The Mickey Leland Center
Mickey Leland – A Legacy of Leadership & Advocacy
George Thomas “Mickey” Leland, born on November 27, 1944, in Lubbock, Texas, emerged as a trailblazer in civil rights and humanitarian efforts. Growing up in a predominantly African-American and Hispanic community, Leland experienced segregation firsthand, shaping his dedication to social justice and equity. After moving to Houston’s Fifth Ward, he excelled academically, graduating in the top 10% of his class from Phyllis Wheatley High School in 1964.
Leland’s legacy continues through his tireless advocacy for underserved communities, leadership in public service, and commitment to fighting global hunger and poverty.
Mickey Leland Center on Hunger, Poverty and World Peace
The mission of the Mickey Leland Center on Hunger, Poverty, and World Peace at Texas Southern University is to serve as a state and national resource for information on the problems of global hunger and peace. The center continues the work and adds several key variables that impact our global community health, resilience, and overall security, this focus is in line with the United Nations' focus on global poverty. The research and working groups of the center are formulated in order to realize the center's primary goals.
In 1973, TSU was designated by the Texas state legislature as a "special-purpose institution of higher education for urban programming.” The mission of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (SPA) at Texas Southern University is to serve as an urban-focused community of learning dedicated to educating professionals who will plan and administer environmental healthy and sustainable communities at the local, state, national and international levels of society.
Mickey Leland Center Workshops – Advancing Environmental Justice & Sustainability
The Mickey Leland Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability at Texas Southern University hosts collaborative workshops that unite faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community stakeholders across the Houston metropolitan area. These workshops tackle real-world environmental and social challenges, fostering practical solutions through strategic problem-solving.
Key workshop topics include environmental justice, sustainability integration, energy and environment, climate and food justice, disaster response, urban forestry, transportation equity, and social determinants of health—empowering participants to drive meaningful change in their communities.
