith who sang the National Anthem and the Black Anthem.

Edison International President and CEO Ted Craver gave a company update with a primary focus on safety; it included a video for keeping safe when power lines are down. He stated that affordable electrical service is becoming more difficult. However, $17 million of shareholders’ money has been used on community organizations, $7.4 million to African American communities. Students must be proficient in math and science; it is no longer a luxury. At Holman United Methodist Church they support a program to help elementary school children. He stated that fifty low-income students from the Long Beach area will spend four weeks at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont to become immersed in math over the summer. Cagnolatti commented on diversity and the interesting tapestry it weaves; she introduced KTLA’s co-host of the morning news, Chris Schauble, as one of the emcees; the other KTLA co-emcee, Michaela Pereira, was still on the air.

There are handrails for those participating on the podium; they were instructed to hold the rails to prevent accidents. Chris Schauble tripped two years ago and it has become a running joke at the celebration.

Schauble introduced some of the honored guests in the audience. They included Debbie Franklin, mayor of Banning; Sandra Thompson, Altadena Town Council; Pastor Joshua and Linda Beckley, Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, San Bernardino; Nichole Cooper, Office of Inspector General, U. S. Postal Service, Special Agent in Charge Pacific Area Field Office, and Pastor and Mrs. Hunter from First AME Church in Los Angeles.

Inventors joining the celebration were Dr. Joseph Jackson, Ph.D.; Clayton Webb, and Keith Gipson. They are still bringing forth energy-saving devices and taking technology to the next level.

The keynote speaker was Blair Hamilton Taylor, President/CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League. He took the reins in 2005. He was recently recognized by UCLA’s Anderson School of Business as one of the top 100 MBA graduates in the school’s 75-year history. Taylor earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Amherst College, and MBA in marketing and entrepreneurial studies from UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management. He was introduced by Patty Miller, board director of the Urban League. He answered the question so many of us hear this time of year, “Why celebrate Black History?” If we don't know our history, where we came from, we will repeat the same mistakes. For so long African Americans were written out of history books, those facts of a people who have contributed heavily to the country for 150 years, even when we were counted as 3/5 human. Even with all these obstacles we have always stepped up to the plate and hit a home run, Taylor stated to thunderous applause. Taking what he described as a stroll down African American lane he started naming some of the less-known inventors/leaders of yesteryear. However, today African Americans are losing the light of our contributions. He reminded the elders to step up and provide the same nurturing they received as young people. Black students represent just 2% of the total enrollment at all campuses of the universities of California.

When he concluded his soul-searching speech, the audience was still shaking their heads, not in disbelief, but with the realization that we as a people need speedy relief from apathy and complacency.

The president of SCE, Ron Litzinger, welcomed the assemblage and spoke about diversity in the company. The supplier diversity program started in the 1970s; today they operate a school to train sub-contractors. The overseer is Cecil House, an African American employee.

The guest speaker was Nelson Davis, president, Nelson Davis Television & The Making It Institute for the Advancement of Business. His brief but eloquent remarks centered on a core lesson he learned from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “How to get from there to here.” His family left Alabama and moved to Niagara Falls, New York; his mission is helping African Americans who want to start their own business. That is when his relationship with SCE began; they stepped up to the plate to support the small business endeavor. He also asked the rhetorical question, “What are we doing to help the next generation get from there to here?”

Awards were presented to the following: Business Energy Efficiency Participation Award to Behavioral Health Services, Inc. Just two years ago Behavioral health Services faced the possibility of closing their doors; their energy costs were high, but with advice from an SCE account executive they were able to reduce costs by installing new energy-saving equipment.

The Local Government Energy Efficiency Participation Award went to the City of Inglewood, which has participated in an array of energy-efficient measures for the past eight years that has generated $15,000 per year in revenue.

LeRoy Haynes Center received the Community Partnership Award. The center was originally known as LeRoy Haynes Boys Home when it was created in 1946 to provide educational resources for boys who had experienced psychiatric, emotional, behavioral or learning challenges that made it impossible for them to attend a regular public school. Over the years the school began serving young girls, recently emancipated youth and residential treatment for foster care children led to a name change. The Center has developed a community partnership with SCE.

The Diverse Business Enterprise Award went to Freeman Alternative Resources, Inc. Founded as a California corporation in August 1987 by owner and manager, Bill Freeman, it specializes in providing contract labor for high-end staff support for energy companies, aerospace, and municipalities. The categories include management and professional consultants, engineering and technical personnel and project administrators; he has worked with SCE for two decades. Freeman has a general engineering contractor's license and is certified as a minority-owned firm by Caltrans and other entities including the City of Los Angeles.

Closing remarks by founders Alfarah Board and Dave Ford chronicled the ten-year spurt and the support of SCE as a company and employees of other ethnicities.

Lunch was catered by Dulan’s of Los Angeles.