Pan-Afrikanism and Feminism

There are numerous women in the African Diaspora who have worked for the liberation of Afrikans under the banner of Pan-Africanism. However, many are not highlighted within Pan-Afrikan History.

Pan-Africanism is an ideology and a movement that calls for global solidarity and cooperation among Africans in order to liberate themselves from racist oppression and (neo)colonial and imperialist domination. Africa holds a central place in Pan-Africanist thoughts and organizing. It is the ancestral land of Africans. The harnessing of the continent’s resources for the benefit of the people will serve as the basis for liberation. A Pan-Africanism of liberation should be based on the labouring classes as its principal constituency and, as such, must be an anti-capitalist, feminist, anti-imperialist and anti-racist movement. This article will focus on Pan-Africanist women from the African Diaspora.

Diaspora Pan-Africanist women have contributed to movement Pan-Africanism from its inception at the Henry Sylvester Williams-initiated Pan African Conference in 1900 in the city of London. According to the Haitian Pan-Africanist Benito Sylvain’s conference report, its principal goal was to “examine the situation facing the African race in every corner of the globe, to solemnly protest the unjust contempt and odious treatment which are still heaped upon the race everywhere.” This conference wanted to form an organization that would coordinate the worldwide struggle against the oppression of Africans and advance their interests. Sylvain’s historic report is available in Tony Martin’s book The Pan-African Connection: From Slavery to Garvey and Beyond. 

There were at least six African women (Anna H. Jones, Anna Julia Cooper, Fannie Barrier Williams and Ella D. Barrier from the United States, and a Mrs. Loudin and Ms. Adams from Ireland) among the fifty-one African delegates at the conference. These women were not simply observers at this international gathering. Anna Julia Cooper, an educator, a women’s club leader and anti-racist advocate, delivered a presentation entitled The Negro Problem in America. Her compatriot Anna H. Jones, a linguist, women’s club activist and educator, tackled the subject The Preservation of Racial Individuality. These women delegates were actively involved in social movements committed to transforming the oppressed condition of Africans. For example, Ella Barrier was an educator and an active participant in the Washington, D.C. Colored Women’s League.

The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was the foremost 20th century Pan-Africanist mass organization that mobilized Africans for the fight against colonialism and imperialism. Rhoda Reddock, a Caribbean-based academic and feminist, suggests in her article “The first Mrs Garvey” that the UNIA was “one of the most successful pan-Africanist organizations of all time and certainly the most internationalist.”

Garvey is universally celebrated as the founder of the UNIA. However, that perception is not accurate. Amy Ashwood Garvey was a co-founder of the group as she states in the document “The Birth of the Universal Negro Improvement Association,” (appended to Martin’s “The Pan-African Connection”). She was the founder of the UNIA’s internationally circulated newspaper The Negro World and served in other significant roles. She later participated in other Pan-Africanist organizations and initiatives such as the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist International African Service Bureau and involvement in organizing the Fifth Pan-African Congress.

As a feminist, Amy Ashwood centred the emancipation of African women as a major part of her politics. In the 1 April 1944 edition of the African-American publication New York Amsterdam News, she demonstrated her feminist and internationalist commitments: “There must be a revolution among women. They must realise their importance in the post-war world … Women of the world must unite.” At the October 1945 Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester, she objected to the marginalizing of African women: “very much has been written and spoken of the Negro, but for some reason very little has been said about the black woman – she has been shunted into the social background to be a child bearer – this has been principally her lot.”  Amy Ashwood also addressed the exploitative working condition of “The labouring class of women who work in the fields, take goods to the market, and so on” in Jamaica and the lack of solidarity from African men.

Amy Jacques Garvey, the second wife of Marcus Garvey, is adequately recognized for her contribution to Pan-Africanism. After the imprisonment of Garvey, she disseminated his Pan-Africanist ideas by editing and publishing his writings in the book The Philosophy and Opinion of Marcus Garvey. Her 1963 memoir Garvey and Garveyism exposed the thoughts and legacy of Garvey to the Black Power Movement. Keisha N. Blaine states that Jacques Garvey could legitimately be “be credited as co-creator of Garveyism” given her influence on Garvey’s thoughts and her intellectual input into his articles and speeches as someone who helped him in writing them.  

Jacques Garvey spread the ideals of Pan-Africanism across the world in her position as editor and columnist of The Negro World and creator of “Our Women and What They Think” – a page dedicated to politically educating women. Jacques Garvey was a liberal or bourgeois feminist. Her 25 October 1925 column Women As Leaders, approvingly highlighted the emerging gender “equality”: “No line of endeavor remains closed for long to the modern woman. She agitates for equal opportunities and gets them; she makes good on the job and gains the respect of men who heretofore opposed her. She prefers to be a bread- winner than a half-starved wife at home.”

Jacques Garvey’s article “Listen Women” in The Negro World on 9 April 1927 elevated bourgeois white men’s perceived treatment of white women as the model of gendered relations between African women and men: “They have braved the tropical jungles, slain black men, in order to get gold and diamonds with which to adorn their women… build up a great republic, so that their women may live in comfort and luxury.” Obviously, white working-class women were not living such a lifestyle.

Claudia Jones was a Pan-Africanist, feminist, anti-imperialist and communist whose constituency was the working-class. During her American years, she had a more internationalist than Pan-Africanist focus, except for her articles on the Caribbean. On international questions, she opposed United States’ imperialism and exploitation in the global South and its military aggression and threat to world peace. In her work as a communist organizer, educator and journalist, she placed the triple oppression of working-class African women at the heart of her theoretical work as evidenced in We Seek Full Equality for Women and An End to the Problems of the Negro Woman.
Jones’ Pan-Africanist commitment intensified after her politically-motivated deportation to Britain. Jones created the West Indian Gazette as an instrument to resist racist and class exploitation of Africans in Britain. The newspaper was also used to expose imperialism in Africa and the Caribbean as well as elsewhere in the global South. The West Indian Gazette positively covered the Cuban Revolution, exposed the criminal activities of apartheid in South Africa, covered the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo and advocated for decolonization in the British Empire. Carole Boyce Davies brought to light in Left of Karl Marx, a political study of Claudia Jones, that she “influenced pan-Africanists – such as Nkrumah – from the standpoint of bringing Marxist-Leninist views to bear on their pan-Africanist thinking.”

In conclusion, there are numerous women in the African Diaspora who have worked and/or working for the liberation of Africans under the banner of Pan-Africanism. They must be rescued from political obscurity. There is a need to elevate the Pan-Africanist work of Diaspora women in countries whose official languages are Spanish, French, Portuguese and Dutch. When Pan-Africanist women are placed in a position to express their needs at the strategic, operational and ideological levels of the liberation project, they are going to consummate the union of feminism and Pan-Africanism.

In order for Pan-Africanism to serve as a revolutionary ideology and movement, it must centre the emancipation needs of African women by way of a firm embrace of feminism. It would have to be an ideological stream of feminism that is opposed to imperialism, capitalism, racism, heterosexism/homophobia and other forms of oppression. Liberal or bourgeois feminism is an enemy of working-class African women. Claudia Jones’ intersectional and revolutionary feminism is a good starting point for the marriage of feminism and Pan-Africanism.

