A large crowd of Riversiders, city officials, community leaders, friends, family and mentees packed council chambers Aug. 25, filling every seat while others who couldn't fit inside waited nearby, as the council proclaimed the day in honor of Adrian Dell Roberts.
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson opened the recognition by thanking resident Mary Welch for suggesting the tribute and told the crowd the council was "really pleased to recognize Dell for his service to our community and also proclaim this day in his honor." The Raincross Gazette previously reported on the city's plans to honor Roberts for his 90th birthday.
Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, who represents Ward 2, said she had never seen a line wrapped around City Hall for someone's birthday celebration. "It's a testament to the community that you have touched here in Riverside," Cervantes said. "We could celebrate you today and that your name will be on the building for the Dell Roberts Gymnasium that is coming to East Side."
Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medina, who met Roberts more than 30 years ago as a new teacher at Poly High School, also spoke, calling him a lifelong friend and mentor. "The history of Riverside and the history of Dell Roberts are so much interwoven," Medina said. "You can't talk about the history of Riverside without talking about the history of Dell Roberts."
Police Chief Larry V. Gonzalez credited Roberts with helping build trust between the department and the community over decades. "The theme with Dell Roberts is the same words over and over: community leader," Gonzalez said. "He's a leader, he's a coach, a mentor, and to most of us in here, a friend."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents the county's Second District, sent a recorded video message congratulating Roberts, recalling that he took her and other Black Student Union members on their first trip to Sacramento when she was a student at Poly High School.
Mayor Lock Dawson then read the city's proclamation. According to the proclamation, Roberts graduated from Poly High School in 1955, where he competed in swimming, football and track. He began his career at Butcher Boy Foods before joining the City of Riverside Parks and Recreation Department at Lincoln Park, launching decades of work with the city's youth. He has held leadership roles with the Riverside City College (RCC) Foundation Board, the Bordwell Park Advisory Committee, the Salvation Army, the Youth Service Center and the Riverside Police Chiefs Advisory Committee, and has directed community parades for Black History Month since 1980. The proclamation also recognized his wife, Carmen, and their four sons, Adrian, Glenn, Craig and Terrence.
"Now therefore," the proclamation states, the city "does hereby congratulate Adrian Dell Roberts on the celebration of his 90th birthday and express our deepest gratitude for his extraordinary lifetime of service."
Roberts, addressing the chambers, thanked his wife and the community. "I've been in Riverside 81 years and I came here when I was 9 years old," he said. "I can truthfully say, unlike some others, I've never wanted to be any other place. I love the city. I love the school system. I love everything about it."
