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RIVERSIDE, CA – The San Bernardino-Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated will honor two outstanding community leaders during its annual Culmination program this month.
On Saturday, May 14, 2022, Dr. Regina Patton Stell, President of the Riverside NAACP, will receive the 2022 Waudieur Rucker-Hughes Social Action Advocate Award; and Rialto Unified Board of Education Member Dina Walker will receive the 2022 Dorothy Inghram Social Action Advocate Award.
“We are excited to honor these two dynamic women,” said San Bernardino-Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter President Erica Shorts. “Both Dr. Patton Stell and Ms. Walker are strong, steadfast advocates for our youth and underserved members of our Inland Empire communities. The fact that they are members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is a testament to the ideals of our sisterhood, which is founded on social action and service.”
About the Honorees
Dr. Regina Patton Stell is a longtime educator and champion for social justice in the Riverside community. She started her career as a special education teacher and then served as a principal. She later became a director in the Riverside County Office of Education and was appointed the first Black assistant superintendent of her school district. Dr. Patton Stell’s passion drives her commitment to improve the lives of others and fuels her active engagement in Delta, in which she’s been a member for over 50 years, and the NAACP, in which she has served for over a decade.
Dr. Patton Stell currently serves as President of the NAACP Riverside Chapter. Under her leadership, the Riverside Chapter continually produces programming and events to raise community awareness about mental and physical health impacts, improve Black academic achievement, and encourage civic participation in local, state, and federal government elections and legislative decisions. She was recently elected to serve as the Democratic Party Delegate for District 58.
Dina Walker has been a member of the Rialto Unified Board of Education since 2014, serving over 25,000 students. Her elected position complements Ms. Walker’s over 20 years of experience working with educational, government, and community organizations. As President and CEO of BLU Educational Foundation, a nonprofit she founded in 2001, Ms. Walker leads a team that provides educational and human services programming to youth, adults, and organizations to build healthy, productive communities throughout the Inland Empire.
Motivated by data that validates the disparities that affect underserved communities and the success stories she hears along the way, she fiercely advocates for education justice on behalf of our most marginalized students. Through BLU’s Institute for Civic Engagement, Ms. Walker and her team are creating a leadership pipeline to help those who have historically lacked representation. The Institute is teaching a new generation how to be change-makers.
Our Memorial Recognitions
In 2021 the San Bernardino-Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter gave its first Social Action Advocate Award in Waudieur “Woodie” Rucker-Hughes’ name to honor the legacy of an icon who dedicated her life to seeking social justice, equality, and education for all. Her selfless commitment and tireless advocacy still impact individuals locally and nationally. On February 25, 2022, following the passing of his bill H.R. 5983, U.S. Representative Mark Takano joined the community in celebrating the renaming of the City of Riverside post office on 4150 Chicago Avenue after Woodie Rucker-Hughes.
The Dorothy Inghram Social Action Advocate Award recognizes the legacy of another trailblazer who shattered glass ceilings for black educators in 1942 when she became the first Black teacher in San Bernardino County. Later she became the first Black principal and then the first Black school district superintendent in California. Ms. Inghram was also a charter member of the San Bernardino- Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter, which started in 1959.
The San Bernardino-Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter’s Culmination program will be virtual via Zoom on Saturday, May 14, 2022, starting at 10:00 AM. The event is free, but you must register in advance. Click here to register.
