Rufus Dewitt News Today

I would hear stories from our elder community icons that would detail how they learned how to swim at this YMCA.

Join us as we pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His words and selfless actions continue to be an inspiration and never-ending call-to-action for tolerance and peace with each new generation.The YMCA's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Dignity Award is annually bestowed upon a person who exemplifies Dr. King's work and character. The inaugural award was given to Rufus DeWitt, the first African-American executive director in our YMCA association who served at the Jackie Robinson...

With a $35 million grant from the state, the southeast San Diego staple hopes to continue its legacy serving as a hub fo

Francine DeWitt-Haynes can’t be sure, but she suspects that her father was inspired to co-create what is now known as Common Ground Theatre after attending a play as a student at Columbia University in New York City. When the late Rufus DeWitt moved his family from Mobile, Ala., to San Diego, there wasn’t an organized theater company for Black San Diegans, so he and a friend started the Southeast Community Theatre in 1963, which changed its name to Common Ground Theatre in 2003. “Since my...

“This is not something that’s a phase for us, but the work continues,” Ford said. Zeta Sigma Lambda hosts the annual parade in San Diego, which features floats, high school bands, drill teams, youth organizations and churches. While the parade didn’t happen this year, Ford said -- as he looked back on a challenging year -- that King’s message of peace and quality remains timely, from the pandemic to civil unrest to, most recently, the Capitol being stormed by people lined to white s...

SAN DIEGO —  There’s a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King that especially resonates with Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County’s health officer. “Dr. King once said that of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane,” Wooten said Thursday night. Those words have guided her mission to serve the residents of San Diego County, she said. “I awake every day with the goal of helping all communities attain their full potential and well-being,” ...