Compton presents key to the city to journalist Leslie Sykes
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Summary
The City of Compton onstage honored Leslie Sykes, a retired television news anchor, with a key to the city; officials and family praised her decades-long career and Compton roots during a ceremony that included community reflections and a keynote from Compton College leadership.
The City of Compton presented retired television news anchor Leslie Sykes with a key to the city during a public ceremony that brought together elected officials, family members and community leaders.
Mayor Emma Sharif praised Sykes’s decades in broadcast journalism and said the city was honoring “a legendary news anchor and journalist who proudly hails from the city of Compton.” Councilmember Deidra Dewhart said the Compton City Council had unanimously voted on 01/13/2026 to formally recognize Sykes for her career and lasting local impact.
Family members and longtime neighbors recounted childhood memories and community ties. Daphne Sykes, introduced as a judge and the honoree’s sister, described episodes from Leslie’s youth that she said illustrated the honoree’s tenacity and leadership. Mona Jones, a neighbor, recalled coaching and neighborhood activities that shaped Sykes’s early years.
Dr. Keith Curry, president of Compton College, linked the recognition to a broader community legacy and highlighted the Sykes family’s contributions to local education. A musical selection of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and a ballet performance by the Tomlin Dance Academy were part of the program.
In accepting the honor, Leslie Sykes said she felt a personal connection to the city that raised her. “I feel at home in my own story,” she said, describing Compton as the source of her values and the foundation for her work in television. She thanked neighbors, mentors and the city for the recognition.
The ceremony, held in conjunction with Black History Month programming, combined personal reminiscence with civic acknowledgments; city officials presented the key as a symbolic recognition of Sykes’s role in elevating Compton’s profile through journalism.
The city’s formal recognition and the community event concluded with applause and a presentation of the key; no policy actions or expenditures were announced at the ceremony.
