With a mission of strengthening Black life at UC Berkeley, the African American Initiative (AAI) is leading a transformation throughout the university. Under the guidance of Takiyah Jackson, director of African-American Student Development, Fannie Lou Hamer Black Resource Center and co-Chair of the AAI Steering Team, the initiative is successfully enhancing the experiences of Black students on campus by providing a constellation of resources and services that create spaces and opportunities for students to thrive.
In 2014, a survey of Black students at Berkeley found a significant number of respondents had experienced exclusionary behaviors and discomfort with the campus climate. Following the survey, Black student leaders on campus developed a list of ten demands that served as the foundation for the creation of the African American Initiative. With a goal of expanding access to create an inclusive and equitable campus experience, today, AAI’s mission helps ensure that the world’s leading public university can truly represent and reflect the state and the people it serves.
AAI strengthens Black life at Berkeley through a wide range of programs and experiences. From peer mentoring and advising to expanding opportunities for students to discover the breadth of Berkeley’s available academic resources, AAI provides social, cultural, and wellness support designed to meet the unique needs of Berkeley’s Black students. As Takiyah Jackson, director of African-American Student Development, puts it, “our programs are comprehensive in scope and developmental in nature so we equip students with what they need at each stage of their journey.”
At the heart of the African American Initiative is the AAI Scholarship Program, a collaboration between the San Francisco Foundation, the Cal Alumni Association, the university and donors. The African American Initiative provides $8,000 awards annually for up to five years to more than 100 current undergraduates. As Chinyce Cole-Henry, a sophomore, says, “receiving the AAI scholarship had a major impact on my decision to come to Berkeley. Not only did the scholarship make it possible for me to attend a top university where I knew the education would be excellent, but knowing the scholarship will renew each year provides a solid foundation and security for the future.” In addition to alleviating financial pressures for its recipients, the AAI Scholarship also serves as a valuable tool to attract Black students who have been admitted to Berkeley but might otherwise choose to go elsewhere. As AAI scholar and first two-time Associated Students of the University of California President Chaka Tellem Chaka Tellem puts it, “AAI scholarships make it possible for students like me to receive a world-class education, moving us all toward the goal of a more equitable society.”
Another powerful aspect of AAI is its multigenerational focus. The endeavor engages Berkeley’s Black alumni community to participate in the recruitment and selection process of scholarship recipients and hosts events that bring alumni and students together. Black Wednesday, for example, revitalizes a tradition created by Black students from decades past who gathered at the wall outside of the Golden Bear Cafe to connect and build community as an act of joy and resistance. Today, the legacy, impact and value of Black students throughout Berkeley’s history is celebrated weekly through Black Wednesday. In addition to cultivating a sense of belonging for current students, Black Wednesday has also inspired re-engagement of Black alumni who return to campus to be in community with Black undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. Most importantly, this welcoming space and practice establishes a sense of togetherness critical to the well-being, recruitment and retention of Black students at Berkeley.
Other transformative components of AAI are Black Lives at Cal, a research endeavor that celebrates, defends and advances the legacy of Black people at Berkeley, and the African American Theme Program in which residents live together, performing community service projects and building friendships and solidarity with one another. This program, which was recently expanded from 50 to 84 students, now offers the opportunity for all AAI Scholars to live with one another on the Afro Floor. Additional elements of AAI include the Fannie Lou Hamer Black Resource Center, which offers space for students to convene and study as well as special talks and workshops on mental and physical health, and Black2Cal, an annual event welcoming Black alumni and students to campus.
Crucial to AAI’s success is the generosity of donors. Berkeley’s incredible community has joined the university’s commitment to nurturing a campus culture where Black students can excel with a goal of raising $20M. So far, donors have contributed over $8 million since AAI was created in 2015. These contributions help to guarantee that AAI can further strengthen its framework of equity and excellence to benefit students for generations to come.
A measure of AAI’s success is the spring 2022 graduation of its first AAI Scholar cohort of 20 students. Though Berkeley has a long way to go to achieve the campus’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals, thanks to AAI’s comprehensive approach, these recent graduates now have the tools they need to maximize their full potential and pave the way as the leaders of tomorrow.
To learn more about AAI or about supporting the initiative contact the Student Experience & Diversity Philanthropy Program at studentexperience@berkeley.edu or visit https://diversity.berkeley.edu/initiatives/african-american-initiative
