CSUDH News

The primary source of news and information about California State University, Dominguez Hills, its students, faculty, and staff.

Thomas Parham

L.A. Sentinel: CSUDH Welcomes Partnership with Artist Toni Scott

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Mixed media visual artist, Toni Scott.
Mixed media visual artist, Toni Scott.

Source: Los Angeles Sentinel

On Wednesday, November 18, California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) President Thomas A. Parham hosted Consequential Conversations: A Dialogue with mixed media visual artist, Toni Scott. The virtual conversation launches a strategic creative partnership between Scott and CSUDH exploring her artistic background, influences, and plans for upcoming projects.

“In our quest to become a model urban university, CSUDH is positioning itself as the source for culturally rich and currently relevant information which the arts help us achieve through the visual expressions and renderings by the artists themselves,” stated Parham.

“This new CSUDH-Toni Scott collaboration represents a meshing of individual and institutional souls creating energy that feeds the other in reciprocal ways, and provides the broader community with a lifeline to its past, present, and future.”

“I believe art can be a tool for change and I’m so excited to be able to have this partnership and to use art in that form to change lives,” said Scott.

Scott was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, and is of African American, Native American, and European heritage. Most of her installations, exhibitions and individual works reflect her multi-cultural heritage.

“Bloodlines,” is a visual exploration of American slavery, which debuted at the California African American Museum in 2009 and later traveled overseas. In 2016, Scott became the first international artist with a solo exhibition at the Changzhou Museum in Jiangsu Province of China with “The Circle and Cycle of Life,” focusing on Indigenous culture, feminism and technological advancements of the 20th century.

Currently, Scott is among artists whose works are featured in the group exhibition, “Emergency on Planet Earth,” which opened in October at the United Talent Agency’s Artist Space. She is also co-hosting the current lecture series “Art as Protest” at the Skirball Cultural Center.

“This semester, the university entered into a strategic partnership with Ms. Scott to inspire our community to explore art through emblematic, historical and cultural themes,” said Dr. Stephanie Brasley, dean of CSUDH Library. “This partnership begins a relationship that will open avenues of innovative, academic and co-curricular endeavors.”

Scott shared some of her thoughts on working on future projects with CSUDH and how it feels coming back to the South Los Angeles area.

“In some ways, I feel like the prodigal daughter returning to home, finding support from being an outsider to being part of a family,” said Scott. “Our partnership and the advancement, and mutual interests serves what I’ve always aspired to—advance humanity.”

She continued, “And lifting, being a part of the community, seeing the development and dreams becoming reality, is a testament to the excellence of [CSUDH].”

CSUDH’s history of upholding social justice weaves perfectly with Scott’s art and how it perceives the human connection. She reflected on how her multi-cultural background and life have influenced her artwork and the purpose it gives her.

“From my earliest memory, race has always played a role in my life. From the unspoken color line of restrictions and discrimination, to my experience being bussed from Los Angeles to Westchester… to witnessing the Watts Riots, to grieving over the loss of so many people of color at the hands of police… and visiting museums and there, I witnessed the absence of indigenous people, who represent my world.”

Scott continued, “I just have this feeling, [a] call to serve, seeing a need, and seeing that I have the ability to address these concerns and also pay homage to my ancestors is what has inspired my work to date and going forward.”

Through the partnership with CSUDH, Scott will share her work with students to increase understanding and critical examination of significant historic and present-day themes. One anticipatory endeavor will be Scott working with students around her “Phrenology of Pseudoscience” exhibition, composed of interactive sculptures that translate the measurements of one’s head into music. Students will join Scott in exploring the narrative that inspired the creation of this work— the idea of “measuring” people.

Multiple projects are being scheduled: including exhibitions, a Presidential – Artist Talk and a collaborative live painting/musical performance with the renowned conductor, Charles Dickerson III and the Inner-City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles.

“I can guarantee you this, [CSUDH] is an inspired place and I know there is going to be a whole new body of work that’s going to be produced as a part of this relationship.”

