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AFAM Studies is key in our institution educating for social and racial justice

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AFAM Studies is key in our institution educating for social and racial justice

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The work as educators, of each of our disciplines, and as an institution is enriched by the presence of a well-supported AFAM studies department. African American scholarship, Black history and a commitment to Black futures and freedom should be present in each of our classrooms, but that's dependent on, not a substitute for, investing in and supporting African American Studies at CCSF. The first college course I ever took was an African American history course I dual-enrolled in at community college as a high school student. The things I learned in that class and relationships I built there taught me that education can be a place where we connect to history and can dream new ways of being. Those experiences were central to my own commitments to become an educator. I think about Dr. Kelley

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Beatriz Herrera: CCSF Seeks to Prioritize Graduation Rates for Black and Latinx Students Correct? 

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Beatriz Herrera: CCSF Seeks to Prioritize Graduation Rates for Black and Latinx Students Correct? 

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How can we have Community College serving 60,000 students and not have a robust, institutionally supported, African American Studies Department?  How can we expect graduation rates for African-American students to improve when we continue to disrespect their histories and undermine their educational advancement in this way?

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It's important to me--and my students--when teaching a work of literature by an African American author, that I can collaborate with colleagues in the AFAM department so students get a perspective beyond just my white perspective. We need strong--and present--leadership for this to happen. Please restore a full-time position so we can all benefit from this amazing department!

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CCSF African American Studies is one of the oldest in the nation!

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CCSF African American Studies is one of the oldest in the nation!

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Black teachers matter, for students and communities

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Black teachers matter, for students and communities

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Representation matters. Not seeing qualified, competent black folk in positions of authority may reinforce the belief, conscious or unconscious, that black people are less worthy in some way than white people. And practices that push black people out of very visible jobs, such as teaching, are harmful to society as a whole. I often say that losing black teachers is proof of the slow leak of democracy.

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When it comes to teachers' roles in shaping anti-racist communities, it's better to show than to tell. Meaning, society is better off when students see diversity in the ranks of teachers rather than when they hear lessons about the importance of inclusion from a monolithic group of educators. Representation matters. The number of black teachers across the country has been declining over the past twenty years, with individual schools becoming less inclusive. Research shows that black students who have black teachers have better academic outcomes, are suspended less often, and face higher expectations from their teachers.

According to a 2017 report on teacher diversity by the Albert Shanker Institute, a think tank focused on democracy and education, minority teachers are more motivated to work with minority students in extremely segregated schools. This may reduce teacher turnover in "hard-to-staff" schools. These teachers have higher academic expectations for minority students, which translate into higher achievement and social growth for this population; they also serve as positive role models.

But there's more at stake than the educational benefits of having black teachers for black students. Ultimately, all students benefit from teachers of color, as exposure to individuals from all walks of life can reduce stereotypes, prevent unconscious bias, and prepare students to succeed in a diverse society.

Losing black teachers is proof of the slow leak of democracy.

When high-profile incidents of racial hatred occur - as in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, when nine people were shot and killed during Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when an alt-right march precipitated the death of an antiracist protester - there is a tendency to circumscribe white supremacy and racism to their most extreme and explosive forms. However, we should not let racism at its most violent distract us from the mundane practices and quiet systems that can help foster notions of white superiority. So I'll say it again: Representation matters. Not seeing qualified, competent black folk in positions of authority may reinforce the belief, conscious or unconscious, that black people are less worthy in some way than white people. And practices that push black people out of very visible jobs, such as teaching, are harmful to society as a whole. I often say that losing black teachers is proof of the slow leak of democracy.

This is especially true in black-majority cities, which are growing in number, outpacing the black population growth. Black people are concentrating in black-majority cities, moving by choice or being priced out due to gentrification. Compounding these demographic shifts, a decrease in black teachers, who comprise a visible chunk of the black middle class, widens the economic and social divides between black and white people.
Related: Black athletes have a trump card they are not using enough
Black-majority cities that are losing black residents should lead the way in retaining and recruiting black teachers. Eliminating barriers to the teaching profession and offering an incentive for black teachers to stay makes complete economic sense. This begins with expanding access to teaching jobs and continues by giving hardworking teachers a raise. Increasing the number of teachers while simultaneously upping the number of middle-class jobs helps make local economies more inclusive. When black people lose quality jobs, it makes it more difficult for them to own a home and afford a decent life, and increases inequality in the economy.

