LARRY BAZA — Larry Baza was a lifelong advocate of the arts and served as chair of San Diego’s Commission for arts and culture, before being appointed to the California Arts Council in 2016. He also served on countless panels, boards and commissions, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Centro Cultural de la Raza, Chicano Federation of San Diego County, National Association of Latino Arts and culture, San Diego Community Foundation, Diversionary Theatre and most recently a trustee at the Museum of Us in Balboa Park.
But his zest for advocacy wasn’t focused solely on the arts, he was known as a champion for the Latino and LGBTQ+ communities, fighting for issues of equality and social justice. Larry joined the San Diego Pride Committee in 1989, and became co-chair along with Vertez Burks in 1992, marking the first time Pride was headed by two people of color.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Larry said “… We can’t forget what we are not a part of, what we’ve no access to and how much further we have yet to go.”