City, CSUDH Sign Partnership to Turn Carson into College Town

By Iracema Navarro, Reporter

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes and Cal State Dominguez Hills President Thomas Parham recently formalized a working partnership.

The Town and Gown Promise, signed July 18, includes a commitment to increase communication between the city and the university by creating a mutually managed taskforce to develop programs.

 “It is important that we carefully plan in unison with the university to enhance our projects and programs while moving the City of Carson forward,” said Davis-Holmes, who earned her bachelor and master degrees at CSUDH, in a released statement. “The Town and Gown Promise will strengthen our relationship with the university, ensure that we have mutually enhanced beneficial pursuits and secure our future unlimited.”   

Collaborative projects have already been underway, including Cal State Dominguez’s PRAXIS City Arts Park, a program in which CSUDH art students teach art Carson youth between the ages of 8 and 11.  Another is the Community-HELP program to study seniors at Carson’s Community Center with occupational therapy. 

 Under the new leadership and support staff from Carson and CSUDH, they now have a common goal to make Carson a city known for its college. 

 Those in attendance witnessed one of the three significant new construction buildings CSUDH has to offer. The four-story Innovation and Instruction Building is set to open in 2021, the front door building to the campus. 

The campus is a state-owned and controlled university founded in 1960.  Carson was only incorporated in 1968. Within the past 50 years, the university was never obligated to consult the growing city when it chose to develop any part of its property. Tensions between the city and the university rose as CSUDH added more housing for its students and allowed the multi-use sports stadium, now called the Dignity Health Sports Center, to be built without city consultation or direct contribution of funds outside of sales taxes. 

Former Mayor Albert Robles attempted to change this dynamic, resulting in a somewhat antagonistic relationship. The university pushed back and largely did not engage the city. Davis-Holmes, who took office this past November, said she has made it her mission to improve the relationship between the city and university via cooperation rather than acrimony.

“Shame on past leadership,” said Davis-Holmes, the first Black female mayor of the city, at the signing ceremony, her blast leaving no doubt about which side she considered more responsible  for the difficulties.

Parham echoed Davis-Holmes sentiments. 

“It tells us our history is inextricably linked,” he said. “How dare [we] not collaborate and connect. We love having all Carson residents embrace the Toro nation as their own; this is your university.”