When black, brown and Asian students see that teachers can look like them, and when white teachers see their black students as potential teachers, they can also visualize black people being their neighbors. That's a powerful defense against gentrification and displacement. Currently, negative perceptions of black people power many NIMBY (not in my backyard) efforts to thwart affordable housing developments, which black communities desperately need to survive in many cities. An integrated teaching corps disrupts structural white supremacy because the value of living and working together is demonstrated by the act of doing so, and does more to combat racism than any preaching about inclusion or racial harmony.

An integrated teaching corps disrupts structural white supremacy because the value of living and working together is demonstrated by the act of doing so, and does more to combat racism than any preaching about inclusion or racial harmony.

When it comes to building up a strong defense against the racism caused by ignorance and a lack of exposure to diverse authority figures the country is going in the wrong direction. The majority of students in public schools are from minority groups, but only 18 percent of teachers are people of color. And in many urban areas, where the proportion of black teachers is higher, non-black adults are supplanting black residents, from Compton, California, to Washington, D.C.

In 1970, the black population in Washington stood at approximately 71 percent, according to my analysis of Decennial Census data. The black count dropped slightly in 1990 to 66 percent, but took a precipitous dive between 2000 and 2010, tumbling from 60 to 51 percent in that ten-year span. According to the last Census count in 2017, the black population in D.C. stood at approximately 46 percent.

The teaching workforce followed a similar pattern. The Shanker report found that between 2003 and 2011 the white teaching workforce in Washington more than doubled, from 16 to 39 percent, while the black share declined precipitously, from 77 to 49 percent.
Related: Grooming traditions for back to school
The nation's capital has a dual system of traditional and charter schools. Charter schools educate about half ( 46 percent) of Washington's public school students. Sixty percent of the students that the traditional District of Columbia Public School district educates are black, and 50 percent of the district's teachers are black. The district's charter schools are not required to report teacher demographic data. Consequently, a comparable analysis is not readily available.

An October 2018 report from the District of Columbia State Board of Education found rates of teacher turnover among schools in the nation's capital were higher than those at peer institutions and higher than the national average. The district's average teacher turnover rate at the school level is 26 percent after three years, compared to the national average of 16 percent. Charter schools in the district have different grade configurations and staffing considerations, precluding an apple-to-apples comparison. However, charter schools post a similar three-year turnover rate of 25 percent.

Between 2003 and 2011, the white teaching workforce in Washington, D.C. more than doubled from 16 to 39 percent while the black share declined precipitously from 77 to 49 percent.

Prepubescent and early adolescents aren't the only ones challenged by the notorious middle school years. The D.C. Education Board's report showed that at 32 percent, DCPS middle schools lose a higher percentage of teachers each year compared to elementary or high schools, where turnover rates are closer to 25 percent. Turnover rates in the district follow national trends: They increase alongside the number of at-risk students (those who are experiencing homelessness, live in foster care, or are recipients of public assistance programs). Plus, schools with the highest percentages of at-risk students lose almost a third of teachers each year.
This story about why black teachers matter was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger's newsletter.
Nationally, minority teachers are leaving the profession at higher rates than other teachers. Although minority teachers are concentrated in high-poverty, minority communities, they cite the lack of a collective voice and professional autonomy as reasons for leaving.

Our collective voice should be sounding out the need to recruit and retain black teachers. When we confront the conditions that facilitate higher turnover in schools, we also combat the racism that occurs outside of them. When it comes to integration, it's better to show than to tell.

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Black teachers matter, for students and communities

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Get important education news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox When it comes to teachers' roles in shaping anti-racist communities, it's better to show than to tell. Meaning, society is better off when students see diversity in the ranks of teachers rather than when they hear lessons about the importance of inclusion from a monolithic group of educators.