UCSD: Self-Care Tips in 2020

UCSD: Self-Care Tips in 2020

Online learning, social justice issues, and a developing virus have all contributed to social,

psychological and physical stressors in 2020. For me, I found it difficult to set time aside for

self-care. I believe it is vital to take care of your mind, body and soul in times where you feel like

you are overwhelmed or exhausted. Listed below are three key ways to integrate self-care into

your schedule.

1. Exercise

Exercise is the “go-to” to feel good physically, but studies show that is great for your

mental health, reducing stress and anxiety! It may be hard to go to the gym everyday with

a busy schedule, but there are many other ways to keep yourself active at home and in

your neighborhood. Some examples include going for a walk, yoga, or dancing. If you

want to workout without leaving the comfort of your home, you can follow hundreds of

workout videos on Youtube that fit to your strength/liking. However you decide to move,

it is a great habit to incorporate into your self-care routine.

2. Organization

Organization is vital because it allows you to have a plan in your schedule to make life go

a little smoother. Ways that you can stay organized include writing in a planner, cleaning

up your workspace and living area, adding to your Google Calendar, and making to-do

lists. Overall, planning out your day or week can reduce stress because you have a

timeline of what you need to do and when it needs to be accomplished. Organization

allows you to take a glance at what you need to do in a day in order to achieve your

goals/work.

3. Sleep & Rest

The amount of rest you get each night can have a huge impact on your health and the day

you have ahead. With the organization methods listed above, you can also plan out your

nightly routine and when you want to get your rest. Some ways you can wind down your

night are to practice your skin-care routine, utilize some forms of meditation/prayer, or

taking a shower. On top of that, make sure you are cautious on what you are eating and

drinking as you wind down your day. It is important to stay away from caffeine and sugar

that will keep you up once you finish your night routine.

Remember to reserve times out of your week to better your self-care. No matter how long your

self-care routine is, your mind and body will greatly appreciate it. The more you incorporate time

away from your busy schedule, the more you will feel less stressed and grow through your

work/life.

Kennedy Cofield, Ourstorian

University of California, San Diego

Pan-Africanism is the Answer

Pan-Africanism is the Answer

“It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems, and that this can only be found in African unity. Divided we are; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.”

- Kwame Nkrumah

Pan-Africanism must be our aim, goal, intention, purpose, and objective. It is the guiding principle to which we as African people are to abide by if we are to ever see freedom. Pan-Africanism is defined as the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism. A thorough study of history will bring forth the “African solutions” we need to solve the many problems that plague us as a colonized and exploited people. In Ancestor Kwame Ture’s speech entitled ​Pan-Africanism,​ given at Morehouse College in 1970, he says, “We are divided fighting ourselves merely because we don’t know where we’re going or what we want.” This division is a direct result of our neglect to study. Now, to be clear, this is not to disparage any of our people. It is the job of those who study to impart upon our people the importance of study. We must understand that we cannot call ourselves Pan-Africanists if we do not study. In fact, Kwame Ture himself once said in a different lecture: “In order to be a Pan-Africanist, one must study!” As Africans, it is our responsibility to study our people, our history, and our conditions with the intention to utilize the knowledge gained from study to advance the interests of the masses of our people.

I am a Pan-Africanist, which means it is both my belief and my stance that Pan-Africanism is the only answer to the organization, salvation, and ultimate liberation of all African people. I will live and die by the principles of Pan-Africanism, devoting my life to teaching our people what Pan-Africanism is, why it is the answer, and how to go about implementing it in our daily lives in order to change our condition. The principles of our ideology are quite simple: capitalism is the enemy’s economic system and socialism is the economic system we need; our movement must have a bottom → up mass character, meaning we do not gain progress if the masses do not gain progress; and finally, all African people belong to our African nation. With these basic principles, we can build up the organizations and institutions we need to advance our interests and change our conditions.

The Pan-African Congress is a critical period of our radical organizing history that needs to be studied thoroughly. George Padmore, a pioneer of Pan-Africanism, wrote a brilliant declaration that was delivered at the Fifth Pan-African Congress, held in 1945 in London. The document, entitled “Declaration to the Colonial Workers, Farmers, and Intellectuals”, is one of the most important documents in our history. He writes, “All colonies must be free from foreign imperialist control, whether political or economic... The Fifth Pan-African Congress therefore calls on the workers and farmers of the Colonies to organise effectively. Colonial workers must be in the front of the battle against Imperialism... Today there is only one road to effective action - the organisation of the masses.”

May we follow the brilliant teachings of our Ancestors in our fight to organize and free our people, with Pan-Africanism as the weapon we wield!

Africa will be Free!

Makonnen Tendaji, ABC Political Education Director

UCM: Connecting Our African + African-American Brothers & Sisters

October 11, 2020

Connecting Our African + African-American Brothers & Sisters

The painful destruction of African families and tribes due to colonization is one that had irreparable effects on the Black community leading to generations of kids not having the privilege every other racial group did, knowing their history. Slavery was the colonizer’s history. Their shameful, bloody takeover of the land from the Native Americans was led by enslaving beautifully melanated Africans and forcing them to do slave labor. Even after years of attempts to liberate ourselves from the chains and whips, we still face brutality in a land forced onto us. Acknowledging that African-Americans were stripped of knowing their real identity and ancestry, Africans can trace the country from where their families stayed from going generations back. We are all seen and treated the same but, we all have different stories and backgrounds. Learning to accept and embrace each other while respecting that some of our brothers & sisters were robbed of learning their true history is the key to building relationships and uniting for the strengthening of our communities to become one, as we always have and will be.

Azameet G

Communications Director, UC Merced

UCSD: Colonization and Its Current Impact on Africans: More Specifically, the Congo

Colonization and Its Current Impact on Africans - More specifically the Congo

col·o·ni·za·tion

/kälənəˈzāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.
"Africa boasts a tradition of higher education institutions that predate Western colonization"

  • The action of appropriating a place or domain for one's own use.
    "the complete colonization of television entertainment by reality shows"

Colonization ... something we are all familiar with. Another reason why some people in America have decided to honor “Indigenous People’s Day” instead of “Columbus Day”, to pay respect to the originators of the land Columbus claimed to discover.

Unfortunately, us Americans are not the only ones with a history of colonization, as many countries around the world have been negatively affected as well. Right now, let us focus on the colonization of countries in Africa and the impact of that colonization currently. More specifically, let us focus on the Congo -- a country in Central Africa -- that has been greatly affected by colonization.

