By Long Beach State has seen a 20% increase in Black student enrollment during the 2024-25 academic year due to the combined efforts of Black student organizations, the Black Resource Center and administration.
In the current academic year, the university has a total of 1,409 Black students enrolled. Previously, the highest number of Black students enrolled over the last seven years was 1,283 in 2020. The lowest in the last seven was 1,082 in 2019, 30% less than the current enrollment number, according to CSULB’s Institutional Research and Analytics.
Overall, Black students make up only 4% of the total student population at CSULB. However, this number is slowly increasing along with total student enrollment due to a renewed targeted focus from recent outreach efforts.
In May 2024, the CSULB administration created a four-step process to help strengthen Black student success in response to a call to action for all CSU colleges to focus on supporting Black student success due to decreased enrollment.
This initiative aims to increase enrollment while improving Black students’ success rates and overall well-being. The initiative is supported by a $250,000 grant from the CSU Chancellor’s Office to the CSULB, specifically.
“The rise in the number of Black students enrolled at The Beach is so encouraging. Some of the efforts we have activated are already leading to increased results, which demonstrates that The Beach is on a positive trajectory,” Karyn Scissum Gunn, CSULB provost, said.
Gunn mentioned the efforts are part of CSULB’s Black student success initiatives.
These initiatives include a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility initiative focused on equipping faculty members with the tools to better support Black and Indigenous People of Color and a guided pathways major program to support undeclared BIPOC students.
Two other initiatives being implemented to help increase enrollment include a college preparatory success project for all Long Beach Unified School District students and “Black Beach for Life.”
This program is designed to foster and sustain Black student engagement throughout their educational journey at CSULB. Both initiatives are set to launch by the end of 2025.
Gunn said these initiatives are part of the administration’s larger effort to build a stronger campus community that will allow all students to thrive.
Vice President of Student Affairs Beth Lesen said when her office analyzed the enrollment data of Black students, they noticed that many Black students had been admitted over the years; however, many of those admitted opted not to enroll.
Officials from Student Affairs had to replan their outreach strategy.
“We immediately shifted our focus to yield efforts, helping admitted students decide to choose CSULB,” Lesen said in an email statement sent to the Current. “Collaborating with the Office of Belonging and Inclusion, the Black Resource Center and the Black Faculty and Staff Association, we did many new things to show the local Black community that CSULB is a welcoming, supportive environment.”
One key factor many CSULB officials, including Lesen, identify as an essential element in supporting Black students is the Black Resource Center.
Black Resource Center Assistant Director Paul Carter gifts flowers to the student speaklers at the Afro-Caribbean Social event on Thursday, Feb. 27. This event was one of many hosted by the BRC during Black History Month. Photo credit: Khoury Williams
Launched in 2020 as part of five Cultural Resource Centers, the BRC is a campus organization dedicated to the growth and support of Black students, staff and faculty.
The BRC partners with other campus organizations and clubs to host events, organize activities and provide student mentorship opportunities. The BRC also strives to employ and hire Black students for peer mentoring, outreach, writing and marketing.
“The Black Resource Center plays a pivotal role in offering support, advocacy and programming tailored to Black students,” Lesen said.
BRC Assistant Director Paul Carter has been a driving force behind many of the BRC’s event planning and organization efforts. Carter constantly looks for ways to improve the BRC’s offerings to keep Black students engaged.
“We offer cultural programming designed to enhance the student experience. In addition, we host an internship program called Catalyst for Change, where students can work with community-based organizations that are doing meaningful work in the local community,” Carter said.
He said all students are welcome and eligible to participate in the Black Resource Center’s events, programs and scholarship opportunities.
Another key pillar in strengthening CSULB’s recruitment efforts for Black students has been a new summer event called the Black Excellence Experience.
Launched in 2024, the Black Excellence Experience offers first-year students a three-day campus stay, including a guided tour to help them become familiar with campus culture and resources.
During this time, students have the opportunity to interact with faculty, as well as both incoming and current Black students.
Hosted by the Black Resource Center in collaboration with the Latinx Resource Center and the Ltinx Student Union, the Afro-Caribbean Social gave students the opportunity to network and celebrate their heritage while enjoying traditional Caribbean-inspired food and music. Photo credit: Khoury Williams
Associate Professor of Africana Studies Keith Claybrook is one of the many Black leaders at CSULB who played a pivotal role in organizing the university’s Day at the Beach event and the Black Excellence Experience.
“All these sorts of things, I think … created a climate and a buzz in our surrounding off-campus communities with the statement of ‘Hey [CSULB] is where you should send your student, your child, your grandchild,” Claybrook said. “We can’t take all the credit, but I do think the Black faculty has definitely played a role in creating that atmosphere and sense of community.”
Claybrook emphasized the increase in Black student enrollment is the result of a collective effort from Black students, staff and faculty. However, he also acknowledged enrollment alone is not enough, stressing that faculty and administration are responsible for ensuring that Black students graduate.
“We have to continue the momentum we’ve built and see it all the way through, year in and year out.”
In 2021, Black students represented just 3% of total enrollment at CSULB. By 2022, their six-year graduation rate was only 48% for those enrolled Black students.
In her book “Long Beach State at 75,” Journalism Lecturer Barbara Kingsley-Wilson highlights the concerns of Africana Studies Professor and Kwanzaa creator Maulana Karenga regarding the small percentage of Black students at CSULB.
Despite his concerns, Karenga hopes the administration will continue to implement improvements that will attract more Black students to the university.
“I am anxious, and I’m committed to increasing it. And I believe that Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn is very involved in this in a way that’s significant to what we’re trying to do and what we eventually have to do,” Karenga said. “If we’re going to claim equity, if we’re going to claim diversity, equity, and inclusion and excellence, we can’t do that without Black people present.”
