By Carla Thomas

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Coalition of Northern California (HBCUC) will present its annual “Elegant All White Scholarship Gala” on Saturday, September 27, at Scott’s Chandelier Pavilion in Oakland’s Jack London Square.

The HBCUC supports Bay Area students who aspire to attend historic institutions such as Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Spelman College in Atlanta, among others. Proceeds from the gala will fund scholarships for local students who have been accepted into one of the 107 HBCUs across the United States, while also sustaining the association’s ongoing community work.

Guests will include government officials, community leaders, corporate sponsors, and members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. The gala reflects the coalition’s guiding theme and slogan: “The Village – Coming Together for a Common Purpose Through Advancing the Cause of Education.” True to this vision, HBCUC continues to provide hope, college readiness resources, and scholarship opportunities to Bay Area students.

This year’s gala will feature a special tribute to 15 women being recognized as trailblazers for their outstanding achievements and community impact. The Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening will be Celebrity Chef Nikki Shaw, wife of Oakland native Brian Shaw, NBA coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Entertainment will include a live performance by Lionel Burns and the We R1 Band, offering a musical tribute to the late Frankie Beverly.

Event producer, Paula Welsh says the gala promises to be “a powerful evening of celebration, unity, and commitment to advancing educational opportunities for future generations.”

What is now the Northern California Historically Black College & University Alumni Associations Coalition (HBCUC) began as a discussion at a series of annual summer barbecues between HBCU alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1990s, gatherings of HBCU alumni living in the San Francisco Bay Area became spaces for reconnecting, sharing traditions, and envisioning community action. These informal events laid the foundation for what would soon grow into a structured coalition advancing the legacy and presence of HBCUs in Northern California.

The first official HBCUC meeting was held in 1998 at Skyline College by the following founding HBCU alumni members:

• Aner Ruth Young (Alabama State University)
• Edwyna Elzie (Alabama A&M University)
• Faye Carr (Jackson State University)
• Freddy Burke (Alcorn State University)
• Gaynell Johnson (Southern University)
• Jean Finklin (Jackson State University)
• Lynwood Barr (Central State University)
• Mel Cozwell (Central State University)
• Pat Deamer (Southern University)
• Wanda Scott (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)
• The late Ethel Daniels (Prairie View A &M University)
• The late Harold Logwood (Howard University)
• The late Joseph Shields (Alcorn State University)
• The late Ken Coleman (Alcorn State University)
• The late Nathaniel H. Brooks (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)
• The late Vernon Clark (Prairie View A & M University)

On March 9, 1998, the second meeting was held, the constitution was created, and executive officers were installed including President, Lynwood Barr (Central State University), an Educator

• Vice President, Joseph Shields, (Alcorn State University) an Educator
• Secretary, Ethel Daniels (Prairie View A &M University) an Educator
• Correspondence Secretary, Edwyna Elzie (Alabama A & M University) an Educator
• Treasurer, Vernon Clarke (Prairie View A &M University) an JROTC Instructor
• Parliamentarian, Harold Logwood (Howard University) a Lawyer.

On January 14, 2000 the HBCUC became incorporated with officers;

• President, Patricia Deamer (Southern University)
• Vice President, Joseph Shields (Alcorn State University)
• Secretary, Ethel Daniels (Prairie View A&M University)
• Treasurer, Vernon Clark (Prairie View A&M University).

Two honorary members included jazz legend John Handy and Governor Emeritus Jerry Brown who was the Mayor of Oakland at that time.

The Northern California Historically Black College and University Alumni Associations Coalition (HBCUC), composed of alumni from HBCU and UNCF institutions, actively recruits and engages students at church centers, schools, community colleges, and expos throughout Northern and Central California. By informing parents, guardians, and students, ranging from middle school to community college, the next generation becomes fully empowered in understanding that four-year college admission is achievable. By providing resources, scholarship information, and essential guidance, HBCUC inspires hope and fosters pathways to higher education.

For more information visit: www.northerncaliforniahbcuc.org/gala

Oakland Post

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By Ken Epstein

Dr. Kimberly Mayfield, who, until recently served as deputy mayor of Oakland, has been working for several years with educators and community groups to create a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) or other Black-serving institution of higher education in Oakland — potentially on the fully operational campus of Holy Names University in East Oakland, which went out of business in 2023.

The goal, according to Mayfield, is to “create a Black-serving institution in Oakland, which means that 50% or more of the student body would be African American.”

The Oakland program could either be an HBCU, which is preferable, or a Black-serving institution unaffiliated with other HBCUs. The program itself could become a stand-alone institution or an assemblage of different programs on a single campus.

“It could be a consortium model where programs from existing HBCUs locate in Oakland,” similar to the Atlanta Union Center in Georgia, which offers courses from Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, and Clark Atlanta HBCUs, she said.

“There are four different institutions at Atlanta Union, and students can take classes from the different schools. They’re all based in the same place, but the programs are run by different institutions,” said Mayfield.

Key to the program would be the culture of the school, which would be “Black affirming,” offering students a supportive environment that recognizes them as individuals, she said. The program would be campus-based and include online course offerings.

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Courses could be offered in downtown Oakland in office buildings in the Black Business and Arts District as well as at the Holy Names site, which was sold to developers for $64 million and is presently for sale.

Holy Names was a private Roman Catholic university in Oakland founded in 1868 by the Canada-based Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary with whom the university remained affiliated until it closed after facing several years of budget shortfalls.

Before serving as Deputy Mayor, Dr. Mayfield began her career as an educator in the Oakland Unified School District and served as dean of the School of Education and Liberal Arts and the vice president for external relations and strategic partnerships at Holy Names.

She said she has already found a lot of interest from various sources for donating funds to start the school, she said. “We have reached out to the East Bay Community Foundation, to set up the necessary structures to receive money to help with strategic planning,” and all other aspects investors want to see, including an internet presence.

The team working on the initiative has 16 members and is led by Mayfield, Councilmember Carroll Fife, and retired attorney Kim Thompson. They recently attended a conference of HBCU leaders held by the United Negro College Fund, where the Oakland proposal was greeted with enthusiasm.

Mayfield emphasized that the goal of bringing an HBCU is something that has broad support in Oakland and has been a subject of growing interest for several decades.

“This is a community-driven initiative. While former Mayor Sheng Thao’s support was important and allowed us to get organized in a certain way, it doesn’t end with her leadership” she said, adding that outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee and other mayoral candidates have expressed support for this initiative.

Mayfield said she and her team have been in conversations with leaders of some HBCUs, which are interested in expanding to the West Coast but face financial constraints.

“It’s the racial wealth gap, which affects HBCUs,” the same as the rest of Black America, she said. “They just don’t have the same financial resources that predominantly white institutions have. It’s hard for them to think about a completely separate, sustained campus, when they have to deal with preserving the infrastructure on their main campus.”

She said Holy Names University had 1,400 students at its largest enrollment, with no online component. “We could easily have 1,000 students matriculating on campus, and another online population of students, virtually.”

“We’d like all the virtual students to be close enough to come to campus and participate in the campus culture,” because that’s the difference an HBCU makes, Mayfield said. “It cares for students, sees you as a person, not a number, in touch with wraparound services, calling you if you’re not in class.”

“We want to have an institution that knows who the students are,” she said. “You know their brilliance when they walk in, and you’re doing everything possible academically for them to succeed and thrive.”

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The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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