Long Beach City College (LBCC) celebrated its first center dedicated to Black student success with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 22. The new Black Student Success Center celebrates the African Diaspora and provides important mental, physical, spiritual, intellectual, and financial support services to advance students’ personal and academic progress.

“Opening up LBCC’s first Black Student Success Center isn’t about diversity – it’s about equity,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC Superintendent-President. “By opening up a physical space that provides services dedicated to supporting our Black students, LBCC is showing our commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment where everyone can thrive and be successful. It is important to LBCC that our Black students feel that they are seen, supported, and empowered during their time here.”

The new center features a large indoor mural honoring the contributions of Black/African American heroes including Long Beach locals such as Doris Topsy-Elvord and Duke Givens, as well as civil rights icons such as Angela Davis and Malcolm X.

“LBCC has made significant strides to be a more equity-minded college since the Board adopted the Framework for Racial Reconciliation in Support of the Black Community resolution in 2020,” said Vivian Malauulu, Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees President. “We have to do more than just condemn systemic racism. That is why we actively engage our campus community to take actions that address the racial inequities experienced by Black students at LBCC.”

With approximately 13% of its student body identifying as Black/African American, LBCC remains committed to fostering an inclusive environment. LBCC initiated a Black/African American Scholarship Support Fund and championed the Male Success Initiative, designed to address the challenges faced by men of color. The Campaign for College Opportunity recognized LBCC as a 2023 Equity Champion of Higher Education for intentionally working to support Black students through the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program. The California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) awarded LBCC with the prestigious 2023 CABSE Black EdCellence Award, and recognized the college for its groundbreaking leadership in advancing educational equity for Black students.