In the 1800s, King Leopold II of Belgium colonized the Congo. His motivation was of course the profit and power he would gain by doing so (​Mudane​). Fortunately, the Congo achieved independence from Belgium on 30 June 1960 under the name Republic of the Congo (​Wikipedia​). However, it was extremely sudden, so one can only imagine how hard it would be to transition to a stable lifestyle due to all of the policies and processes the colonizers forced in place. Since the Congolese people were not ready to self-rule due to this hasty decolonization, they struggled with creating their own policies that kept domestic life stable. This is because they had no idea what it was like to hold government positions nor make government decisions due to the lack of access (if any) Belgium gave them to those “higher positions”. This “chaos” then “led to civil wars and political corruption that then brought in the engagement of the United States and the UN” (​Caldwell). That is just one example of the many ways the Congo and other similar countries have been affected by colonization -- even after gaining independence.

To further bring awareness to what is going on in the Congo, please feel free to tune in to “Congo Week” (​10/18-24/2020)​ where you can learn more about the Congolese culture and their contributions to the world. This information can be found on our instagram (​@ucsdbsu​), the

ABC’s instagram (​@afrikanblackcoalition​), and the official congoweek website at congoweek.org, where we are all Breaking the Silence on Africa's Best Kept Secret.

Sources:

  • https://www.google.com/search?q=colonization&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS816US816&oq=coloniz ation&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j35i39j69i59j0l5.5152j1j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

  • https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318658871_Examination_of_the_Impact_of_C olonialism_in_Cong

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#:~:text=Congo%20achiev ed%20independence%20from%20Belgium,name%20Republic%20of%20the%20Congo.&text= Conflict%20arose%20over%20the%20administration,South%20Kasai%20attempted%20to%2 0secede​.

  • https://medium.com/@megancaldwell62/the-effects-of-colonization-how-it-happened-and-h ow-it-still-continues-b463350d1ac5

Jaida Day

Communications Director, UC San Diego

UCM: The California Infernos

The California Infernos

The deadly wildfires ravaging through communities across California have caused terrible air quality within Northern California. These fires brought upon by everlasting climate changing, have been affecting other states such as Oregon, Washington, and even Montana. These wildfires are nothing new to Californians, especially NorCal folks because we’ve seen what happened in Paradise, CA. We saw the families fleeing their homes, many of which never to be walked inside with the same foundation ever again. Schools were shut down due to the poor AQI temporarily until the smoke and ash subsided. The two things that make these fires worse than Fall/ Winter 2018 are the number of acres being burned and the fact that this is all going down in the middle of a pandemic. Our masks that are supposed to keep us safe from the coronavirus aren’t very well suited for wildfire smoke too. Californians are being pushed beyond what anyone should have to go through on a regular basis. Going outdoors during this time was already so difficult, now it's almost impossible to go out without having something toxic in your system when you get back in the house. Please stay safe out there and if you’re in California, stay inside as much as possible.

#BlackoutCalStateLA Labor and Resource Refusal/Boycott Demands

August 13, 2020

#BlackoutCalStateLA Labor and Resource Refusal/Boycott
Demands to Make Black Lives Matter and Build a #Freedom Campus at Cal State LA

We, the undersigned, refuse to accept the continuation of anti-Blackness and the complete disregard for Black faculty decision-making and expertise at Cal State Los Angeles. There is a long documented pattern of anti-Blackness on campus that has created a hostile environment for Black students, faculty, staff, and community members. Many Black people and others at Cal State LA have lost confidence in the University leadership’s professed commitment to racial justice, equity, and inclusion. The current national tragedies of institutional anti-Blackness and state-sanctioned violence are not isolated from this institution, even though administrators have done little to address their manifestation on campus.

Instead of the boldness shown by some universities who are owning up to the systemic biases at their institutions, we have experienced disregard, delay tactics, empty platitudes, and rhetoric. This University must not only reflect on its success, but also its failures. Touting the “success” of launching the second College of Ethnic Studies while denying Black faculty, staff, and students equal treatment, and the benefit of a welcoming campus is a travesty. We will no longer allow the selling of this false narrative.

During this #BlackLivesMatter movement-moment of national uprisings against racial injustice and state-sanctioned violence, we call upon Cal State LA to take immediate, concrete steps to eradicate all expressions of anti-Blackness on campus. Administrators must end the practices that have allowed institutionalized racism to flourish—overtly and covertly—in the day-to-day operations of the University. There are several recent examples of anti-Blackness on campus that we will highlight here: See Full Demands Here.

UCSD: What is Black August?

August 9, 2020

What is Black August?

Another Black History Month? Juneteenth, but longer?? Another celebration??? I know … I was curious too.

As someone who has heard about Black History Month their entire life and just recently started appreciating and celebrating Juneteenth, I am open to learning about “Black August” and more ways I can appreciate my Blackness. After reading Harmeet Kaur’s article on CNN’s website, I learned that Black August stems from the actions of activist George Jackson who was accused of stealing $70 and was facing a year-to-life sentence. On August 21, 1971, Jackson was killed for trying to escape prison along with a few other prisoners. Following their deaths, a group of incarcerated people created this month to commemorate Jackson and other prisoners’ deaths.

Coincidentally, there were also other state-wide events that fell under the idea of Black resistance during that month, further enforcing the importance of August 1971. Some of those events consist of “Nat Turner's Rebellion, the March on Washington, and the Watts Rebellion in Los Angeles” (Kaur, CNN). Due to these events, August has become Black August to not focus on celebrating Black culture like Black History Month does but to focus on studying Black resistance and educating our people on activists who supported Black liberation.

Here is a list of some activists from the 1970s who support(ed) Black resistance, some widely known and some not: George Jackson, Nat Turner, Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Assata Shakur, Zayd Shakur, Sundiata Acoli, and so many others. There are also many activists who support(ed) Black resistance after the 1970s up to today. Acknowledging the hard work and sacrifices these activists made and learning about them helps us analyze the blueprint that has been left for us to help us figure out what needs to be done today to create systemic change.

For more information on Black August, the Afrikan Black Coalition (ABC) posted an informative video on youtube facilitated by Political Education Director, Makonnen Tendaji, giving a brief discussion on the history and significance of Black August.

Lastly, you can watch a movie called “Black August” on YouTube that “covers the last 14 months of George Jackson's life as well as the conditions in California's prison industrial complex.”

Jaida Day, Communications Director

UC San Diego

View Article #1 and Article #2 used to support this piece.

CSULB: It's Black August!

August 9, 2020

When we think of the month of August many think of Back to School, but during this time of the unheard of Black/African American voices it is time that we center this month not only about Back to School but also acknowledge the importance of Black August and its significance to many of us.

For those who don’t know the history of Black August, it honors Freedom Fighters such as, Jonathan Jackson, George Jackson, William Christmas, James McClain, and Khatari Gaulden, who all were imprisoned and became victims of the penal system. Although Black August originated from the prisons in California it soon became known and practiced among many Black organizations around the nation.

However, Black August is not essentially pivot around George Jackson and others but embraces history taking place in the month of August. According to President Isaiah Phillips of the Black Student Union at Long Beach State he believes,  “Black August represents the divine strength and will our people have. From George and Jonathan Jackson, Marcus Garvey, Nat Turner to even the Watts Rebellion it shows the everlasting fight our people have against the enemy we have.” 

