In a moving ceremony that blended celebration, reflection, and community unity, Valdez Educational Services dedicated its new headquarters facility on Friday, May 15, to Bonnie Cherie Johnson, a trailblazing civil rights advocate and champion of educational equity for Black and Brown children in San Bernardino. Johnson helped lead school boycotts, protests, and lawsuits that ultimately forced the desegregation of San Bernardino public schools. The new Valdez headquarters served as Johnson’s command center. Valdez Educational Services has refurbished the site to serve as a beacon of academic empowerment.
Aaron Valdez, President and founder of Valdez Educational Services, opened the ceremony by saying, “Valdez Educational Services is honored to work in the building that a civil rights icon used as her base of operations. We will use this facility for tutoring and student mentoring. Our goal is to equip students with the tools to succeed in employment and in life, providing interventions that will positively impact their future.”
Valdez recounted how his team searched for months for the right location. The building was discovered by his wife and office manager, Eva. Only later, through conversations with Dr. Gwen Dowdy-Rogers, President of the San Bernardino County Board of Education, did he learn of its profound historical significance…