Antoinette Battiste’s Post

California is home to the fifth largest Black and African American population in the United States and a majority of Black undergraduates across the state attend community college. Despite this, California continues to systematically underinvest in Black students’ educational journeys when it comes to higher education funding, perpetuating economic inequity and contributing to a permanent underclass. In 2020, the Campaign for College Opportunity released the Follow the Money report, which referenced the funding disparities for Black students within California's higher education systems.   As the Campaign for College Opportunity states, underinvestment and a lack of support for Black students to both pursue and graduate with a college degree has been reinforced by a fundamentally discriminatory funding model and higher education structure that disadvantages Black Californians.   The state of California must provide equitable funding across its higher education systems with an explicit focus on closing racial equity gaps in lower-division courses. Join us in calling on legislators to support pending legislation that makes college more affordable and supports Black students by filling out the linked form. Please consider signing !

The Calstate University system has invested in a Black Student Success Initiative. It is an important effort to support the retention and graduation of Black students... and the success of Black faculty and staff in the CSU system. https://lnkd.in/g8viPiAG At San Francisco State University, we have assembled a work group from all areas of campus to help as we align our campus work with the CSU system initiative. Our campus focus is on 3 of the 13 recommendations (note, each campus asked to focus on 3 areas, not all 13 report recommendations): 1) Early outreach to Black K-12 students; 2) Retention of currently-enrolled Black students, and; 3) Black faculty and staff success.

🚀 Transforming Education: The Crucial Role of Black Principals In an enlightening op-ed for The Hechinger Report, "Black principals play a key role in transforming education. We need more of them," Dr. Phelton Moss reflects on the indispensable role that Black principals play in reshaping our education system. Black principals are instrumental in developing Black teachers, who, in turn, empower students of Color. Yet, only 10% of principals are Black -- highlighting a significant disparity that needs addressing. In his article, Dr. Moss advocates for the importance of engaging Black principals through targeted strategies to build more equitable schools and improve educational outcomes for all students. Read and share the article to support the call for more Black principals in our schools: https://lnkd.in/ekMAiWZk

#ICYMI | A California bill, which passed the state Senate last week and is making its way to the Assembly, would recognize colleges and universities in the state that enroll high numbers of Black students and take intentional steps to better serve them. The bill would establish a formal “Black-Serving Institution” designation for these institutions. Colleges and universities are eligible for the designation if they enroll a student body that’s at least 10 percent Black, or has at least 1,500 Black students, and take various measures to support them, including drafting a Black student success plan (and allocating resources to that plan), fostering a “robust” African American studies program and cocurricular educational activities or affinity centers for Black students. #HigherEd https://bit.ly/4bC1wRq

#ICYMI | A California bill, which passed the state Senate last week and is making its way to the Assembly, would recognize colleges and universities in the state that enroll high numbers of Black students and take intentional steps to better serve them. The bill would establish a formal “Black-Serving Institution” designation for these institutions. Colleges and universities are eligible for the designation if they enroll a student body that’s at least 10 percent Black, or has at least 1,500 Black students, and take various measures to support them, including drafting a Black student success plan (and allocating resources to that plan), fostering a “robust” African American studies program and cocurricular educational activities or affinity centers for Black students. #HigherEd https://bit.ly/4bC1wRq

I am not exaggerating when I say that my success as an academic, my motivation to pursue a PhD, and my passion for research all started from 1 signature experience I had as a college freshman. After taking part in the ACCESS program at LMU, I started my path on pursuing higher education. The ONE program had a lasting impact on my life. Now I have the opportunity to provide the same support to first time freshman at CPP through the BASES Scholars program. The Black Achievement Success and Engagement in Science (BASES) Scholars program builds a community of support for Black/African American student scholars by providing financial, academic, and mentoring resources throughout the students' first year. BASES Scholars promotes Black Excellence through curriculum that is responsive to the legacy of the African and African American Diasporas taught by faculty of color within a cohort model. The partnership between the classroom experience and Black Resource Center (BRC) fosters a community who shares an interest in the historical, intellectual, and political traditions of Black Americans, and engages with the Black community at Cal Poly Pomona. On this #CPPGIVINGDAY, give to the BASES Scholars program so we can continue to support the next generation of Black professionals. #BroncosGive #BlackExcellence #FirstTimeFreshmen #HigherEducation #STEM #STEMEducation #Science #Technology #Engineering #Mathematics #college

As dean of students at Mastery High School of Camden and the girls' basketball coach, Darold Hayes inspires students to dream big and aim higher. Acknowledging that Black male educators play a crucial role in shaping futures and inspiring the next generation, the Camden Education Fund sponsored 20 educators, including Hayes, to attend the Black Men in Education Convening (BMEC) in Philadelphia. This powerful event brought together thousands of Black male educators, creating a space for them to learn, connect, and find shared purpose. Reflecting on the unique challenges and opportunities in teaching, Hayes reminds us that education isn’t just a career— “there’s a cultural responsibility there.” Read the full TAPinto Camden article to learn more about Darold Hayes and the inspiring space BMEC has created to advance equity in education here: https://lnkd.in/eFPu2W6f

The legacy and influence of Historically Black Colleges and Universities - https://lnkd.in/gxBsrnfg - Despite some questioning the ongoing need for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) since the desegregation of the education system, recent years have seen a surge in interest. During the pandemic, while overall undergraduate enrollment in the U.S. declined, HBCUs experienced a record-breaking increase in student numbers. Historically, HBCUs have been

Graduation rates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) tend to be higher for Black male students compared to other institutions. For black students, the six-year graduation rate at four-year public institutions is approximately 45.9%, with Black men having the lowest completion rate at 40% (UNCF). In contrast, HBCUs have demonstrated more encouraging statistics. Black HBCU colleges like Wilberforce University with an 83% graduation rate Howard University with a 63% graduation rate Hampton University with a 59% graduation rate Morehouse College with a 55% graduation rate.

If your work touches higher ed, you need to know about the tool Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) created for you. In a few clicks, you can find answers in massive amounts of data. If you love spending hours crunching data, don’t let me stop you. But if you’d like info all the way down to Congressional districts in seconds, check this out 👇🏽