By Romi Mathews
Tucked away in the back of campus, down dimly lit halls with no defining markers, lies the Black Resource Center—one of many spaces meant to serve Black students, yet only brought into focus during certain times of the year.
Many Black students are still unaware of the Black resources and organizations on campus because they are tucked away both figuratively and literally.
With Black students making up about 9% of Long Beach State’s population according to campus demographics data from 2023, the issue isn’t just about space—it’s about visibility. Recognition that begins and ends with a calendar month is not enough. Performative gestures will no longer do.
In August 2020, following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, CSULB President Jane Close Conoley issued a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan, aimed at amplifying Black voices among faculty, staff and students while also expanding equitable opportunities for Black administrators and students on campus.
While a campus commission exists to annually assess and address issues of racism and equity, its impact remains questionable.
The persistent lack of equitable opportunities stems not from a lack of resources, but from administrative inaction, weak institutional connections and a failure to provide genuine, non-performative support for Black organizations and resource centers; barriers that are entirely preventable.
Despite stated commitments, students say visibility remains an ongoing issue. Though the Black Resource Center and other spaces exist, their presence often goes unnoticed, and university support tends to peak in February before fading into the background.
“What I would like to see on campus is more visibility within the Black community and how expansive it can be,” said Julia Llanos-Bultrón, a first year graduate student. “I would like to see more panel discussions and connections between the student and faculty body, as well as not just a focus on Black identity only and exclusively during Black History Month, which happens to be during the shortest month of the year.”
For many students, this sentiment reflects a larger pattern: institutional support for Black students is largely seasonal, acknowledged when convenient but lacking consistent, year-round support.
While Black History Month events serve an important purpose, it should not be the only time Black identity, culture and student needs are visibly prioritized on campus, especially on a campus that prides itself on being progressive and incredibly liberal.
The issue goes beyond performative gestures. Visibility means active, continuous conversations and action with Black students and organizations. Consistent outreach, and real investment is needed, not just acknowledgment when it’s convenient for the university’s image or limited to a single month.
The question remains: What steps can CSULB take to ensure these efforts extend beyond February?
And more importantly, how will the administration turn promises of equity into sustained action rather than symbolic recognition?
A suggestion would be to host consistent open forums to bring students, staff and faculty from all walks of life together to foster connection and understanding through chosen topics.
Institutional complacency is a choice, and when inactions such as these become choices, they become intentional manipulation.
