Taking a stand againist racism CCC hosts racial equity town hall

BY MAX OSBURN

The California Community Colleges (CCC) held their second annual virtual town hall called “Advocacy Advancing Racial Equity” on Wednesday, April 21. The meeting focused on bridging the racial equity gap found in the California Community College systems. The meeting opened with Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the CEO of the Board of Governors and overseer of the system’s executive office, who made a few remarks pertaining to the CCC’s attitudes and goals toward striving for a system that values their students and the fairness of their opportunities.

“Over the last year, our system has made extraordinary strides to advance anti-racist practices and promote equity for all of our students, particularly our students of color,” Oakley said.

One of the main ways that Oakley advertised to help further achieve and improve on these goals was through the diversifying of California Community College staff and faculty members.

“Through diversifying our faculty and staff and continuing to integrate the diversity, equity and inclusion priorities into our work, we can and will become the best possible version of our system for our current and future generations of students,” Chancellor Oakley said. “Research shows that students benefit from a diverse faculty and are better educated and better prepared for leadership and for professional competitiveness.”

Congressman Mark Takano was a guest speaker at the meeting and took the opportunity to recall the recent verdicts of the George Floyd case where Derek Chauvin was found guilty on three separate felonies. He says that resonated with the notion that justice moving forward must be enacted by the people of the United States as there is still much work to be done.

“We have a real opportunity to answer this call toward justice,” Congressman Takano said. “We don’t have justice yet. There are too many divisions along income, class, and race for us to truly be a just society.”

Takano continued to emphasize how community colleges are a detrimental part in this goal of true justice and how he has fought to help them through financial support in Congress after the hardships and circumstances after COVID-19 hit.

“Community colleges, I believe, are a key institution,” Congressman Takano said. “Congress has passed historic relief legislation to support the American people and most recently we passed the ‘American Rescue Plan,’ which included $40 billion for higher education…$5 billion are going to higher education in California.” going to a collegiate school like USC (University of South California), where people were driving around in Porsches and they come back from summer break talking about what they did in Europe,” Assembly member Jones-Sawyer said. “The difference is huge. We need to do more to get us to embrace what it’s like to be a college student.”

Congressman Takano explained how the money was allocated as available grants for students to prevent hunger and homelessness during the pandemic.

California State Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer was asked about what actions are most important for the legislators to take to ensure that the advancements of anti-racist policies are taken place in higher education. He explained that legislators must emphasize diversifying the faculty and staff so that they can meet the needs of the diverse population of students.

“We gotta do a more robust way of getting people to not only come in but understand what different ethnic groups need to be able to survive,” Jones-Sawyer said.

He also went on to detail his own experiences as an example as to why a diverse staff can help students feel represented and related to.

“It’s not just the money, it’s a call for change. I’m an African American kid from South L.A.

The same question on what legislators need to do to further advance the goals of anti-racism in higher education was asked to Assembly Majority Leader, Eloise Gomez Reyes.

“I think that California has an absolute responsibility to take action,” Assembly Majority Leader Reyes said. “I think it’s our duty as legislators to ensure that everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, that everyone feels secure and safe in our state.”

She also explained how she and her colleagues are working hard to pass bills that will help close the equity gap.

“My colleagues and I are working on a number of bills that will specifically increase access to higher education, to healthcare, to mental health services, child care, housing, basic needs, security,” Assembly Majority Leader Reyes said. “These are things we’re working on for community colleges and for all students.”

All in all, the CCC Racial Equity Townhall Meeting sparked conversations about how the system will be intended to improve on anti-racist policies and further enforce them for the betterment of opportunity and accommodations for the diverse student populations within the community colleges.