Sundiata Kata
In celebration of his 50th year at the Center, we will be honoring Sundiata Kata with the 2019 PATH Award – a distinguished and annual acknowledgement of our
Partners in
Achieving
Transformation and
Hope. The PATH Award recognizes supporters and partners to our organization who have made an outstanding impact, celebrating extraordinary contribution and transformative outcomes.
Sundiata grew up surrounded by love and music in Poindexter Village, one of the first public housing projects in Columbus, Ohio. As a child, pots and pans were Sundiata’s drums, and he sang with his mother, Virginia Williams, at home and in church. While attending Ohio State University, he took a job working at The Ohio Youth Commission and his love and passion for working with troubled youth began.
Sundiata moved west in 1969 and since then has called San Diego home. That same year, he interviewed with George L. Horn, the CEO of the San Diego Children’s Home, as it was called back then, and the rest is history. Music and art are the tools Sundiata brought to the San Diego Center for Children, where he has developed creative and therapeutic music programs to promote self-healing and mental wellness for thousands of our most troubled youth.
In 1977, Sundiata traveled to West Africa and was so moved by the arts and the music there, he started his studies in traditional West African drums when he returned home. Not long after, Sundiata started introducing drums while working with children. He quickly understood what a powerful tool drumming was – it helped children heal and thrive despite their experiences with abuse and mental health challenges.
Sundiata has established different programs at the San Diego Center for Children such as Pro Tools, Ukulele, Poetry, Drama, Health Rhythms, and Choir. All of these programs have introduced children at the Center to different tools to help them navigate their pain and to build self-reliance and confidence. Such confidence that the children have performed at many events with great success, demonstrating how the power of music can heal while bringing joy to themselves and others.
"Being able to make a difference in the lives of so many children here has been very rewarding for me. My greatest accomplishment has been developing a safe, loving and caring environment that provides opportunities for children to find their voice through music expression, poetry, and performance. I can't think of any award greater than being able to serve others by giving children and families hope in knowing that there are people who love and care about them." - Sundiata