By Keena P. Walters and Jaquelyn Caro-Sena

With the recent calls for racial justice across the country, institutions of higher education in California were forced to reflect on their own practices and policies and commit to better serve students of color, particularly Black students. In May 2020, the California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s Office, under the leadership of former Chancellor Dr. Timothy P. White, released a Call for Unity and Reunification and later that year reaffirmed the system’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. These responses both inspired and reflected similar actions taken by CSU campuses in which they released statements affirming that Black lives matter and acknowledging the devastating effects of police brutality and racial injustices for communities of color.