While looking at the month of August there are many significance. For example, on August 2, 1850 the Underground Railroad was created, in August 1965 the Watts rebellions took place. Influential individuals such as Nat Turner, led a slave rebellion that started on August 21, 1831, and Pan-Africanist Leader Marcus Garvey was born on August 17,18877.  

As we start to make the voices of Black/African Americans be heard and make aware of the culture it is important that we continue to educate and recondition ourselves during these times. Professor Dr. Keith Claybrook of Africana Studies at Long Beach State states, “Black August is a focused time to study and honor past struggles for freedom and freedom fighters. In addition, it is a time for re-energizing and re-committing to our continued struggle for freedom.” We must use this time to educate ourselves, acknowledge those who fought for our freedom, and continue to share our history. We must maintain and not create this as a moment in life but a tradition.

Kyla Johnson, Communications Director

CSU Long Beach

UCM: Black August

August 9, 2020

Black August was coined to bring attention to the wrongful death & imprisonment of George Jackson, an inmate and prisoner’s rights activist. He was given a year to life prison sentence based on a false accusation of stealing $70 in the 1960s. There were many other riots erupting across America at this time calling out injustices targeted at the African-American community. One of the most memorable that occurred was the Watts Rebellion or the Watts Uprising. This riot aimed to end police harassment and discrimination in many sectors of their lives. This led to the National Guard arriving, 34 deaths, over a thousand injured, and a five-day war in Los Angeles. Based on the news today, we can see that we aren’t treated any better, we are merely taught to believe we are being treated better.

Assata Shakur, the godmother to the famous rapper Tupac and prime figure in the 1970’s Black Liberation Party, similarly went through the same experience as George Jackson. Assata Shakur had been accused of murdering a New Jersey state trooper during a shootout on the New Jersey turnpike. Rather than rot in prison for a crime she knew she would be convicted with regardless of evidence due to being a black woman in the ’60s, she decided to escape to Cuba and fled as soon as possible. Assata and many other activists are the reason black liberation has been paved for the rest of us. UC Merced’s BSU will be incorporating her autobiography Assata: An Autobiography as well as the novels of many other activists in our book club coming to our members this fall because the fight for our liberation should be celebrated every month in an enriching way.

Azameet Gebremariam, Communications Director

UC Merced

UCSB: Black August

August 9, 2020

Everyone was talking about Juneteenth 2 months ago. Everyone was also retweeting #BlackLivesMatter and protesting. Now that it’s August, what have you seen? It’s very noticeable that for a lot of people, Black Lives Matter went away and wasn’t a concern anymore. Now that it’s Black August and we have something to celebrate instead of a negative incident to hashtag, the care and support have come to a halt. I for one was very disappointed with myself for only hearing about Black August a week ago for the first time. As I have done my research to write this, I have found that Black August is the celebration of freedom fighters.

Black August started in the 1970s, when George Jackson, an author and Black Panther in prison, was assassinated by guards in the middle of a prison rebellion in California. George Jackson had served ten years of his sentence for stealing $70 from a gas station and was in solitary for seven and a half years. Jackson as well as Fleeta Drumgo and John Cutchette were all charged with the murder of John Mills, a white prison guard in January 1970. They allegedly killed him in response to three Black prisoners being shot in a prison fight three days before by a different officer named Opie G. Miller after no warning shots were fired from a guard tower. Jackson, Drumo, and Cutchette were later called the Soledad Brothers. 

The unfolding of these events caused an uproar and gave even more power to the Black Panther movement, as the Soledad Brothers fought for the movement even behind bars. Black August is to give praise to those who risked their lives while fighting for freedom for Black people in America. The term “political prisoner” was also used to identify the freedom fighters who were imprisoned, meaning that they were incarcerated due to criticizing the government for their imprisonment. Black August is to celebrate and remind us that power is with the people and that when we stay up, the government will be exposed for who they truly are when they try to silence us.

Haeli Ross, Communications Director

UC Santa Barbara

UCSB: Growing up with Online Academic Success (OAS)

July 12, 2020

No one is having fun taking summer classes while in quarantine. Depending on what your home life is it can’t be that fun. Some people had to go from having tons of space in their dorm room to going back home to not even space to open their textbooks and laptop on the same table. This is a hard time for an enormous amount of students, but especially to the Black students who suffer from low income. If you are looking for ways to beat around the bush and still succeed through classes you can do so by following some of these steps to growing up with OAS (online academic success).

First and foremost, using your school’s library resources can be a big help in finding the materials you will need while being at a distance from your campus. Some campuses have downloadable textbooks from the campus library or a list of sites to go to to get them for free! Secondly is to try and find a new hobby to keep you relaxed and occupied. Everything is closed so you might as well find a way to make it work if you can! Being consumed by schoolwork is not fun. Finding something else to help pass the time can relieve stress, anger, and help you focus. Third, is using a planner to help organize your work. Sometimes it's easier to see all you need to get done on a planner. Plus you can decorate with stickers! Check out Michaels.com or target to find the one that works for you. Fourth, a study location different from what is in your comfort zone can help your focus just like finding a new hobby can, but it all depends on what helps you. Fifth, creating a study group or joining can improve your communication skills with your classmates. You are not alone if online learning is new and everyone needs a helping hand in this tough time. Check your school's social media pages to find chats or use GroupMe.

Remember that you are not alone! This is new ground for all of us, but even the toughest seeds can break through the dirt. Plenty of professors and teachers are trying to be understanding and more lenient to students due to all the transitions and political horrors that have been happening and taking a toll on students, Black students in particular. It can take a toll on many of us and if the world won’t come to our aid, we have to come to it ourselves.

Haeli Ross, Communications Director

UC Santa Barbara

CSULB: The Actions for Black Students Without Their Voices

July 12, 2020

LONG BEACH—As mass protests captured the attention around the nation due to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and many brothers and sisters we lost due to bigotry and chauvinism. This is a call to end anti-Blackness and police violence, but to further recognize the significance of Black lives, and to grasp the attention of systemic racism in America; especially held at California State University, Long Beach.

Although President Conoley, president of California State University, Long Beach, acknowledged the movement and sought to provide a scholarship under the names of George Floyd and recent names that were killed under racism towards black individuals. The university issued out an email to all alumni and friends asking for donations and mention that CSULB’s Black Student Union supports this “academic scholarship”; however the university lacked to incorporate BSU’s remarks about the scholarship and failed to assemble an accessible meeting with the university’s Vice President of Student Affairs. We as, Black Student Union here at Long Beach understand that scholarships under the US Department of Education in the Education and  Title VI states, “ No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The scholarship states this is, “for students whose studies are focused on racial and social justice, as well as “Intern Scholarships” for students working with community organizations dedicated to the pursuit of social justice and to building local power.” While following the language of the scholarship it shows the vagueness and proves that the scholarship may be for everyone and will not fulfill its significance and the reasons it was made for.

In addition, the university swiftly created a scholarship to present their contributions to the Black community just like other organizations and businesses, yet the university failed to address the low enrollment and retention of Black students at California State University, Long Beach. When compared to the Latino/Hispanic and White student population on campus Black students have a disadvantage of representation and succeed at the institution. The university’s Black Student Union plan to discuss this disadvantage and demands with the university’s administration in the upcoming weeks.