Scott’s engagement with the CSUDH campus begins this fall and will open a new window of innovative academic and co-curricular endeavors.

Grammy Award Winner Kenny G Takes Part in Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series

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CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham has a virtual conversation with Grammy Award-winning musician Kenny G during the 2020 Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series.
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham has a virtual conversation with Grammy Award-winning musician Kenny G during the 2020 Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series.

After sharing personal anecdotes about his storied music career, and advice for California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) students, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G performed a special holiday concert for the campus community during the virtual 2020 Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series on Dec. 9.

Kenny G is among the world’s most acclaimed instrumental musicians and one of the biggest selling artists of the modern jazz era with worldwide sales of more than 75 million records. The opportunity to have him as a Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series speaker came about after the president was invited by CSUDH Philanthropic Board Chair Maria Villa (’82, B.S. business administration) and her husband, Steve Lathrop, to play a round of golf with Kenny G.

The couple won the golf match at a charity auction, which also included a Kenny G autographed saxophone. Villa and Lathrop donated the autographed saxophone to the CSUDH Music Department.

“Kenny G’s melodic rhythms tickle our ears, ignite our emotions, and  help us all create mental representations of those happy thoughts that align with his instrumental style,” said Parham as introduction to his 30-minute exchange with the smooth jazz icon during the online event. “His outstanding success stems largely from the connections he makes with his audiences, and he is known for the close attachment that he feels with those who love his music.”

CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham created the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series in 2018 to engage the campus and surrounding community in thought-provoking discussions on some of society’s most pressing issues. Prior speakers have included 1968 Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. The Kenny G lecture and performance had originally been planned for March 17, 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The conversation began with a question about where Kenny G draws inspiration.

“I really wish I could answer that because then I would just go there when I want to write music,” he said. “It just kind of comes to me. I feel like I’m one of those lucky people who recognizes when something special happens. It could be just a feeling inside that suddenly comes out as a melody, listening to a record, or hearing that great melody that Dr. Teo Avery played.”

Kenny G was referring to Teodross Avery, assistant professor of Jazz Studies and Commercial Music at CSUDH and an accomplished saxophonist who launched the lecture series with a rendition of his song “Perception” from his album “Life and Musik.” CSUDH Music Department Chair Scott Morris and Associate Professor of Music Chika also performed during the lecture series. The duo recently released their debut album “Unfettered.”

Parham told Kenny G that he hopes that CSUDH students in the audience will “take note of the commitment it takes to have a career like yours.”

“I’m just lucky that I love to do this. I can’t wait to wake up in the morning to get that sax out of the case, and I can’t wait to start my practice session,” said Kenny G. “Of course, in the middle of it when I’m working on things, it can get a little frustrating when I’m playing something and I can’t get it. But with my experience, I know that if I can’t get it today, I may get it in two months, or even six months. Then it will be part of my repertoire forever.”

It’s “soul” that attracts people of all demographics to his music, Kenny G shared. “There must be a certain soul in the music that they can connect to, and I’m just really lucky that when I play the saxophone there is something in my heart and soul that comes out through it – that is touching people in their heart. It’s a blessing and I’m very lucky. I do not take it for granted, but it’s not something that I calculated. It’s just how the stars lined up. That is why it’s magical.”

When asked what advice he would give students pursuing careers in music, Kenny G said “Just be great at what you love.”

“If you want a career in music, the world will have trouble turning their back on someone who is phenomenal. If you’re mediocre, you may need a little luck, and maybe some networking to get gigs, but if you’re phenomenal, you’re going to get those gigs, and you’re going to be sought after. So the simple thing is to practice,” said Kenny G before grabbing his sax and playing some notes. “Now that’s what it takes. It’s consistent practice at whatever you want to be good at.”

When asked to share a transformational experience, Kenny G took the audience back to high school.

