Rochelle Branch

City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division Manager

Councilmember John J. Kennedy was a friend, colleague and councilmember of the district in which several generations of my family, including me, have lived. I will always be grateful for the positive impact that he made for District 3, the Pasadena community at large, and on a personal level for me. He shared his intellect, wit, spiritual and political insights with me about the issues he felt dear to him—, which I shared. I miss our friendship, our laughter and our travel plan chats. He was generous in his personal support for arts, culture and collaborated with me on ways to enhance and highlight some of the overlooked achievements of African Americans and others in Pasadena. Without his diligent pursuit of social justice in this community, many of those legacies would remain unknown to the public. I was so proud to assist his initiative that established a cultural monument at the former Parsons site to ensure that continued recognition of this history will live on to educate visitors, residents and