Malcolm X College to Name West Campus Community Center After Congressman Danny K. Davis (Chicago, IL) – Malcolm X College and City Colleges of Chicago will honor U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis on Friday by naming the new community center at Malcolm X College West Campus after the longtime congressman and education advocate.
The naming ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at Malcolm X College West Campus. The event is not open to the public. Malcolm X College will also present Davis with an award during the program.
The new community center is being named in recognition of Davis’ decades of support for City Colleges of Chicago, Malcolm X College and communities on Chicago’s West Side.
Davis has represented Illinois’ 7th Congressional District since 1997 and has helped secure millions of dollars for construction, campus renovations, childcare, technology labs and study abroad programs benefiting Malcolm X College students at both the main campus and its West Campus location.
“Malcolm X College is a premier community institution of higher learning, accessible and affordable to the community at large,” Davis said. “To be associated with this institution in any way is indeed a high honor, and to have my name placed on this training center is a supreme honor.”
“I have spent my career believing that education is one of the greatest pathways to opportunity, and I am especially proud of the investments we have made in students and families on the West Side and all over Chicago,” he added.
City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado said the naming recognizes Davis’ longstanding commitment to students and communities.
“Congressman Danny K. Davis has been a fierce champion for our students and communities for decades,” Salgado said. “His incredible work in securing millions of dollars for childcare, tech labs, and campus renovations shows his deep love for the West Side.”
Malcolm X College President David A. Sanders said Davis’ efforts have helped expand student opportunities and improve campus facilities.
“These critical investments in student opportunities and campus facilities were made possible through the dedicated efforts of Congressman Danny K. Davis, and we are deeply honored to name this beautiful new center after him,” Sanders said.
The new community center is part of a $17.5 million investment expanding Malcolm X College West Campus, formerly known as the West Side Learning Center.
The project adds approximately 3,000 square feet of training and learning space and is intended to benefit students as well as residents of the surrounding Austin and Garfield Park neighborhoods. City Colleges officials said the expansion could increase the satellite campus’ capacity by 50%, allowing it to serve approximately 2,000 students each year.
The facility includes new recreational and meeting spaces designed to give students areas to connect and collaborate. Once operational, the community center will also be available to the public for meetings, business functions and special events.
The construction project is being overseen by the Public Building Commission of Chicago and is intended to bring additional college resources and public gathering space to West Side communities.
“Congressman Danny K. Davis is a living icon in our country and community,” said Barbara Meschino, dean of Malcolm X College West Campus. “He has spent his life opening doors for others especially expanding access to education and has transformed countless lives across Chicago’s West Side and beyond.”
The ceremony will bring together representatives from Malcolm X College and City Colleges of Chicago, elected officials and other Chicago leaders to recognize Davis’ public service and his contributions to education and the West Side.
Malcolm X College to Name West Campus Community Center After Congressman Danny K. Davis
