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Leo Grandison I was born and raised in San Diego, CA, to a Black father and a White Jewish mother. I am the middle child of a single mom family. My mother struggled to keep her children healthy, and as a result, took an alternative approach to her children's health care. This experience continues to influence my approach to my own health today.
Throughout my childhood I played soccer, and loved to go to the beach and participate in outdoor activities. I am into photography, mountain biking, organizing for social and economic justice, dancing, and traveling. Music: Most music of the African Diaspora, reggae, hip-hop with a message, soul and R&B, salsa, samba, African music.
I came to UCSC for college in 1997, and became involved in various organizations including: the African/Black Student Alliance, Black Men's Alliance, Haluan, Black/African Voice, African Dance Troupe, Student Union Assembly, Engaging Education (e2), and others. I majored in Language Studies focusing on Spanish, and played for the UCSC men's soccer team.
Life experience has guided me towards organizing for social change to improve the Black Community, and to working for social and economic justice for people of color and oppressed communities. As a student at UCSC, I had a very educational experience as a student organizer and learned many lessons in community building. I later realized that what I learned are important skills for everyday life. From organizational meetings to complex programming, students do amazing and critical work on, and off of this campus. As an advisor at the SOAR office, I look forward to fostering and assisting students in fulfilling this important role.
Quotes to live by:
"You can't lead the people, if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you won't serve the people."
-Professor Cornel West
"Power concedes nothing without demand."
-Fredrick Douglass
"To lead the people, walk behind them."
-Lao Tzu
Leo Grandison
Program Manager
831.459.5645
leoleo@ucsc.edu |