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Diversity Studies essential to education

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Diversity Studies essential to education

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I have taken a CCSF African American Studies class and was greatly impressed. These kinds of ethnic studies classes are an essential component of anyone's education and super important for the health and future of our society. CCSF must make such classes a priority in the curriculum offered to our students!

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In 1975, then African American Studies chair Glenn Nance hired me to teach Poetry for the People. He had the vision to support a young unknown instructor with a new idea.The African American Studies chairs have continued to take leadership roles in all forms of diversity. They keep the Ethnic Studies and Social Justice departments alive. African American Studies needs that full-time post to support black students, black colleagues, and all the rest of us who work for social transformation.

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We have the support, but rules hold us back

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We have the support, but rules hold us back

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The AFAM resource center needs to have a full time staff member to ensure that students that with all schedules can have a space available to them. Because there are so few hours a student employee can work, most students, mostly African American, barely even see the resource center open. There is also a lack of student employees to begin with. Leaving Black students and our allies without a safe space to study, socialize, and receive a multitude of helpful resources. Since the AFAM resource center has very little staff, it is important for faculty and the board to consider more focus on the Black students at CCSF.

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Black students have always been vulnerable to the education system. Students succeed when they’ve had the opportunity to see themselves within their educators, and mentors. We must equitably serve students so they graduate! How can we (City College) not have a full time AFAM instructor knowing the harmful affects of underrepresentation. What are we doing to rectify the historic and modern day under serving of Black students? This is about equity, justice, and plan ole common decency. - Nikki Hatfield

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When there is a diverse staff, there will be, 1) multiple voices and perspectives that will aid in the florishing and upkeep of the school, and 2) people at the institution that students of all backgrounds can relate to. What it says, however, when there are very few in full time roles, it says that black people are not be an essential part of the institution. It says that things other than Euro-Centric teachings are privileges and/or afterthoughts.

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So long as most courses focus on European culture and traditions, educational institutions must provide places for the expression of other viewpoints and histories. I know how much my own education was stunted through a lack of female role models in physics. The effects of such discrimination can be subtle, but they are significant to those who experience them.
All of our diversity programs are important, but given our country's history and the continued racism that permeates our culture, African American Studies is key to educating our students about these equity issues across the board. The department deserves the full support of the administration.
--Christine Beard

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Black Faculty and Black Students matter. CCSF definitey needs a full-time faculty member to lead. This diversity program is critical in providing knowledge about the African-American experience, and how one can learn and use this knowledge to combat racism in all its forms. Students of all backgrounds benefit from these courses and department. 

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Black Faculty and Black Students matter. CCSF definitey needs a full-time faculty member to lead. This diversity program is critical in providing knowledge about the African-American experience, and how one can learn and use this knowledge to combat racism in all its forms. Students of all backgrounds benefit from these courses and department. 

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African American Studies are Vital for CCSF

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African American Studies are Vital for CCSF

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African American scholarship, African American history, and a commitment to Black futures and Black freedom is vital to each of our disciplines and should be present in all of our classrooms, but this is dependent on, not a substitute for, having a well supported African American Studies department at CCSF. Personally, the first two college classes I ever enrolled in were African American History courses I took at community college while still in high school. Thing things I learned there and relationships I developed helped me believe that education is a space where we can imagine different ways of being in the world, and of being accountable to history. That was central to my decision to become an educator. I think of Dr. Kelley and Professor Ray with gratitude at the top of each semester.  - Adele Failes-Carpenter (WGST)

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Black histories matter. Although I teach in Latinx Studies, some of the most influential classes I took in my studies were in African American Studies. By studying the experiences of other minoritized groups, our students can gain a better understanding of their own experience. Having a full-time faculty member appointed in the department (and not in other departments, as is the case now) is crucial to maintaining the stability of the department and growing it, as well as fully operating the African American Studies Resource Center.

- Daniel Acosta Elkan, Ph.D.

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It would be a discredit to the school not to include a full time faculty position for African American Studies. It was the first of the ethnic and social justice departments, and has enlightened and supported many students from diverse backgrounds. Through the study of black history, art, culture, and activism, the AFAM has enriched the curriculum and credibility of CCSF, and should continue to do so with full availability.