KYLA JOHNSON, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

CSU Long Beach

UCSD: The Adversity in “Diversity”

July 12, 2020

Being a young Black woman majoring in Math-CS at a PAI, I have seen the word diversity be claimed all around campus. And yes … it is true. You can find support and communities for almost anything on campus: having a disability, being a minority, being a first-generation student, etc. However, even with all of the given resources, I still struggle with finding a community where we can all relate to what it is like to be a young Black woman with a computer science (CS) major/interest.

I want to talk about something we (Black individuals) have unfortunately probably already experienced, and something that really hit a soft spot for me recently. I won’t get too into the details, but I experienced a moment where I was mistaken for another student who is socially identified as Black by a professional. Although occurrences like this are common, this one, in particular, had a greater effect on me because of the protests occurring that are focused on advocating for the Black lives that are continuously taken away by police officers backed by the US government.

Regardless of the circumstances, this experience made me realize that although there is growing diversity in institutions, industries, schools, etc., there is still a great lack of understanding and self-reflection when it comes to the stereotypes and unconscious biases people have against other races and cultures. Not saying being offensive was the intention of the professional, but it is possible that their unconscious bias led them to think that there could not be more than one Black woman pursuing CS because of the current lack of representation. So, the one they saw at the moment had to be the same one from last time.

An example I can give is my university, University of California-San Diego, claiming to be diverse. In some aspects they are, but they still have flaws in certain areas --  more specifically, areas that affect Black students at UCSD, Black students who are CS majors at UCSD, and Black students who are CS majors at UCSD and also women. Below is a breakdown from UCSD’s Student Profile of the ethnicity demographic in UCSD’s undergraduate population during the 2019-2020 school year:

    • Asian: 36% (11,095)

    • White: 19.2% (5,902)

    • ChicanX/LatinX: 21.1% (6,513)

    • African American: 2.8% (872)

    • Native American: 0.4% (119)

I was unable to get every percentage of Black undergraduates who are CS majors, due to the lack of access and the plethora of majors that fall under computer science. However, I was able to retrieve some statistics, given from the head of staff in UCSD’s Jacobs School, on the number of computer science & engineering (CSE) majors: In the academic year 2019-2020 there were 1,933 students enrolled in CSE majors, and fewer than 10 of them were Black women. So, Black undergraduate students who are women make up at least .5 percent of CSE majors, and that is rounding up.

My point in giving these statistics following my story is to prove that if there was more Black representation, encounters as mine would decrease in frequency. I join these organizations where people who look like me are not greatly represented not only because I am interested, but because I care about other young women like me, and have the time and energy to make sure these young Black women feel comfortable when they walk in the door of my organization. It is unfortunate that I have to put so much effort into something that is so clear to see, literally -- that being the lack of Black women in these organizations that support people in tech, but it is what needs to be done for us to progress at least a little bit.

Jaida Day, Communications Director 

UC San Diego

#FreeBrotherJosh

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Josh is up for parole in June of 2020. In order to strengthen his chances for release, he needs letters that attest to his character and the support he’ll have once he’s home. You can write a letter on your own addressed to the parole board that will be sent to Josh. Josh was one of the frontline soldiers during the Ferguson protests in 2014. In December, he was arrested for setting a fire outside a QuikTrip convenience store during a heated protest. It was put out before causing damage, but police investigated the incident, and two days later, as he was walking to a Christmas party, cops surrounded and arrested him. He spent nearly a year in jail before his trial. The following December, a judge sentenced Williams to eight years for arson. To this day, our Brother Josh is locked up for mobilizing and fighting for our People. He is 23 years old and has been incarcerated since he was 19.

Send letters to:

Joshua Williams #1292002

Missouri Eastern Correctional Center

18701 Old Highway 66

 

The Afrikan Black Coalition is hosting a Virtual Letter-Writing Event for Brother Josh Williams on Monday, June 8th.

RSVP for Event via community@ablackcoalition.org.

 

For Immediate Press Release: Say Their Names

June 5, 2020

Say Their Names

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Nina Pop, Stephon Clark, Nia Wilson 

and the many more...

Greetings Afrikan People,

As a coalition of Afrikan/Black people and Black Student Unions across the state of California, we are in community with our people in this state and across the nation, who once again find ourselves fighting in defense of Black life. Defending Black life from a global virus, a pandemic which disproportionately impacts our communities. Defending Black life from white supremacists, who are sanctioned by the state to hunt Black people. Defending Black life from home invasions by the state and subsequent executions in front of loved ones. Defending Black life from the state terror agencies who are enabled and continuously funded to murder. 

As a coalition in defense of Afrikan/Black life, our approaches to liberation have included teaching, giving, studying, donating, and organizing. We have a rigorous political education program for coalition members who are expected to study the movements and histories of our People. Our community programs have partnered monthly with organizations such as Muhammed University of Islam, Los Angeles to distribute food and material resources directly to the people in our communities. We have made a long term commitment to serve our people and have joined our respective organizations and this very coalition to that end. 

The state-sanctioned violence inflicted upon Afrikan/Black people is not only a domestic issue. This affects all Afrikan/Black people globally. In Brazil, home to the largest population of Afrikan people outside of the continent, Afrikan/Black people continue to be murdered by the anti-Black police state. We, too, say their names- Marielle Franco and João Pedro Matos Pinto. 

The vision of ABC is to ensure Afrikan/Black people around the world are equipped to build sustainable infrastructures to advance the interests of Afrikan/Black people on a local, regional, and national level. Which means we are active participants in our own liberation, and we value the essence of independence and self-determination.

We urge all Afrikan/Black people to seek out opportunities for dialogue, community coalition-building, and mobilization on the broader impact of racial inequities. For the Afrikan/Black people who may feel at a loss for further words and want to take action in the current moment, we call on you to study, donate and join an organization to serve. 

Here is a list of funds and organizations in need of donations to continue their work:

  1. Afrikan Black Coalition 

  2. Anti Police-Terror Project

  3. Black Earth Farms 

  4. Black Visions Collective 

  5. National Bail Out Funds 

Here you will find a list of suggested reading:  

  1. Prison Abolition Reading List

  2. Prison Industrial Complex

  3. Assata

  4. Black History Month Reading List

Here you will find a non-exhaustive list of organizations currently in the fight for Afrikan people and in defense of Black life throughout the state of California:

  1. Anti Police-Terror Project

  2. Black Lives Matter  Los Angeles

  3. Los Angeles Black Worker Center 

  4. Afrikan Black Coalition 

    1. Open Positions 

      1. Black Student Programs (Student Engagement) 

        1. Black Student Coordinator 

        2. NorCal Field Organizer 

        3. Alumni Relations Officer

      2. Communications Bureau (Newspaper, Public Relations & Marketing)

        1. Chief of Staff 

        2. Writers (with an emphasis/expertise in Grassroots Organizing, Pan-Africanism, Black Nationalism, Colonialism, etc.)  

      3. Black Community Programs (Community Engagement) 

        1. Survival Programs Officer 

        2. Community Engagement Officer 

        3. Student Campaign Organizer

        4. Community Campaign Organizer

*Please submit a cover letter and resume to oed@ablackcoalition.org. Please include information:

  • Why you want to serve with the Afrikan Black Coalition

  • Position(s) interest and why

  • Relevant experience & skillset

  • Any additional helpful information 

“You have to counter a system with a system, an organization with an organization, not simply individuals full of goodwill, good sentiments, honesty, courage, and generosity.”

