Orange Coast College has named civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez as the College’s 2024 inductee into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
Sylvia Mendez played an instrumental role in the groundbreaking Mendez v. Westminster case. This case, which was a triumph against racial segregation in California schools, was a pivotal moment in the fight for civil rights.
“We are honored to bestow this recognition to OCC alumna Sylvia Mendez,” says OCC President Angelica Suarez. “Her lifelong dedication to civil rights and ongoing commitment to social justice align directly with the values of our College.”
Mendez v. Westminster successfully ended de jure segregation in California, setting a precedent for the nation. The case was named after Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, Sylvia Mendez’s parents, who were at the forefront of the battle for equal education.
“I learned very good lessons in life and it was all due to the court case that went on,” says Sylvia Mendez. “I have been so blessed by those students who accepted me when I started speaking.”
The success of the Mendez v. Westminster case made California the first state in the nation to end segregation in schools, setting the stage for the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which found that racial segregation in schools is unconstitutional. Friday, May 17 marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
Today, Mendez still travels to discuss her story and civil rights, including a notable return to OCC.
She continues the legacy left by her parents by fighting for quality education and encouraging students to stay in school. She retired as a nurse after working more than thirty years in the field.
Mendez earned an associate degree in nursing from Orange Coast College in 1964 and a bachelor of science degree in nursing from California State University, Los Angeles.
“It’s so beautiful and it makes me feel so good to know I graduated from (OCC),” says Mendez. “It’s wonderful and then I think of all my teachers at that time and how sweet they were to me. I never had any prejudice or any horrible bullies. Here it was in the 1960s, horrible things going on in the south at the time, (and) I never had any of that (at OCC). Never.”
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions, Mendez was bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, the highest civilian honor in the United States, by President Barack Obama.
Mendez will be formally inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame during the College’s Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 24.
Before OCC’s Commencement ceremony, Mendez will have a plaque bearing her resemblance added to the OCC Alumni Hall of Fame wall on the second floor of the College Center.