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City College of San Francisco must maintain a full time position for African American Studies!  The importance of diversity in the school and the curriculum are essential to the integrity of the Ethnic Studies and Social Justice departments at the school.

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City College of San Francisco must
maintain a full time position for African American Studies!  The importance of diversity in the school and the curriculum are essential to the integrity of the Ethnic Studies and Social Justice departments at the school.

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African American Studies deserve a Full Time Faculty Member and a Resource Center space of their own. 

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African American Studies deserve a Full Time Faculty Member and a Resource Center space of their own. 

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With the tensions rising in the US, we need a full time professor in the AFAM Department like how we need for Justice for our Black Americans  - George Floyd, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many more.

We support all the Black and Brown students, always standing in solidarity as well as advocating to make CCSF a better place. We cannot let white supremacy continue, we can't defeat it if we de-prioritize the needs of our students of color. Hire a full time faculty member for AFAM and give the students a space on campus that allows students to socialize, study, and support one another.
-CCSF Student Says (@ccsfstudentsays on Instagram and Twitter)

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We need not just one but a dozen FT faculty in African American studies. Every time I meet a student who has a high level of political consciousness it's often because they took ethnic studies classes. We need these now more than ever. Power to the people. - Tenaya Lafore, ESL instructor 

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We need not just one but a dozen FT faculty in African American studies. Every time I meet a student who has a high level of political consciousness it's often because they took ethnic studies classes. We need these now more than ever. Power to the people. - Tenaya Lafore, ESL instructor 

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City College of San Francisco has a reputation as a fabulously inclusive and diverse institution. We can't continue that without a Full-Time Faculty Position in African American (AFAM) Studies. I'm mortified that we even have to "beg" for funding for this position. It should be automatic. When the college doesn't fund a position (particularly African American Studies in freakin' 2020), it's telling the community that it doesn't think it's important. We need to fix this. NOW. Please.  

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City College of San Francisco has a reputation as a fabulously inclusive and diverse institution. We can't continue that without a Full-Time Faculty Position in African American (AFAM) Studies. I'm mortified that we even have to "beg" for funding for this position. It should be automatic. When the college doesn't fund a position (particularly African American Studies in freakin' 2020), it's telling the community that it doesn't think it's important. We need to fix this. NOW. Please.  

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These classes are vital and increase student agency, self-esteem, Power, and cultural knowledge.
Let's show the world that we're actively trying to be anti-racist at CCSF, and hire a full-time AFAM faculty!
-Maggie Frankel, CCSF Librarian

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The History Behind Recent Events is Illuminated by my African American History Courses

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The History Behind Recent Events is Illuminated by my African American History Courses

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I didn't study African Literature and History at CCSF, I studied them at SFSU, because I had the means to do so.  And if I hadn't had access to those classes,  I would have far less context for what's happening in our country today in the protests against police violence.  African American Studies is essential to a well-rounded education about US History, and CCSF needs to step up our game big time and nurture and expand its AFAM Program by creating MULTIPLE full time faculty positions to make African American Studies accessible to all students, regardless of means.

Dina Wilson
FORMER (Laid off due to budget cuts!) ESL Instructor, Mission Campus

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An institution that prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity must have full-time faculty to teach African-American studies.  Actions truly speak louder than words.

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Melissa San Miguel: I am a Latinx student at CCSF and I find it unconscionable we do not have a full-time faculty member for the African American Studies Department. I stand in solidarity to demand CCSF hires not just one, BUT SEVERAL full-time Black professors. It makes a difference for one's humanity to be taught by someone who looks like you. The history and reality of people of color are brutal; we need classroom leaders to help us unpack the world around us and show us how to be the change makers. I know my people are not free until Black people are free. We need and demand full-time faculty in African American Studies!

