Tony Clark Social Justice Scholarship

Hello LACC Family,

I am announcing the creation of the Tony Clark Social Justice Scholarship, through the LACC Foundation. 

As you now, Tony died last year. What you may not know is how much he did for the students of LACC in his twenty years here. Early in my time here, before I got tenure, at his urging, he and I and two other colleagues flew to Jena, LA to join a march. This was a life-changing experience for me. (Google it for the details.) He hosted a conference on The Kennedy assassination, where I got to interview the guy who found the gun (Gene Boon). He also organized a phone/zoom conference with a congressman about his plan to help restrict Presidential ability to launch nuclear weapons on a whim or for personal reasons. Tony worked with a large number of students and student groups around the ideas of social justice.  He touched so many students’ lives positively. He was gentle, open-minded and honest.  He always had time for his students. We could all learn from him.

He literally changed our college by creating the AAT for Sociology and another AAT in Social Justice.

This is a period in our history that we need the academic pursuit of Social Justice, as well as the actual pursuit of it. Tony worked with a large number of students and student groups around the ideas of social justice.  He touched so many students’ lives as everyone could relate to him.

You all know he was loved by nearly everyone who met him.

To me, he was simply the best teacher I have ever worked with in my 35 years of working in our district and others.

I’ll be retiring, in June. For the last eight years I have sent $100 a month to the Foundation in the hopes of again doing Model UN or something like it. But now, those days have left us (or at least me).

This scholarship will go to an LACC graduate of the Social Justice AAT and who is transferring and planning to major in a Social Justice field.

Currently we have just over $8000.00 in the account. The minimum is $10,000 for a continuing scholarship. 

I sincerely ask you to give any amount you are able to give to the LACC Foundation, in the name of the Tony Clark Social Justice Scholarship.

If you can set up a small amount each month – that not only helps us start, it but also keeps the scholarship alive. If you can only give a little right now, we’ll take it. Any amount will be deeply appreciated as I am committed to making this happen before I retire.

I have been helped and supported and made to feel welcomed by so many of you through my time here.  My 20 years here has seen a great deal of change at LACC, but the quality of the faculty, staff, administration and all the folks, has always been strong and improving. LACC has made me and continues to make me, so proud of having been part of it all.

Community Colleges change the lives of our student and many, many others as well.

Click here to donate and when donating, list “In memory of Tony Clark Social” in the comments or select “Tony Clark Social Justice Scholarship” from the designation drop down menu. Please help us any way you can.

In Unity,

Joe Meyer (Poli Sci)