Leona Ford Washington
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Leona Ford Washington (1928 – August 5, 2007) was a community activist in Texas and founder of the McCall Neighborhood Center in El Paso. She taught for 39 years in the El Paso Independent School District.[1] Washington composed the song, "The City of El Paso," which was adopted as the city's official song in the 1980s.[2]
Washington was born in El Paso, Texas.[1] She grew up in Segundo Barrio, and went to Prairie View A&M College (now Prairie View A&M University).[1] Washington taught for two years in Las Cruces, before she returned to El Paso where she started teaching at the "segregated Douglass School."[1]
In 1983, Washington founded the McCall Neighborhood Center and served as the first executive director of the facility which served both African American and Mexican American communities in El Paso.[1] Washington took over The Southwest Torch Newspaper, renaming it The Good Neighbor Interpreter.[3] The Good Neighbor provided residents of El Paso news about the black community.[1]