“I was first chair in my junior high school band, which typically means you’re better than whoever else is playing saxophone. When I went to high school, I was excited about being part of the jazz band, but when I auditioned, I didn’t make band. So, I went home, and thought, I guess I just need to practice,” said Kenny G, who still practices three hours each day. “When I went back in the 11th grade, I was so much better than everybody else who had already been playing in the band that I immediately became first chair. It was like a light bulb turning on. I realized that if I always practice, I will just get better. That seems to be my theme of the conversation tonight. Practice!”

President Parham Hosts ‘Virtual Check-In’ on Racism, Protests

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virtual check-inIn response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police and the resulting protests and turmoil throughout the United States, CSUDH President Thomas Parham hosted a virtual “community check-in” on Thursday, June 4, giving students and other members of the Toro community a chance to share their feelings about the unfolding events and the university’s response.

President Parham was joined by Rex Richardson, Long Beach City Councilperson; Framroze Virjee, president of CSU Fullerton; Donna Nicol, chair of the CSUDH Africana Studies Department; Catherine Jermany, coordinator of the Rose Black Resource Center; and psychologist Tiffany Herbert, psychologist, CSUDH Student Health and Psychological Services.

The panel was on hand to listen to community concerns, hear suggestions, and direct people to helpful resources. The Zoom conference was attended by 640 members of the CSUDH community, including students, faculty, and staff.

Each panelist was given a few minutes for an opening statement, but the bulk of the time was spent listening and responding to members of the Toro community. Parham opened the webinar with a powerful statement, calling out racist police practices, decrying politicians who exploit the racial divide, and challenging the allies of black communities to step up and do more.

He ended his remarks by referencing the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56 and asking, “What are we all prepared to do to inconvenience ourselves to fight for equality and equal protection, rather than humiliate ourselves by conforming to the dynamics of racism, oppression, and discrimination?”

Virjee pointed out that as a white man, he understands that his life experience has been completely different from that of people of color. “I cannot imagine what it is like to be black in America today,” he admitted. Virjee acknowledged the white privilege and systemic racism “that is built into the fabric of our beloved nation,” and closed by saying that “Until all hearts break for the brokenness that systemic institutional racism has caused, we cannot and will not heal together.”

Richardson, who attended CSUDH in the 1990s and served as ASI president, spoke briefly of his experiences growing up in the South Bay, how his mother worried for his safety every time he left the house. He related some of his family’s experience with racism through the generations, from his great-grandfather’s Alabama store being burned down by the KKK to his own experiences “being detained and being handcuffed, merely for fitting a description,” and how these events “shaped the trauma of growing up black in America.”

He added, “We’re living in a pivotal moment. History is going to have its eyes on how we as leaders respond” and decried the “chorus of excuses and victim blaming” that often creep into conversations about race and police brutality.

Nicol’s passionate opening remarks included several specific recommendations for moving forward, saying that the time for “vague letters of support with no action items” is past. She advocated for the passage of California Assembly Bill 1460, which would make ethnic studies a graduation requirement for all CSU students, more funding and support of affinity center leadership, and developing campus agreements for students and faculty to do social justice work in the communities that CSUDH serves.

Nicol added, “Until America faces her demons, those demons will always resurface and will become even more difficult to contain. MLK said ‘America’s summer of riots are caused by its winter of delays.’ What we are seeing in the streets is righteous anger from centuries of systemic racism and delayed justice.”

While attention was paid to national issues, many attendees asked questions or spoke about how to make CSUDH itself more inclusive. Some asked how CSUDH can better protect its students of color, while others pointed out ways in which the campus has fallen short of its inclusive goals. Attendees spoke to the need for a variety of support systems being put in place, from more anti-racist education on campus to more funding for campus affinity groups.

The one major theme that emerged from the comments was that people are looking for ways to turn thoughts into action. Many attendees asked what they might do to help the cause, or how the campus can better support those fighting against racism. Members of the panel stressed the need for CSUDH to remain active and engaged on these issues.