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Melissa San Miguel: I am a Latinx student at CCSF and I find it unconscionable we do not have a full-time faculty member for the African American Studies Department. I stand in solidarity to demand CCSF hires not just one, BUT SEVERAL full-time Black professors. It makes a difference for one's humanity to be taught by someone who looks like you. The history and reality of people of color are brutal; we need classroom leaders to help us unpack the world around us and show us how to be the change makers. I know my people are not free until Black people are free. We need and demand full-time faculty in African American Studies!

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Student rights
The African American studies department needs at the very least one (but preferably many more!)full-time faculty!!!!!!! ALL of our students need to be represented and ALL of our students, regardless of their race/ethnicity, benefit from African American studies!

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African American Studies are essential to the health and intellectual development of CCSF students and our society. The college needs to honor its proud history and the and fund at least one full-time faculty position in African American Studies. At a time when SFUSD and the state of California are recognizing the need to expand Ethnic Studies, it makes no sense to shrink these vital programs at CCSF. 

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African American Studies are essential to the health and intellectual development of CCSF students and our society. The college needs to honor its proud history and the and fund at least one full-time faculty position in African American Studies. At a time when SFUSD and the state of California are recognizing the need to expand Ethnic Studies, it makes no sense to shrink these vital programs at CCSF. 

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Read about the quilts here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/fabric-of-their-lives-132757004/

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I  am strongly in favor of supporting African American and all CCSF Ethnic Studies programs. We need full-time faculty for Af-Am studies. This issue shouldn't even have to be debated. Our board should just do it now.

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I  am strongly in favor of supporting African American and all CCSF Ethnic Studies programs. We need full-time faculty for Af-Am studies. This issue shouldn't even have to be debated. Our board should just do it now.

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We need full-time faculty for African American studies!

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We need full-time faculty for African American studies!

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I support the need for full-time faculty in the AFAM Studies  Program at CCSF !

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I support the need for full-time faculty in the AFAM Studies  Program at CCSF !

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AFAM studies is essential to our college if we are to affirm and help sustain our collective humanity. As a socially engaged art history teacher at CCSF, I constantly see how ALL students deeply benefit from being exposed and reflecting about the watershed contributions of African Americans and people from African diaspora. Restoring a full time position in AFAM and sustaining the growth of all of our ethnic studies program is literally a matter of life and death.  The artwork below was created by Aaron Douglas African American modern master in the 1930's at a time of deep economic collapse. Sophie Touze, Art department.

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African American Studies is vital to a college education in our country.

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African American Studies is vital to a college education in our country.

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All educated people in the US must understand the history, literature, arts, and philosophical contributions of African Americans; without this, we don’t know who we are as a nation.

As an institution, City College should recruit and retain scholars in this vibrant, interdisciplinary field. All of our departments and all of our students will benefit from having a strong, fully-operational African American Studies department with multiple full-time faculty members.

Moreover, our college needs more Black teachers in all disciplines! According to research compiled by the Black Teacher Project, Black teachers have higher expectations for Black students, who thereby perform better; all students prefer Black and Hispanic teachers; and non-Black students benefit from Black teachers by having a role model across racial differences.

My hope is that the college will actively strengthen our African American Studies department, which will help us better serve all our students. If we are doing our job well, we will also supporting more of our African American students (and other students of color) to become educators at all levels!

-       Maggie Harrison, English faculty and Women’s and Gender Studies department chair

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As an educator in SFUSD, I fully support having a full-time position in AFAM.  Many of my high school students go on to City College, so I am very much invested in the quality, diversity, and representation of CCSF's faculty.

I recently took Sophie Touze's Art 107 course on African American Art History and wanted to share a particularly poignant work of art.

This poster by Charles White, "Wanted Poster Series #14" created in 1970 has two dates in the top corners: 1619 and 19??.  1619 marks  the beginning of slavery in the U.S. 19?? represents the fact that White did not know when slavery would end since oppression and involuntary servitude continued for the Black community.  Unfortunately, if he were to make a new iteration of his series today, the first date would read "1619" and the second date would tragically read "20??"

Fifty years later, and White's message still rings true.  This is why we need to center Black voices and hire a full-time AFAM position.

