Dedication ceremony will kick off special Juneteenth Celebration and Community Resource Fair in the Park sponsored by SEIU Local 721 and Anthem Blue Cross

Compton, CA, June 18, 2022 – The LA Conservation Corps in partnership with SEIU Local 721 and Anthem Blue Cross invite the community and members of the media to join in honoring the memory of past SEIU 721 President Linda Dent at a dedication ceremony to be followed by a Juneteenth Community Resource Fair and celebration at Compton Creek Natural Park, 941 West Cressey St., Compton, CA 90222, on Saturday, June 18, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thanks to a generous gift from Anthem Blue Cross, the Corps will be dedicating a space in this unique oasis of green space in Compton to the memory of Dent. The Linda Dent Memorial Amphitheater will be a permanent site for the community to come together.

“The Corps is honored to be entrusted with preserving Linda’s memory and we are so grateful for the support of this unique and healing space,” said Wendy Butts, CEO of the LA Conservation Corps.

Linda Dent (1952-2021) was a champion for racial and economic justice and a pioneer in the fight for workers’ rights and organized Labor. Born in Louisiana and raised in Compton, Linda was a clerk in the Los Angeles County Tax Collector’s Office whose passion and vision led her to become the first woman and first Black president of the Service Employees International Union Local 721.

The support from Anthem has also made it possible for the Corps to establish the Linda Dent Memorial Fund for Compton Creek Natural Park. This fund is dedicated to ensuring the care and maintenance of this unique creekside park in a highly urbanized area that provides school kids and the surrounding neighborhood a multi-sensory natural park experience. The park is privately managed by the Corps and relies on donations for its upkeep and maintenance. Contributions from others to this fund will support the continued success of the park.

“Anthem Blue Cross is pleased to be part of the President Linda Dent Juneteenth Day of Service & Community Resource Fair – to honor President Dent’s legacy and further her passion for achieving racial and economic justice. Like President Dent, Anthem has committed to improving lives and communities through diversity, integrity and leadership, and we cannot think of a better way to commemorate this historic day than by contributing meaningful resources and volunteerism to help build equity across our diverse communities,” Demetria Malloy, MD, MSHS, Medical Director Regional Vice President, Anthem Inc.

“Community service was at the very core of late President Linda Dent’s life’s work and legacy within SEIU Local 721. Not only was the city of Compton close to her heart, but she also saw the potential in the youth of the community to become the best and brightest future leadership of the workforce,” shares Simboa Wright, Vice President of SEIU 721. “Bringing new opportunities through this day of service, investing in the development of the next generation, and dedication of the amphitheater is completely fitting to honor SEIU Local 721’s very own champion for working families.”

Following the dedication ceremony, SEIU Local 721 will be hosting their 2nd Annual President Linda Dent Juneteenth Day of Service & Community Resource Fair in Compton Creek Natural Park. This free event will include family friendly activities, health screenings, employment information, food & drink and more!

Learn more about Compton Creek Natural Park

About Los Angeles Conservation Corps
The LA Conservation Corps is an environmentally focused youth development organization. We unleash the power of youth to restore the urban environment and preserve natural resources on the coast and in the forests and mountains surrounding Los Angeles. Corpsmembers make Los Angeles’ underserved urban neighborhoods better places to live, work, learn, and play. They build parks and community gardens, plant trees, restore habitats, refurbish trails, clean alleys, recycle and work on other projects and more. In the course of restoring the environment for future generations, and serving the communities they live in, youth are empowered to chart their own courses out of poverty and toward a meaningful career through access to education, job training, and support services. www.lacorps.org #LACorpsPower