Santa Monica College celebrates Black History Month 2013

with two guest speakers this month at two events that are free and open to the

public.

Jacqueline A. Seabrooks, Santa Monica Police Chief, will be

speak on Thursday, Feb. 21 from 11:15 am to 12:25 pm at HSS 165 on SMC’s main campus.

Chief Seabrooks is a 31-year law enforcement veteran with

significant municipal policing experience. 

On May 29, 2012, Chief Seabrooks assumed leadership

responsibilities for the Santa Monica Police Department as its 17th Chief of

Police and is the first African American female to head the department.

From October 2007 through May 2012, Chief Seabrooks was at

the helm of the Inglewood Police Department.

As the first woman to hold the Department’s top executive

position in that organization’s 100 plus year history, Chief Seabrooks provided

leadership and direction as the organization successfully navigated various

financial, personnel, and other internal challenges, to include an

investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. 

Under her leadership, the City of Inglewood’s crime rates

declined to levels not seen since the mid 1970’s; the Department’s risk

management profile improved substantially; and the Department strengthened its

relationship with the community.

Dr. Benjamin P. Bowser, Professor Emeritus in the Department

of Sociology and Social Services at California State University, East Bay, will

speak on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 11:15 am to 12:35 pm at HSS 165 on SMC's main campus.

Dr. Bowser has done extensive research on the topic of hip

hop and gangsta rap’s influence in American culture and the effects, positive

and negative, that will endure.

Professor Bowser's most recent publications are: Gangster

Rap and Its Social Cost: Exploiting Hip Hop and Using Racial Stereotypes to

Entertain America (Amherst, N.Y: Cambria Press) and with Paul Lovejoy (eds.)

The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery: New Directions in Teaching and

Learning (Trenton and London: Africa World Press).

This will be Dr. Bowser’s second visit to SMC for Black

History Month. His first lecture received rave reviews from the students and

staff who attended.

Santa Monica College is located at 1900 Pico Boulevard,

Santa Monica.

For more information, visit www.smc.edu.