By ONME Newswire

SACRAMENTO, CA – Black Student Success Week returns April 25-29, 2022, inviting administrators, faculty, staff, and students from across the California Community College system to examine the resources and programs that support Black student success. This year’s theme is A Vision for Black Student Success: Creating a New Landscape to Succeed. The 2022 Black Student Success Week will focus on new approaches to ensure Black and African American students succeed at California Community Colleges as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The week will kick off with remarks from U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona.

“We can't lose this moment, this chance for a reset in education by going back to the same pre[1]pandemic strategies that did not address inequities for our students of color. Almost two-thirds of Black undergraduates attend a California community college. It’s critical that we continue to support them, especially through the pandemic and as we continue to look toward recovery. This week presents an opportunity for us to discuss how we address the inequities that have existed in our education systems for far too long and create sustainable solutions to keep our students in the classroom and ensure they graduate,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

The week’s activities will be held virtually and include:

• Daily webinars from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., called The Black Hour

• Daily group discussion forums from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., called The After Party

• A virtual advocacy day on Thursday, April 28th, called The BlackOut

“Now in its third year, the Board of Governors is proud to once again support Black Student Success Week in hopes that we move beyond dialogue and put our words into action,” said Pam Haynes, California Community Colleges Board of Governors President. “The Black Hour is a time we all should put a pause on our current work and spotlight the ways in which we as a system can improve support for Black students, foster Black leadership at our colleges, diversify our faculty and staff ranks, and root out systemic barriers to Black student success.”

Webinars will be held via Zoom and live-streamed on YouTube. Webinar registration is now open. To register, click on a webinar title below or visit www.linktr.ee/cablackstudents.

Monday, April 25 – Beyond Mattering: Centering the Student Narrative

Tuesday, April 26 – No Leaks: Securing the Pipeline for Black Student Success

Wednesday, April 27 – The Path to Transfer Success: A Clear Highway or a Traffic Jam

Thursday, April 28 – Transforming Black Student Success through Courageous State Leadership

Friday, April 29 – Using Radical Action: Showing Up as Your Authentic Self

For updates regarding the week, follow @cablackstudents on Twitter and Instagram.

About Black Student Success Week

Black Student Success Week is organized in partnership with the following organizations: A2MEND, Umoja Community Education Foundation, The Campaign for College Opportunity, The Education Trust-West, the Equity Avengers, The RP Group, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, the Community College League of California, the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.