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Black faculty, leadership and vision are essential to the CCSF and world we seek

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Black faculty, leadership and vision are essential to the CCSF and world we seek

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As a lifelong learner, I've been in many educational environments across California, but so many disciplines and departments -- from art to archaeology, statistics to ethnic studies, are all still swimming in white-centered anti-black paradigms. Some instructors intentionally try to counter that by bringing in subversive ways of thinking and center black voices, but it's rare. African American Studies is one of rare spaces on a campus that centers black-identified people's lives, experience, theology, etc. And for AFAM Studies to not be starved of any impact, to not let it be a shallow performative token, at the VERY LEAST it needs a full-time faculty position. It deserves so much more.

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This position is important to the future generations to attend city college. This department is important for the African American culture. Student of color and anyone else have a right to learn about the African diaspora and before these classes I did not have access to this knowledge. I have taken two classes in the department From Funk to Hip-hop and African American Art History Art 107.

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In 1975, then African American Studies chair Glenn Nance hired me to teach Poetry for the People. He had the vision to support a young unknown instructor with a new idea.The African American Studies chairs have continued to take leadership roles in all forms of diversity. They keep the Ethnic Studies and Social Justice departments alive. African American Studies needs that full-time post to support black students, black colleagues, and all the rest of us who work for social transformation.

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Melissa San Miguel - I am a Latinx student at CCSF and I find it unconscionable we do not have a full-time faculty member for the African American Studies Department. I stand in solidarity to demand CCSF hires not just one, BUT SEVERAL full-time Black professors. It makes a difference for one's humanity to be taught by someone who looks like you. The history and reality of people of color are brutal; we need classroom leaders to help us unpack the world around us and show us how to be the change makers. I know my people are not free until Black people are free, too. We need and demand full-time faculty in African American Studies!

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Melissa San Miguel - I am a Latinx student at CCSF and I find it unconscionable we do not have a full-time faculty member for the African American Studies Department. I stand in solidarity to demand CCSF hires not just one, BUT SEVERAL full-time Black professors. It makes a difference for one's humanity to be taught by someone who looks like you. The history and reality of people of color are brutal; we need classroom leaders to help us unpack the world around us and show us how to be the change makers. I know my people are not free until Black people are free, too. We need and demand full-time faculty in African American Studies!

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CCSF can NOT claim to support diversity and not have a robust African American Studies Department taught by Black full time instructors. Period. CCSF's Vision Statement says, "CCSF shall provide a sustainable and accessible environment where we support and encourage student possibilities by building on the vibrancy of San Francisco and where we are guided by the principles of inclusiveness, integrity, innovation, creativity, and quality. Empowered through resources, collegiality, and public support, the college will provide diverse communities with excellent educational opportunities and services. We will inspire participatory global citizenship grounded in critical thinking and an engaged, forward thinking student body.". Students of color CAN NOT be empowered without an African American Studies Department which reflects their own experiences. Keep the department, don't cut classes, and hire instructors of color. 

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CCSF can NOT claim to support diversity and not have a robust African American Studies Department taught by Black full time instructors. Period. CCSF's Vision Statement says, "CCSF shall provide a sustainable and accessible environment where we support and encourage student possibilities by building on the vibrancy of San Francisco and where we are guided by the principles of inclusiveness, integrity, innovation, creativity, and quality. Empowered through resources, collegiality, and public support, the college will provide diverse communities with excellent educational opportunities and services. We will inspire participatory global citizenship grounded in critical thinking and an engaged, forward thinking student body.". Students of color CAN NOT be empowered without an African American Studies Department which reflects their own experiences. Keep the department, don't cut classes, and hire instructors of color. 

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It is important that we represent all cultures and groups at CCSF.  I am writing to advocate for funding for a full time position for African American Studies at CCSF!!! This position will help provide a platform for learning and will offer a learning environment that is not always available in our school systems.  Again, please work to create funding for a full time position for African American Studies at CCSF!!!

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It is important that we represent all cultures and groups at CCSF.  I am writing to advocate for funding for a full time position for African American Studies at CCSF!!! This position will help provide a platform for learning and will offer a learning environment that is not always available in our school systems.  Again, please work to create funding for a full time position for African American Studies at CCSF!!!