 - Thomas Sankara.

*It is important to remember new resources including petitions, places to donate, and specific actions needed are being added every day so, if you have the ability to, please continue doing research on how to support the community even outside this resource sheet.*

Peace & Black Power, 

Nia Hall, M.A.Ed.

Communications Director

Afrikan Black Coalition 

afrikanblackcoalition.org

Afrikan Black Coalition Supports Black Los Angeles Demands

April 16, 2020

Black people are dying at two-three times our population share from COVID-19. In Los Angeles County, the rate of Black death is twice our population share, with Black people constituting 9% of the County population, but 17% of the COVID-19 deaths. With nearly 900,000 Black residents in the County and 403,000 Black residents in the City (the eighth highest number of any city in the United States), what happens in Los Angeles has serious national implications. While several initiatives have been launched nationally, state-wide and locally, none speak to the particular needs of the Black community. The disproportionate and deadly impact of COVID-19 on the Black community magnifies what we have known, that “underlying conditions” result from an enduring system of racial apartheid and oppression. Interlocking economic, political, and social injustices collide with long-standing patterns of medical racism to make COVID-19 a Black issue that demands a response specific to the needs of the Black community.  

The demands were developed by a coalition of more than 50 Black Los Angeles-based community leaders. Included are both immediate demands meant for emergency implementation during the Coronavirus crisis, and long-term demands, necessary to eradicate the underlying conditions that are at the root of the disproportionate impact of the public health crisis and economic fallout.  

The drafted demands respond to the urgency of the moment in light of the COVID-19 crisis and related fallout. To address the demands, a significant share of stimulus and public funding must be earmarked as grants for the Black community and ongoing program funding should be redirected from police and law enforcement budgets to provide resources that bring real public safety. While the list is substantial, it was written under severe time-constraints and is not meant to be exhaustive or inclusive of the total set of Black community needs. 

Immediate Demands:

Testing, Public Health, and Patient Rights

1.     Complete collection and release of Los Angeles County and California data on COVID-19 cases and deaths, with particular focus on areas with large Black populations.

2.     Universal access to non-invasive testing in Black communities throughout the County, especially South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Skid Row, Compton, and Inglewood.

3.     Any COVID-19-related testing or future vaccinations must be voluntary, not mandatory or conditional for employment, education, access to public resources, or any other economic, political, or social functioning.

4.     Prohibit sharing non-COVID-19-related medical information and required destruction of COVID-19-related medical records held by entities other than direct healthcare providers, including government and private parties, to preserve patient privacy rights.

5.     Collection of self-identified racial, gender, income, age, occupation, employment-status, geographic residency, and housing-status data at first point of medical contact.

6.     No forced removal of people from their homes under the guise of quarantine, or for any other reason.

7.     Allowance for a support partner and medical advocate of patient’s choosing during any procedure or treatment, and, if needed at time of death.

8.     On-demand, free medical care for Black residents of Los Angeles County during the COVID-19 crisis.

Education and Families

9.     Adoption of all Students Deserve education demands by Los Angeles Unified School District and all districts County-wide.

10.  Continuance of visitation and reunification programs (in distance-learning format as necessary) for parents with children under the authority of the Department of Children and Family Services, and freezing of reunification timelines.

Support for Black Workers and Small Business Owners

11.  Public contracting with Black-owned restaurants and stores for healthy food and supply delivery during the pandemic and beyond.

12.  Resources, not “enforcement,” for Black-owned businesses that have not been able to shut down during the crisis.

13.  Guaranteed, timely assistance filing for economic resources, including unemployment and small business loans and grants.

14.  Support for Black essential workers, especially those who are underpaid (including gig economy workers), by providing hazard pay, protective equipment, hotel rooms to mitigate the possibility of passing the virus to family members, and an ongoing livable wage and paid sick leave.

15.  Income supplement of $2000 per month per adult and $1000 per month per child for all Black residents for the duration of the pandemic and economic fallout.

 Public Safety

16.  Employ properly-equipped, non-violent, community care workers as neighborhood resources, instead of expanding patrols by funding police and law enforcement.

17.  Funding for neighborhood-based community care plans in Black communities throughout the County, especially South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Skid Row, Compton, and Inglewood.

18.  Moratorium on all non-violent arrests.

19.  Dismissal of all non-violent criminal warrants and citations.

Housing

20.  On-demand, safe housing and supportive resources for unsheltered people and those fleeing unsafe conditions in unused hotel and motel rooms and vacant housing units.

21.  Cancellation of rents and mortgages, and replacement of rental income to non-corporate Black property owners until the pandemic and economic fallout subsides.

22.  Stop all sweeps of houseless settlements and provide bathrooms, showers, hand washing stations, soap, water, laundry vouchers, dumpsters, vermin abatement, and cleaning supplies. 

Criminal Justice Reform

23.  Immediate release of all people who are pretrial, bail-eligible, elderly, youth, pregnant, infirmed, immuno-comprimised and those held on parole/probation violations or infractions/non-serious misdemeanors from jails or detention.

24.  Immediate release of all people who are parole-eligible, parole-suitable, elderly, youth, pregnant, infirmed, immuno-comprimised and those held on parole violations or non-violent felonies from prisons.

25.  Provision of free housing, healthcare, food resources, and community reintegration support (including help acquiring documents like legal identification) for all people returning from prison, jail, or detention.

26.  Continuance of rehabilitative programs offered by community-based organizations to incarcerated people who will not be released through distance-learning to allow them to continue to earn time off their sentences.

27.  Mandatory usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) by all correctional staff in jails and prisons and provision of PPE to all incarcerated people. 

Transportation

28.  Free public transportation for all for the duration of the pandemic and economic fallout.

29.  Cancellation of fare evasion citations on public transportation.

Other Resources

30.  Funding to provide free, culturally-competent funeral and burial/cremation services for COVID-19 deaths.

31.  Resources for culturally-competent community education on safer-at-home practices led by Black organizers and educators, with a corresponding prohibition of arrests, fines, and citations in response to safer-at-home violations.

32.  Provision of free face-coverings and gloves at all COVID-19 testing sites, food distribution centers, open public facilities, grocery stores, restaurants, and essential businesses.

Long Term Demands:

Reparations

33.  Reparations for all Black victims of COVID-19 (or their families in cases of death), who were unable to get support due to the lack of testing, access to healthcare, and/or overall medical racism. 

