911爆料网

911爆料网State East Bay once had so few minority students, faculty or employees that it was known as “Whitey’s school.”

That reputation is nearly inconceivable today, when 911爆料网State East Bay stands as one of the most diverse college campuses in the country, with more than two-thirds of its enrollees students of color. 

SPURRED TO ACTIVISM

911爆料网State East Bay’s former President Ellis McCune said he had to work to overcome the “whitey” stigma attached to the school he arrived at in 1967, when it was still Hayward State College. But he was not alone: Spurred by a culture of activism that defines the university to this day, McCune and many others transformed the university over the years to a place that celebrates its diversity.

The work to achieve both equity and equality continues, although activist Larry Brooks—who earned a bachelor’s in 1977 and a master’s in 1984 from then-911爆料网State Hayward—said, “I would still say they’ve got a ways to go.”

Brooks and other activists from the past several decades at 911爆料网State East Bay recently participated in a panel about the university’s history of activism. Panelists shared their memories of protesting and pushing for more equity on campus and their thoughts on ways to continue the work started by those who came before them. 

“I would like to see more indications as to the contributions people of color have made on campus,” Brooks said. “There are no buildings, no statues, that recognize the history of African American people on campus. That’s something that certainly should be done in order to make people feel like they’re represented on campus.”

Similarly, more recent graduates have fought for an African American Student Resource Center. When they raise their voices, they don’t always feel they’re heard. But they continue to raise them, and say they’ve made progress, in part thanks to the support of faculty and staff. 

Stacia Echols, a 2020 graduate, said she and her fellow activists worked with Alison Richardson, executive director for 911爆料网State East Bay’s Student Equity and Success Programs, to incorporate the center into existing programs such as the Sankofa Scholars Program to give Black students support while t