San Francisco State University College of Ethnic Studies
43rd Anniversary and Annual Program

2012 Exemplary Leadership Awards

The annual Exemplary Leadership Awards are given to individuals and organizations who embody the social justice values of the movements that gave birth to the College of Ethnic Studies, and who continue to serve our communities today.

Terry Collins; KPOO and SFSU Contributor

The Africana Studies Adwardee Mr. Terry Collins is honored for his many contributions to the community, but specifically now for his role at KPOO, a community radio, and his contributions to his alma mater San Francisco State University, specifically the College of Ethnic Studies.
Born in Lancing, Michigan, raised in Indiana and LA. Terry transferred from LA City College to San Francisco State College in 1967, and graduated in 1969 with a degree in “Social Sciences in Interdisciplinary Studies”. In the years between he was drafted and upon being discharged spent three years hitch hiking throughout Europe and Africa.
Terry matriculated from his college days as SFSU where he was a member of the BSU, to continued community activism. He was with the Fillmore Media Center on Sutter Street when in 1973 he joined the efforts to put KPOO on the air, whose mission is “Airwaves Belong to the People.” Says Terry, “The late Joe Rudolph and I wanted to have people on who had never had a program.” This included communities of diverse backgrounds, and foremost women and men of color. Terry’s program “The Spirit of Joe Rudolph” airs Tuesdays 10 PM to midnight.
Terry Collins also contributes to the College of Ethnic Studies. He is regularly seen on campus supporting the college’s archival work, along with Professors Dawn-Elisa Fischer (Africana Studies), Daniel Gonzales (Asian American Studies) and Jason Ferreira (Race and Resistance Studies) in the Power to the People Archive class. We benefit enormously from Terry’s involvement.