Healthcare

34.  Universal, quality, accessible healthcare.

35.  Funding for Black-led, culturally-competent, free exercise and wellness classes in Black communities throughout the County, especially South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Skid Row, Compton, and Inglewood.

36.  Funding for free culturally-competent counseling and mental health resources for Black residents of Los Angeles County.

37.  Medical education that centers cultural-competency, and interrogates implicit bias and anti-Black racism and ongoing retraining of medical professionals in these areas.

Environment

38.  Funding for organizations that address and work to remedy overarching environmental racism in Black communities.

Food Security

39.  Weekly farmers markets in Black communities throughout the County, especially South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Skid Row, Compton, and Inglewood.

40.  Vouchers for fresh produce for Black residents of Los Angeles County that are universally accepted at all places that sell food.

41.  Funding for culturally-competent healthy eating and food preparation classes run by Black-led organizations.

42.  Creation and maintenance of urban farmland and urban farming education in Black communities throughout the County, especially South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Skid Row, Compton, and Inglewood.

43.  Funding for Black organizations to start and support maintenance of home-based gardens in Black communities throughout the County, especially South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Skid Row, Compton, and Inglewood.

Education

44.  Recruitment of and scholarships for Black students to pursue careers in healthcare, including naturopathy and holistic medicinal practices.

45.  Funding for Black scholarships, student recruitment, retention, and graduation initiatives at Charles Drew University.

46.  Guaranteed admission, scholarship, and support programming for Black students to all public colleges and universities.

Housing

47.  Declare housing as a human right and provide universal permanent housing for all.

Criminal Justice Reform

48.  Automatic diversion services for all arrests of those under age 25, covering all offenses

49.  Funding for and prioritization of alternatives to incarceration.

Public Safety

50.  Prioritization of culturally-competent community solutions and resources to address public safety, including livable wage jobs, mental health services, after school programs, and community care workers, instead of police and law enforcement.

Transportation

51.  Free public transportation for all, beginning with K-12 youth and seniors.

52.  Double MTA schedule and make service available 24-hours-per-day and 7-days-per-week.

Other Resources

53.  Free, quality, universal childcare.

54.  Provide ample high quality, safe, accessible recreational spaces and cultural services including: parks, facilities, programs, and special events.

55.  Financial incentives to create and maintain worker-controlled cooperatives.

Signatories of this agreement include …

CSUF BSU responds to President Virjee and Cabinet about BSU Demands.

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This is our official response to your letter dated 10/25/2019 responding to the demands the Black Student Union set forth on Oct. 21st 2019. We appreciate that you responded by the deadline we had set to respond and will take it as good faith first step towards what we hope will a productive engagement with you and your administration. 

Below are our responses:

1. Allocation of $75,000 for the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference and a commitment to seek additional funds as needed from other CSU campuses.

a. We are satisfied with this allocation and commitment to raise needed funds for the Afrikan Black Coalition conference, to be hosted January 17-20th, 2020 at CSU Fullerton. 

b. We expect these funds to be deposited in the BSU account immediately for ease of planning and expenditures. 

2. The demand for the aggressive recruitment of Black faculty and reaching at least 6% Black faculty in tenure track positions in the next four years. 

a. You stated that the University has a “new five year strategic plan to increase faculty diversity”. Please provide us a copy of this plan for our review and input no later than November 20thby 5pm.

b. You state that you have created the DIEP and that the FDO has created a new training program. Please provide us a copy of this training for our review and input no later than November 20th by 5pm..

c. You state that you will “require diverse recruiting pools…specifically Black candidates, and require the dissolution and reconstitution of recruiting pools that are not diverse”. Please provide us a written copy of this policy, and when it was put in place no later than November 20thby 5pm.. If it hasn’t yet, please provide us the date by which it will be effective. 

d. You state that “you will meet with the AAS department to define other ways in which to increase support for the department and its programs.” We request for this meeting to take place and receive a written copy of the ways in which the University will materially increase its support to the department no later than November 26th 2019 at 5pm. 

e. We are keenly aware of the anti-Black proposition 209 and the legal limitations it places on public institutions. However, the law does not prohibit public institutions from setting GOALS and engaging in concerted recruitment and retention efforts to increase the number and percentage of Black and other students and faculty of color. 

3. The demand for support for the “Black Student Success Initiative”.

a. You state that “we have made progress in implementing a number of the items outlined in the initiative and commit to fully implement all such items”. Please provide a written progress report and implementation plan no later than November 20th by 5pm.

4.The demand for the hiring of two Black psychologists.

a. We are keenly aware of the anti-Black proposition 209 and the legal limitations it places on public institutions. However, the law does not prohibit public institutions from setting GOALS and engaging in concerted recruitment and retention efforts to increase the number and percentage of Black psychologists. 

b. As has been done in many public universities, you can create a job posting for psychologist who have extensive experience serving Black people and Black students and search for candidates who meet that criteria. This falls within the parameters of existing laws. Our demand is to create such a posting for two full time psychologists who meet such criteria. We would like to be on the hiring committee for these two positions and would like the searches to be part of the recruitment this spring. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.

5. The demand for an annual scholarship budget of $250,000 for Black students. 

a.We are glad to hear that you are open to exploring available options. 

b. We are keenly aware of the anti-Black proposition 209 and the legal limitations it places on public institutions. However, we are aware that the University is legally allowed to raise private funds that can be disbursed through third parties. UC Berkeley has done this (raised funds for Black student scholarships) and had the funds disbursed through a non-profit. Our demand is for a commitment to do the same. We look forward to continuing this discussion at our next meeting. 

6. The demand for an allocation of $100,000 for the creation of a peer-led mentoring program through the AARC. 

a. We are glad to hear you are committed to developing such programs. 

b. The BSU would like a student representative to be part of the process to design and implement a peer led program with the AARC. We would like this process to begin immediately.

7. The demand for President Virjee to publicly support Ethnic Studies requirement within the CSU system. 

a. The failure of the racist institution that is the academic senate to establish ethnic studies as a requirement for a CSU education is what prompted many advocates to go through the legislature in the first place. What seems to us a facetious concern over the “omission of LGBTQ, Womxn and Gender studies”, is belied by the CSU Fullerton’s Women and Gender Studies and Queer Studies department’s unequivocal support for AB 1460. We refer you to the full statement of the department for further clarification on your erroneous analysis that led you to the wrong conclusion and position of opposing AB 1460.

b. Additionally, AB 1460 expressly states that the law will leave to the academic senate to determine what specific classes will be able to count to satisfy the ethnic studies requirement once the bill passes. There are plenty examples of courses that can easily be developed or are already in place that are jointly developed between ethnic studies and Women’s and Gender Studies or Queer Studies that can satisfy this requirement. AB 1460 still respects the premise of shared governance and has plenty of space for it. 

c. We urge you to reconsider your position on AB 1460 for history will remember all those who opposed as agents of regression and opponents of racial justice in higher education. 

d. In light of this, Please notify us whether you’ll stand on the right side of history and support AB 1460 on November 20th  by 5pm.

