Faculty Feature: CFA Member’s Commitment to Public Service and Her Fight for State Assembly

CFA member Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins is on a mission to bring real change to her community. She is currently running for California State Assembly District 79 which encompasses the areas of Southeastern San Diego, City of La Mesa, Lemon Grove, parts of the City of El Cajon and parts of the unincorporated area of Spring Valley.

For her, it’s not just about being part of the conversation — it’s about making sure everyone has a seat at the table. “The people closest to the pain should be the closest to the power,” Sharp-Collins declares, echoing U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley’s powerful words. “And if others forget to invite you to join the conversation or be part of the planning from the start, then you better bring a folding chair.”

Dr. Sharp-Collins has served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Africana Studies at her alma mater, San Diego State University, for fifteen years. Her journey in teaching, however, began at a much younger age.

Throughout her high school years, Sharp-Collins was driven to serve. She gathered discarded school materials from nearby elementary schools to create a makeshift summer school for neighborhood kids in her parents’ front yard, ensuring they were fed and cared for, regardless of the circumstances.

“CFA members are doing the work. We’re in the classrooms, and we take on faculty and students’ concerns and challenges. We do everything we can to make sure they have a safe place and that everyone feels welcome. “

– Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins, CFA Member, San Diego State

“Apparently public service was already embedded in me,” Sharp-Collins said. “I believed it was my collective responsibility, even at a young age, to make sure that my community members and peers were taken care of.” This deep sense of responsibility has shaped every facet of her life, from her advocacy work to her leadership.

Dr. Sharp-Collins comes from a long line of change agents. Growing up, she heard plenty of stories about the tribulations her grandparents had to go through to be treated like human beings. Her grandfather, once a Teamsters union member at the San Diego Zoo, fought tirelessly to make people understand that workers’ rights are civil rights and human rights, and that Black people had every right to be where they were. Her grandmother, a nurse who was forbidden to work with anyone else besides other Black people or people of color, fought alongside other nurses in the California Nurses Association (CNA) to ensure that people have a right to a quality life no matter what race, color, or creed they are.

Her grandparents and parents, who were also foster parents, instilled in Sharp-Collins the value of community, family, and the importance of unions. Despite growing up in a community laden with gang violence and drug activity, her firsthand experiences of losing friends to violence would ultimately shape her vision to create positive change for her community. She knew she came from a line of fighters who not only advocated for themselves, but really kept others at the forefront of their work.

The spark for change was ignited early for Dr. Sharp-Collins.  After watching the films “For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story” and “Sankofa,” both of which deeply influenced her desire to explore her own history as a young Black woman. “When I watched these films, I was upset that – here I am in high school – learning about history, but all I was getting was Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, maybe a little bit of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, and something on Thurgood Marshall,” Sharp-Collins said. “I was bothered because I was not able to see myself reflected in the material.”

Eager to learn more, she asked her mother if she could take a Black studies course at a nearby community college. Her mother not only responded in the affirmative, but also announced that she would be enrolling in the class with her daughter. At just 16, Sharp-Collins took her first Black studies course with Dr. Anta Merritt, who is now – decades later – her colleague at San Diego State. She stated that “taking that class let me know even more about how we came from greatness and how powerful we as Black people have been and continue to be to this very day.”

Now in her role as a faculty member, Sharp-Collins recognizes the urgent need for change in higher education. “Our members have worked so hard to break down systemic barriers that currently exist.” Dr. Sharp-Collins says, referring to her fellow California Faculty Association (CFA) members. We have to deal with people who have the presumption of entitlement, but it’s time to change. We must let people know it’s time to adapt.”

Reflecting on the ongoing struggle for equity, Sharp-Collins ties her work to the legacy of the civil rights movement, reminding us that ethnic and cultural studies programs were born out of protest. “The fact that people are trying to silence us once again is concerning to me,” she says, her resolve unshaken.

“CFA members are doing the work. We’re in the classrooms, and we take on faculty and students’ concerns and challenges. We do everything we can to make sure they have a safe place and that everyone feels welcome. Not only should faculty feel like they belong, but they deserve a quality life, quality benefits, and to be treated with the utmost respect,” said Sharp-Collins.

“Africana Studies faculty are so proud of Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins. Some of us are her mentors, some colleagues, some mentors and colleagues. Her trajectory, from Africana Studies major to her graduate degrees, emphasizes the core ethos of Africana Studies, making connections between the discipline and the communities it serves. One cannot exist without the other. Her studies, her work in the department and in the community center her willingness, dedication and motivation to give back, to help others achieve their dreams and their potential while being and embracing their authentic selves. She is a staunch supporter of CFA, always happy to sign up and work for any number of our advocacy efforts. I am honored to have had the opportunity to be her mentor, and I treasure my journey with her as her colleague and friend,” said CFA President Charles Toombs.

Unsurprisingly, Sharp-Collins’ leadership experiences extend well beyond her duties at San Diego State.

In 2018, she discovered that categorical funds were being cut from her daughter’s school district. As president of the Association of African American Educators (AAAE) and president of her daughters Parent Teacher Association, she heard numerous complaints from parents about the allocation of funds and the lack of transparency. While leading AAAE on the Blueprint for African American Achievement, she observed that the district superintendent was increasingly disengaged from meetings. The superintendent no longer asked questions, stopped responding to inquiries, and ultimately withdrew from the community altogether. As a result, she fought for transparency and accountability, pushing for an audit of the state’s top three districts. Her efforts led to policy changes that ensure parents and community members have a voice in how funds are allocated.

Serving as the District Director under California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (then California State Assemblymember), Sharp-Collins called community meetings to discuss concerns about the lack of transparency regarding fund allocations. Together, they engaged with several senators and assemblymembers, reached out to the San Diego County, and the Office of Education.

Acknowledging that the lack of transparency in fund allocations was likely a widespread issue, State elected officials pushed for an audit of the top three districts in California. The audits led to policy changes in the Local Control and Accountability Plan that included several recommendations, one of which established the Community Engagement Initiative, which Sharp-Collins is now a part of.

Her work alongside the incomparable Dr. Shirley Weber continued as they (along with other community leaders) aimed to create a pipeline for the future of women, particularly Black women, by creating the Black Women’s Institute for Leadership Development, a project designed to support women in pursuing their political interests, serving on boards and commissions, and enhancing their overall leadership skills. The initiative also aimed to empower women to become principals, superintendents, or even launch their own nonprofit organizations.

Her commitment to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities drove her to advocate for the San Diego County Office of Education to establish an Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Committee and advocated to ensure the implementation of American Indian Education to address the needs of Native American communities and students. “Our people, our students, deserve to be heard, valued, and respected,” she said. “No one should be marginalized. As a teacher, it is my duty to make sure that my students understand the power of their voice, and that they understand the power of their community.”

With all her achievements, Dr. Sharp-Collins recognizes the delicate balance of family and public service. “I’ve had to sacrifice some time as far as going to my son’s soccer games, but he knows mommy’s still there,” she says. “It is important not to lose myself through this process. My family is me; they are the best part of me.”

Dr. LaShae Sharp-Collins is a leader who carries the weight of her community’s struggles and aspirations with grace and determination. Her journey, marked by resilience and a deep-rooted sense of justice, continues to inspire those around her. With every step forward, she ensures that the voices of the underserved are heard — loud and clear.