State Capitol Ceremony Honors Local Community Activist

Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) and the California Legislative Black Caucus will honor community activist Dolores Hickambottom at a special ceremony in the State Capitol on Monday. She will be recognized as an “Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement” for her lifetime of advocacy for social, political and educational opportunities for all.

“During this month when we celebrate Black History, we pay tribute to the extraordinary contributions of citizens such as Dolores Hickambottom whose actions helped to integrate the Pasadena public schools and whose continuing activism improves the quality of life for all,” said Assemblymember Holden.

The 50-year Altadena resident has been a tireless advocate for equal opportunity since her days as a mother of four who was deeply involved with Pasadena public schools. She has been active in campaigns for civil rights, women’s rights, family issues and education and was instrumental in establishing the Pasadena Educational Foundation in 1971. She was also a founding member of the Pasadena City College African-American Advisory Board and is active in Mustangs on the Move at Muir High School.

Many in the community will remember her earlier efforts in helping to elect Pasadena’s first female Mayor, Loretta Thompson Glickman, who was also African-American. She went on to serve as the Mayor’s field representative and later served on the staffs of State Senators Walter Stiern, Richard Polanco and Jack Scott.

Hickambottom is a U.S. Army Veteran who served during the Korean War and serves on the Los Angeles board of the Tuskegee Airmen. She is a graduate of Pasadena City College and Cal State University Los Angeles.