8. The demand for the creation of a Black Scholars Hall. 

a. As we are well versed on all the laws relating to our demands, it is clear that our intent is to have a Black Scholars Hall themed housing. Dozens of UCs and CSUs already have this and they are all governed by the same state and federal laws that govern CSU Fullerton. 

b. We demand a commitment to establishing a Black Scholars Hall for the incoming class of Fall 2020. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th  by 5pm.

9. The demand to amending the rules and policies of expulsion regarding student life and leadership at CSUF to include racial discrimination.

a. We are glad to see you agree on examining and amending the current rules and policies. 

b. We would like a representative from BSU to be on the committee that will be reviewing and amending these policies. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.

10. The demand to indefinitely suspend of Phi Sigma Kappa.

a. As Black people and students whose due process rights is constantly disregarded in this country, we are fully aware of the need for thorough due process. 

b. Once the campus finishes its review and reaches a decision with regard to this fraternity, we would like you to notify the entire campus of what that decision is. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th  by 5pm.

11.  Robust diversity training for Fraternity and Sorority Life. 

a. We are glad to see that student life will conduct a comprehensive review of current training and enhance training and programming on diversity.

b. We would like a representative from BSU to be on the committee that will be reviewing and amending these trainings. Please notify of whether the campus will commit to this by November 20th by 5pm.

Conclusion

We are encouraged by the various commitments you have made. We look forward to productive and fruitful conversations that result in improved material conditions and representation for Black people at CSUF. We expect written responses to each of the points we have raised by Nov. 20th at 5pm. 

Black Student Union
California State University, Fullerton

UC Campus Climate Hearing

In 2018 the SFGate published an article naming UC Berkeley as the worst university for Black students in the UC system. Black student recruitment and retention at the University of California, Berkeley is low; Black faculty-to-Black student ratios are low; black student resources are next to non-existent. 

What's the solution? 

Join a collective of UC Berkeley’s ASUC governing body in collaboration with Assemblymember Shirley Weber, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Campus Climate, for a campus climate hearing on November 5, 2019, from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm to address these and other relevant issues about the Black student experience in the UC system.  

Special Guest: Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III, National Assessment Collegiate Campus Climate, USC Race and Equity Center



BSU at CSU Fullerton issues demands for structural changes!

The Black Student Union at CSU Fullerton strongly puts forth the following demands to the California State University, Fullerton President Framrose Virjee.Given the hostile racial climate throughout Cal State Fullerton and a multitude of issues dire…

The Black Student Union at CSU Fullerton strongly puts forth the following demands to the California State University, Fullerton President Framrose Virjee.

Given the hostile racial climate throughout Cal State Fullerton and a multitude of issues directly affecting the well being of Black students here at CSUF, we as concerned leaders of the campus community have created this list of demands out of true concern for the health of current and future Black students here at CSUF. It is our belief that President Virjee must be held accountable in addressing the structural deficiencies in institutional support for Black students on this campus.

“For such a hateful act to have occurred with such little remorse shows the culture and climate of the University. Cal State Fullerton prides itself on caring about diversity and yet it has failed to put diversity into action with regard to its Black students.” -- Bethany Whittaker, President of CSUF Black Student Union

Our demands are as follows:

1. We demand an allocation of $150,000 to fully fund the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference to be hosted at California State University, Fullerton. This will allow space and opportunity for Black students on this campus and 15 other California campuses to partake in community amongst one another as well as display the support for the Black community on campus from university officials. ​The Afrikan Black Coalition is a statewide conference that brings Black students from all over California to discuss campus climate, recruitment and retention strategies, conduct political education and develop campaigns. The Black students on campus have not received the proper support in regards to funding for this conference. The Black Student Union requests full support for this conference.

2. We demand an aggressive recruitment of Black faculty and staff in disciplines and departments outside of the African-American Studies Department. Moreover, we also demand an increase in the support for the African-American Studies Department as a whole. We demand at least 6% faculty in a tenured track positions on campus be Black-identified within the next four years, with each year steadily increasing by 1.5%. ​There is an inadequate number of Black staff and faculty at CSU Fullerton. ​​This is especially relevant to the retention of Black students because the overall campus climate is racially hostile to Black students, and the presence of the current Black staff and faculty has been imperative in the retention of those of us who are still here.

3. We demand that the “Black Student Success Initiative” Plan drafted by Associated Students, Incorporated be implemented in its entirety with full funding from the President’s office. We maintain that none of the funding that is necessary to address our demands comes from the Student Affairs Division. The priority shift we are demanding must be at the institutional and structural level.​ There is no will power and concerted efforts being put forth by the University to recruit and retain Black students by the University as evidenced by our very low representation of 1.8% at CSUF.

4. We demand the hiring of two full-time Black psychologists at CSUF. We maintain that the funding for this (which includes recruitment expenses) does not come from Student Affairs Division for the reasons stated above. Currently, there is a critical need as we have no Black Psychologists on campus. We as Black students need psychologists who share similar experiences in terms of racial discrimination and in dealing with the racially hostile campus climate at this University.

5. We demand an annual scholarships budget of $250,000 to be raised and funded by the President’s office, and disbursed by the African American Resource Center to go to Black students with the highest need. ​This will help ensure the retention of our Black students and reduce the financial burden of seeking higher education.

6. We demand an allocation of $100,000 for the creation of a peer-led mentoring program through the African American Resource Center. ​This program will assist with transitioning Black students to campus, assisting with Black student retention.

7. We demand public support letter from President Framrose Virjee for the advancement of AB 1460, which will make Ethnic Studies a CSU requirement. ​Ethnic studies courses provide the perspectives

8. We demand Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity be suspended indefinitely due to the disregard of the campus values. ​Fraternity and sorority members are a reflection of their organization. Often times members are isolated and scapegoated from the organization the member during these situations so the organization can avoid responsibility.

9. We demand the University amend the rules and policies of expulsion in regards to Student Life and Leadership at California State University, Fullerton, to include racial crimes and discrimination against all students, specifically Black students. ​Perpetrators of the code of conduct should feel the full weight of the emotional trauma experienced by victims of these hateful acts.

10. We demand a Black floor in campus-housing within the construction of the newly implemented residential halls that will ensure the safety and community protection of Black students. ​Black students need communal spaces within housing to ensure their safety and well-being.

11. We demand robust diversity training for Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Historically white fraternities and sororities often lack the cultural competence and knowledge needed to interact with people with marginalized identities, specifically National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multi-Cultural Greek Council. Additionally, the staffing within Fraternity and Sorority Life needs to be reviewed to ensure that students with marginalized identities, specifically those affiliated with NPHC and MGC feel supported and empowered.

12. We demand that President Virjee provide his response in writing to these demands to the Black Student Union no later than Friday Oct. 25th at Noon.

The Black Student Union is sending out this press release because we want to inform the CSUF student body of the steps we are taking to address issues of discrimination that we as Black students face at the university and what we as the Black Student Union are doing to ensure a more inclusive environment and establish true infrastructure, respect and support for the underserved Black students, staff, and faculty.

Black Student Union
California State University, Fullerton