A Community Level Overview of Pasadena, RBAC and Race Relations
Join the RBAC in welcoming Allen Edson, President of the Pasadena branch of the NAACP to discuss how diversity, equity, and inclusion have been an ongoing struggle for the City of Pasadena, but there are also points of pride to celebrate that have occured along the way. Come learn about the history of the 210 freeway, the Brookside plunge, and their impact on the local communities and the RBAC.
About Allen Edson:
Edson worked 15 years in the Aerospace industry with the majority of those years working for the Lockheed California company. He has worked for more than twenty years in nonprofit management with his interest being Environmental Justice. Edson developed this interest and formed his own Environmental Remediation Company. In 2006 his company was awarded the Emerging Business of the year in San Francisco.
Edson grew up in Pasadena and attended Pasadena city schools. His grandfather was a notable community activist, with the W.D. Edson Neighborhood Improvement Association being named after him. Edson earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in economics from University of California, Berkeley and his Associate in Arts in business from Pasadena City College. Edson is the father of three: Ishmael, Khali and Naderia.
Edson was elected President of the Pasadena NAACP in 2019. As one of only three locations in Southern California with an office, the NAACP Pasadena Branch was founded by John R. Wright Sr. and was the national organization’s 16th branch, being chartered in September 1919.