Berkeley

Black Enrollment Increasing at University of California

Published

10 years ago

October 5, 2016

When Proposition 209 passed in 1996 by California voters, it eliminated the use of race, sex or ethnicity in state government institutions in employment, public contracting and public education.

This new law gutted state affirmative action laws that were enacted in the early 1970s to address long histories of discrimination against racial minorities and women.

As a result of Prop. 209, Black enrollment in schools in the prestigious University of California system dropped dramatically. From 1995 to 1999 the number of admitted California resident African American, Latino and American Indian undergraduates dropped 58 percent, going from 27 percent to 12 percent.

But now the UC system is starting to see an uptick in the number of African Americans who are enrolling.

“Since 1995, we have seen a huge increase in African American students to the UC system schools,” said UC President Janet Napolitano, in a recent interview at her downtown Oakland office.

“There has been a one-third increase in Black students to schools in the system. But we still have more work to do to increase this,” she said.

In this year’s new UC class, 30 percent of freshmen and 34 percent of transfer students come from underrepresented minority groups, the largest in UC history.

Currently, Black students make up only 4 percent of the undergraduate students in the UC system, compared to Asians who make up 35 percent of the student body, whites who make up 24 percent and Latinos who are 22 percent of the students.

UCLA saw the highest number of African American students admitted, at 6.9 percent of all incoming freshmen and transfer students. African American enrollment at UC Berkeley has also increased. T

There are a multitude of reasons African American undergraduate student numbers are up. One cause of the university’s focus on transfer students, called the Transfer Pathways program.

This program admitted nearly 17,000 students into the UC system this year from California community colleges, compared to 38,000 students who were admitted as freshmen.

Each year, more transfer students will have an easier path into the UC system, comprised of 10 campuses throughout the state.

Another reason for the increase of African Americans, according to President Napolitano is due to programs like Achieve UC, which provides support to high school students starting at the ninth grade.

“These type of programs help to increase diversity and stay in bounds of the boundaries of Prop. 209,” said Napolitano.

Programs like Achieve UC target low-income high schools throughout the state, letting young people know that getting a UC education is possible.

Napolitano said that while efforts to diversify students is an ongoing and continuous issue, other areas of the school need to be diversified.

“Diversification of the faculty is something that we are working on now,” continued Napolitano.

There are close to 200,000 undergraduate students in the UC system and 52,000 graduate students. Tuition costs between $12,000 and $13,000 a year. About 55 percent of the students receive financial aid and pay no tuition or fees.

The application process at the UC system starts Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 30. Napolitano expects the system to receive over 200,000 applications.

Since she left her job as head of Homeland Security in the Obama Administration and became the president of the University of California, educational conditions in California have been improving, said Napolitano.

“Since I have been here, we have made a lot of progress on in state student growth and the diversity of students coming into the UC system,” she said.

“We are doing this in a way that does not take away from a UC education, which I am most proud of.”

Oakland Post

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Related Topics:Black Enrollment Proposition 209 UC President Janet Napolitano

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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

1 month 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.

Oakland Post

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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

1 month 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.

Oakland Post

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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

11 months 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.