By Dianne Anderson

Odds are 50-50 that Black students graduate from CSU, not just from any one particular campus, but from any of the 23 campuses.

That sad reality provides this year’s backdrop, and motivation for education-based themes at the San Bernardino campus Black History Month events.

Michaela Watkins, Associate Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Cal State University San Bernardino, said the recent data is staggering and heartbreaking.

Following a yearlong Black Student Success Workgroup, she said one report has fueled this year’s offerings for six of the Black History Month programs, and holds a specific focus on what the programming hopes to achieve.

“I thought if I’m doing Black History Month, I have to link it to Black student success. Every program has a theme, and a phrase that supports Black student success on our campus,” she said.

“Advancing Black Student Success and Elevating Black Excellence in the CSU,” a 2023 report by co-chairs Thomas A. Parham, Ph.D., president of CSU Dominguez Hills and Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D., president of CSU Fresno, calls for action.

“This report is a litmus test for CSU leadership, including the Chancellor’s Office, the Board of Trustees and university presidents, as well as administrators, staff, faculty and union leadership to decide if their commitment to Black excellence moves from endorsement to advocacy and action,” the wrote. “This is not an effort that can be led by one group alone. In our minds, closing the gap between our aspiration to be a leader in this space and how that vision is actualized will take all of us.”

Watkins said a lot of thought went into Black History Month, and all events are special in their own right, but the last event may be her favorite. That theme celebrates students, and how and where they can turn for ongoing mentorship.

“It’s knowing that every Black faculty and staff member is going to have a booth where students can come to not only talk about academics, but also the Black experience in academia,” she said.

Connecting with those who have already graduated is important, because they learn what it takes to succeed, she said. Over Black History Month, Watkins will be hitting regional events, working booths at Rancho Cucamonga, UCR, and around San Bernardino to attract more Black students into the education pipeline, and focus on retention.

“Education in this country – we weren’t meant to ascend in this current format is, in the way it was created so you need to have people there to help you navigate it,” she said.

Others, such as Black faculty and staff, have carved a successful path on campus, and she said undergraduates and graduate, students will be walking in their footsteps in years to come.

“Many of them, after they graduate will end up working here. There’s no better way to form a connection with a future employer than having mentorship along the way,” she said.

Events are free and open to the public with parking just under $8. On February 22, Career Day is focused on students. On February 27, student staff and faculty will take time to get acquainted and provide mentorship.

Anthony Roberson said the events provide a great breakout of information and programming. This time of year, they also push information on deadlines for grants and scholarships through the Pan African Student Success Center.

Financial literacy remains strong, and he said the center’s coordinator, Roryana Bowman, put a lot of work into their Village Book, a compilation filled with Black staff and faculty, and other important resources.

At the center, students get up to date on relevant information and student loans, how to handle student debt, and access funding resources. Scholarships are available, but a lot of funding at the state level remains untapped by Black students.

“That’s a barrier, access and affordability are hindering our community. We need to be at the forefront in giving that knowledge, information and resources to our students,” said Roberson, president of CSUSB Black Faculty, Staff and Student Association.

This year, he said that both Watkins and Bowman are spotlighting Black History themes worthy of celebration, all with unique and deeper meanings.

“Our Black History Month committee has truly been working on some incredible speakers, and information that is going to impact their lives. We always talk about doing programs for Black students, but I think the programs will impact other identities as well,” said Roberson, also Associate Director of Operations at Santos Manuel Student Union.

Next up, the Black Faculty, Staff, and Student Association (BFSSA) of California State University, San Bernardino will host its 11th Annual Pioneer Breakfast at SMSU North Event Center to help raise more funding for scholarships. This year’s theme is “A Tapestry of Time – Celebrating Our Enduring Legacy.”

Among the honorees are Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson, Patricia Nickols-Butler, Chief Executive Officer at Community Action Partnership, and emerging leader, Cassandra Butcher, to name a few.

Roberson said this year’s events are seeing high energy from students, who are a big part of the planning process. They have a lot of buy-in to programs, involved with bringing speakers to campus in celebration of culture and identity.

“Having the pride of what it means to be Black is very important to them,” he said. “They’re doing programming to show the pride of the community has been very instrumental, and I think that’s the excitement they get out of it. We’re very proud of our students here.”

To learn more about Calgrant, and other funding deadlines, see

https://www.csusb.edu/financial-aid/prospective-students/grants/undergraduate-students

To learn more about the Pioneer Breakfast, see

https://www.csusb.edu/bfssa/events/pioneer-breakfast

To see the report,  https://bit.ly/3Hql2mr