Berkeley

UC Berkeley Black Students Press Demands on Chancellor

Published

11 years ago

June 16, 2015

Black student activists at UC Berkeley, looking back on the school year that just ended, are saying they have accomplished many things, but have much more work to do.

Earlier this semester, the Black Student Union (Cal BSU) released a list of demands calling upon Chancellor Nicolas Dirks to implement “structural changes” to alter what they called a racist, hostile campus.

Cal BSU’s demands included a Black Resource Center, increased recruitment, hiring of Black staff, and funding for various diversity programs.

Dirks wrote in an April letter to the BSU that he is committed to identifying a location for a Black Resource Center. He asked Gibor Basri, outgoing vice chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, to form a workgroup to develop a plan to locate and finance the space.

A final workgroup report will be due in November. Students demanded the site be called the Fannie Lou Hamer Resource Center and be under the current African American Student Development office, a space currently prone to overcrowding.

Responding to students demands to hire two full-time Black admissions staff members and develop strategies and allocate resources towards recruit more Black students, Dirks asked two vice-chancellors to form a taskforce of students, faculty and staff to develop a program and financing strategy to increase Black recruitment and admissions of Black undergraduates.

This taskforce’s report will be due in November 2015. The BSU originally demanded a list of recommendations by April 8.

The chancellor said the November date was necessary because of summer break and many students leaving. Dirks promised to fund a fulltime coordinator and liaison for the “bridges” recruitment and retention centers.

Students also demanded the hiring of two full-time Black psychologists. The chancellor committed to working with University Health Services to fill future vacancies with culturally competent psychologists or therapists.

The chancellor acknowledged students most controversial demand, to rename Barrows Hall after former political prisoner Assata Shakur–currently living in exile in Cuba. Dirks said he does not have the “unilateral ability” to rename the building and forwarded them the “UC Naming Policy” and information about the process to rename a building.

“I am and will continue to be committed to creating an environment at UC Berkeley where African American students, faculty, and staff can feel welcomed, respected, and supported,” Dirks wrote.

Incoming BSU chair Cori McGowens told the Post via email that campus administration’s response “cannot be really taken seriously.”

“Chancellor Dirks has stated on numerous occasions his eagerness to work with Black students but has done little more than hold meetings and briefings, (at) some of which he wasn’t even present,” McGowens said.

She the administration’s plan for Black students is vague, lacks timelines and could have already been implemented instead of being a response to the Cal BSU’s demands.

The demands came after a semester full of protests and negotiations. In December, Black students blockaded a campus café in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

After nooses were found hanged on Sather Gate and elsewhere on campus, campus administration pledged to work with Black students to improve the campus climate. Students released their demands and met with campus administration in February.

On April 18, students blocked Sather Gate during “Cal Day,” a major recruitment day when prospective students and their families visit campus. Cal BSU called the protest “#BlackatCal Day” to highlight their demands and to celebrate Black life, on campus and off.

In an attempt to sabotage the group’s goals, the Cal BSU email and its @CalBSU Twitter profile were hacked twice. The source of the attacks has not been confirmed.

Still, the Cal BSU is hopeful for “substantive action” next school year.

“The Black students at Cal are determined, creative and powerful, and I’m excited to work as a community again this upcoming year and really utilize our platform as Black students at a top institution,” McGowens said.

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Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

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Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.