Berkeley

For Malika Imhotep, Devotion to Black Feminist Study Is a Life Practice

Published

7 years ago

March 15, 2019

For Ph.D. candidate Malika Imhotep, devotion to black studies is a life practice.

She grew up in West Atlanta, rooted in a community that she calls an “Afrocentric bubble,” in a family of artisans, entrepreneurs and community organizers. Her father was a puppeteer and a writer, and her mother worked as a seamstress, doll maker, social worker and, later, she got involved in local politics.

“I’ve been in and fallen asleep in more community meetings than most people have witnessed,” Malika laughs. “And I think having both of those influences and that exposure to these different ways of getting things done, these different ways of building community, has definitely showed up in the way that I move through the world.”

At UC Berkeley, Malika is studying how Black women, or people marked by black femininity, make sense of themselves as new kinds of cultural workers when confronted by social and cultural barriers.

“I’m interested in how people create new possibilities for themselves, either inside of mainstream society or outside of it, or underneath it or on top of it.”

Malika knew that she couldn’t explore this on her own, holed up in a library somewhere on campus. She needed to be in the community — to find and nurture a group of thinkers who could aid in the development of her research and her personal journey of discovery.

Malika as a baby with her dad, Akbar Imhotep; her
mom, D. Makeda Johnson; and her brother, Garvey
Imhotep. Not pictured is her older sister, Akilah Walton.
(Photo courtesy of Malika Imhotep)

“It can be violent to just automatically be like, ‘Well, I need to pull you into my academic research,’” says Malika. “It’s like, ‘Nah, I need to pull these resources — these mental resources, these spatial resources, these financial resources — out of here and bring them out to y’all and out to myself, out to another part of myself that’s probably not allowed to be free here.’”

So, Malika, along with Miyuki Baker, a Ph.D. candidate in theater, dance and performance studies, started the Church of Black Feminist Thought.

“So, basically, the Church of Black Feminist Thought is an experimental study group where we come together to learn with and think with and honor the work of black women thinkers, artists, writers, dancers, scholars… everything.”

Every month of the 2018- 19 calendar year, Malika and Miyuki led a conversation — they call themselves co-conveners — usually with about 30 people interested in learning and talking about the contributions of black women change makers.

They talked about singer Nina Simone and novelist Toni Morrison, Amara Tabor- Smith, a performance artist who teaches dance in the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies and Ula Taylor, chair of the Department of African American Studies, among others.

They first started meeting on campus, then moved to Ashara Ekundayo Gallery in downtown Oakland. And for the month of February, they converted a cafe in North Oakland called the Well into the Black Feminist Study Room.

“Miyuki’s and my whole point was to make the teachings of black feminists more accessible and to make it something that wasn’t just kind of hemmed up in an ivory tower, or the ebony tower, for that matter,” says Malika. “And now, it’s just another exercise in accessibility to say, like, ‘You don’t have to sign up to get on the news list. We’re just going to put it on the walls.’”

At each convening, they start with check-ins, do an embodied meditation, then Malika reads an invocation, introducing the theorist they’re going to discuss. They do free writes and share with the group. They break into small groups and discuss readings and quotes by the person. Then, the group comes back together and talks.

It’s a space, Malika says, where everyone is welcome.

“It’s an experiential study group. You don’t have to do all the readings. We just want you to bring yourself in your thoughts. We pull the quotes. We got you. We just want you here.”

Anne Brice, UC Berkeley News

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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.