‘When we speak of equal opportunity, it’s not equal opportunity here for everyone.’

Juande Ragsdale Blevins gets things done. A 45-year-old publicist and community activist, she has done public relations for Hollywood entertainers, then introduced them to Southeast San Diego. Director of community affairs for a local health center and a columnist for a community newspaper, Blevins also masterminded an annual essay contest that has become an institution in Southeast. She was interviewed at her home in Southeast San Diego by Times staff writer Janny Scott and was photographed by staff photographer Dave Gatley.

I’m from Muskogee, Okla. I came to San Diego when I was a little girl about 7 years old, and we lived in Linda Vista. I come from a family of morticians. It’s the third generation of Ragsdales in the mortuary profession. My father was a carpenter and also a mortician. They came out first, I guess, because they thought the gold was shining out here on the streets of California.

When I was in high school, I was in an oratorical contest, and I won in my division. But when it came time to go to Sacramento, I was unable to go because the Daughters of the American Revolution were the sponsors and I was black. I said one day I was going to have a contest of my own, and it was going to refer to black people.

And that’s what I did.

When I came to do PR for the Comprehensive Health Center, I saw a chance. I knew that Black History Month was coming up pretty soon. I went to the board of education, and I told them what my plans were. I wanted the theme of it to be “What black history means to me.” It was open to youngsters from elementary, junior high, high school and college. I didn’t have any money, so I had to go out and get some sponsors. And I went out and got Budweiser, which is Coast Distributing Co. here in San Diego.

(The contest) started in 1983. I’ve always found an entertainer to come down, and entertainers come for free. In 1984, I had Norm Nixon, who’s now married to Debbie Allen; Myrlie Evers, the widow of Medgar Evers, and Bob McDonald, a comedian who travels with Gladys Knight and the Pips. Now, it’s got to the place where I’ve had almost 6,000 students participating. It has gone beyond my expectations.

This year I chaired the Martin Luther King annual parade here in San Diego. I am the one who was responsible for bringing to San Diego the Texas Southern University Marching Band-- 200-and-some students who marched here. At the last minute, we found out we didn’t have $60,000--that’s how much it cost to fly them out here. And I raised $60,000 in 24 hours. That was one of my biggest accomplishments in my life, to raise that amount of money in a matter of hours.

I’m the society editor for the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint. You know, if we want to know who got married in our neighborhood, you will not be able to find it in our daily white press. Because they’re not going to print it. We have our debutante balls and other things, just like whites do. Many times the only times we make the headlines is when there has been a robbery and whenever there has been a crime. There’s more in Southeast San Diego than just crimes. I think recognition has to be given to those who are doing something.

To the question, is San Diego racist, in some areas it still is. When we speak of equal opportunity, it’s not equal opportunity here for everyone. I think that here in America’s Finest City, it’s hidden a lot better. At least in Mississippi or Alabama you know your enemy and you know your limitations. Here, they paint it very well and they cover it up. When they say this is Southern California, they definitely mean Southern California.

I would like to see Southeast San Diego become self-sustaining. I know that’s difficult to do, the way that things are going now with economics. The community and the residents are interested, but I’d like to have some of the lending institutions show a little more interest.

You know, they come around when there are fund-raisers. But someone willing to take a chance and say, “Hey, let me see what we can do here.” We have our physicians and our attorneys and our judges here. We have some who live right here in the ghetto. They’re role models, but I’d like to see other people willing to take a chance.