Luna’s Dr. Kenneth Patterson honored for minority advocacy

Luna Community College’s interim president has received recognition for his work on behalf of minority populations.
Dr. Kenneth Patterson has earned the Minority Advocacy Award from the Walk With Me Foundation, a non-profit based in Florence, Alabama. The award, offered in appreciation for outstanding lifetime achievement in minority advocacy, was announced Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – in a news release from the organization.
According to Dr. Terrance Brown, executive director of Walk With Me Foundation, the honor is reserved for individuals who have demonstrated “a commitment to the advancement of equity and accessibility for all learners, especially those in marginalized minority populations.”
Brown said Patterson had made notable achievements while expanding beneficial educational and career opportunities for African-American students and more recently students within a predominantly Hispanic community.
“He has consistently advocated for disenfranchised populations and continues to do so throughout his career, both on an institutional as well as on an individual basis,” Brown said in a resolution of appreciation marking the award. Brown noted that Patterson has made presentations to high school students advocating higher education and persistence in pursuing educational and career goals, also showing community involvement and activism to elevate the issues of minority communities in public view and discourse.
“His comportment in these tasks,” Brown said, “is characterized by a proactive and positive disposition that is a credit to the higher education students and communities he has served.”
Patterson came to Luna in September 2019 as vice president of instruction and student services. He has served as interim president of the college since June 2020. Luna is a Tier 4 community college classified as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, providing academic and workforce development opportunities in northeastern New Mexico.
Prior to his time at Luna, Patterson served Miles College, a Historically Black College/University, and worked with the NAACP and the Urban League of greater Birmingham (Alabama).
“I’m honored by this recognition from the Walk With Me Foundation,” said Patterson. “The work continues at Luna to continue opening doors of academic, vocational and career opportunity for all, including traditionally underrepresented populations.”
The Walk With Me Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of preservation of culture through the arts, according to the news release.