Past and Present
Though underreported and underappreciated, Black people have been present in the territory that is now Santa Cruz County for centuries. In 1995, late professional researcher Phil Reader compiled a timeline outlining the history of Black individuals in Santa Cruz County. This is a continuation and…
A/BSA Changes Name to BSU
The Afrikan/Black Student Alliance is now the Black Student Union (BSU), following internal discussions of the organization’s connection to the communities it serves. Active BSUs exist at other UC campuses and universities around the world, from New York University to Oxford, England. The organization believes…
The Road To Reclamation
As promised, business has not been as usual. Over the last two days, Afrikan Black Student Alliance (A/BSA) has reclaimed Clark Kerr Hall for Afrikan, Black, Caribbean (ABC) students because their demands have not been met. They have repeatedly said they won’t leave until their…
‘Transcending Our Wounds of Oppression’
Representation in higher education matters, and Engaging Education (e2) has been working to go beyond simply admitting students from historically underrepresented communities through its Student Initiated Outreach (SIO) weekend — striving to give underrepresented students the resources, visibility and community of support they need to…
Submission: Afrikan Black Student Alliance Demands
Note: A/BSA has postponed demanding for numbers 1 and 6 in their reclamation of Clark Kerr Hall. The intend to reintroduce and demand them at a later date. By Afrikan Black Student Alliance (A/BSA) To Chancellor Blumenthal and any other involved party, The Afrikan Black Caribbean…
Black Lives Are YOUR Future
Now that I am entering my senior year at UC Santa Cruz, I have learned firsthand how to navigate the predominantly white institution through the “veil.” The “veil” is a metaphor coined by Dr. W.E.B. DuBois in his novel “The Souls of Black Folk”, which describes how a Black person…
Q&A with UCSC’s African/Black Student Alliance
Answers provided by co-chairs Keiera Bradley and Melissa Lyken: In 2014, 700 African American students were admitted to UCSC, and that number dropped to 520 this year. What do you think this says about the university’s mission to increase diversity? “The University of California as…
‘Blackout’ Shuts Down Quarry Plaza
By Montse Reyes and Lauren Romero Over 100 students blocked pedestrian traffic through Quarry Plaza on Tuesday to not only protest incidents of police brutality and systematic oppression against black communities, but also to empower UC Santa Cruz’s own black community. Demonstrators maintained the blockade for…
Reflections on Injustice
A roar of applause greeted a 61-year-old man, donning his trademark black suit, as he sauntered up to the Media Theater’s stage. Dr. Cornel West, the sole reason why hundreds of students filed into the theater that night, had arrived.
Q&A With Dr. Cornel West
Before his keynote address at “Speaker Blowout: Ferguson, Racism and the Media,” Dr. Cornel West sat down with a student media representative. Student Media: To start off, I wanted to ask you about your experience. As an academic and lifelong activist, what would you say to…