Black History Month: Simon Lakritz

Feb. 1 through Feb. 29 is Black History Month. Throughout the month we’ll introduce you to a person who made a difference in a way that you might not know about.

Occupation & age: Former Hanford mayor, educator; 77.

Family: He was married to Mary "Mimi" Elizabeth for 38 years until her death in 1991. He has four children, Andrew Morris Lakritz, Jeffrey Lakritz, Bradley William Lakritz and Thomas Spencer Lakritz. He has four grandchildren.

Why you should know him? In Hanford, where he once served as mayor five times, Lakritz is known as a civil rights advocate and a staunch liberal who earns respect of all.

In his younger years, he taught U.S. history in high school. At the height of his education career, he brought to Hanford a key program for disabled and economically disadvantaged students in Hanford. He retired as a teacher in 1994. He currently trains aspiring teachers at Chapman University College in Hanford.

He served on the Hanford City Council between 1974 and 1986 and between 1988 and 2000. He served on the Hanford Joint Union High School District board between 2002 and 2006.

But that's only half a life story for Lakritz.

He was involved in the movement initiated by the NAACP in 2005 that led to the historic city adoption of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a city holiday.

Lakritz also helped the organization when it negotiated a memorandum of understanding with the police department that called for a higher level of public accountability and cultural sensitivity.

"He works across all lines," said Willard Roberson, NAACP's Hanford branch president. "He's truly a color-blind community activist."

Lakritz' long-time friend Ramona Castillo, once a politically active figure in Hanford, says, "You may not always agree with (him), but you always respect him. He has earned that respect through his tireless involvement with the community."

Lakritz, the son of a Jewish mother with a German-Polish background, considers himself a minority. Growing up in racially mixed environments gave him the sensitivity to people of all cultures, he says.

"I was born in Detroit, in a neighborhood which was part black and part white ... When I moved to Tucson, Ariz., at age 9, many of my friends were Mexicans," Lakritz said. "I grew up knowing they are not bad like some people say ... It's all a mental condition. Prejudice is what you learn at your home environment."

What are some of his achievements? A founding member of the Kings County Commission on Aging. Named Citizen of the Year in 2002 by the Hanford Chamber of Commerce.

Organizations in which he is involved: The NAACP Hanford branch and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

(Feb. 20, 2008)