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California Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson introduced The Designation of California Black-Serving Institutions Grant Program (AB 335), a bill that builds on the foundation of the state’s new recognition of Black-Serving institutions.
As of Jan.1, to qualify as a California Black-Serving institution (BSI), an institution must enroll 1,500 Black students, or 10% of the total student population must be Black.
Gipson says California becoming the nation’s first state to recognize Black-Serving institutions was a critical first step, but recognition alone is not enough.
“AB 335 builds on that foundation by ensuring these institutions receive the funding and resources necessary to enhance their academic support programs and student services,” he said in an interview with Diverse. “By providing dedicated funding, we empower institutions to create environments where Black students feel supported, valued, and prepared for successful careers beyond college.”
A California native, legislator, father and lifelong advocate for equity and education, Gipson has committed years to ensuring Black and historically marginalized students have the resources they need. This grant program represents the next step in his advocacy efforts.
“This grant presents a transformative opportunity for institutions to expand academic support services, mentorship programs, financial aid assistance, mental health resources, and culturally relevant curricula that enhance the Black student experience,” he says. “With the ongoing challenges posed by economic instability, rising tuition costs, and the residual effects of the pandemic, now is the time to invest in sustainable, systemic solutions.”
Dr. Edward Bush, president of Cosumnes River College, which is part of the Los Rios Community College District, said that the bill does not just address a need but will force institutions to critically assess how they serve Black students.
“A very predictable, persistent, and pervasive gap in achievement [for Black students] exists,” said Bush. “This is imperative because of how those gaps in student achievement have been traditionally addressed.”
According to Bush, if passed, the bill would begin to flip the script on institutional support for Black students.
“The approach in the system has been this idea of fixing the student as opposed to evaluating institutional behavior patterns, practices, policies and funding as the cause of student success,” said Bush, who is also the co-founder and board member of the African American Male Education Network and Development (A²MEND) and the chair of the Campaign for College Opportunity, a nonprofit organization that advocates for eliminating achievement gaps.
Through his advocacy for Black students in California, he has observed several key barriers that impact their enrollment and success, including Black faculty representation, culturally reflective curriculum, pedagogy and instructional methodology.
“I think anything that will cause institutions to be introspective, to change, and to adopt a different set of practices not just outside of the classroom, but most importantly inside the classroom, opens up those types of critical conversations that is necessary for us to really begin to move the needle,” he said.
“As we point out Hispanic-Serving Institutions and similar programs, you know that the designation should be more than just about the population but should recenter your institution,” Bush added. “In what ways are you prepared to recenter your institution around Black students? How do you move from this notion of being an anti-racist college to being a pro-Black college?”
Dr. Gina Ann Garcia, a professor in the School of Education at University of California Berkeley and a Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) scholar said Black-Serving institutions cannot be a programmatic effort only, but instead, institutions must focus on structurally changing their campuses.
“How do we create an environment and educational structures that consider the lived experiences of our Black students on campus through our policies, our practices, and our governance structures?” Garcia asked.
Garcia describes designations such as Hispanic-Serving or Black-Serving as a lens through which institutions can adequately serve this population of students.
“It’s an equity issue,” she added. “We know our Black students have different needs and different experiences based on their lived realities, so it gives people the opportunity to say, ‘We’re going to be intentional. We will use this lens of serving a specific population without leaving others behind. We’re going to lean into what it looks like to create a better environment for our Black students.’”
Gipson said AB 335 is about correcting historical inequities and ensuring that Black students in California have the same opportunities to excel as their peers.
“This is an investment in the future of our state, in the innovation and brilliance of Black students, and in the institutions committed to their success,” he added.