With 28,393 students enrolled in 2024, only 4.2% of those students were Black or African American. While it may not seem like a lot, equating to a little over 1000 students, the college has implemented a number of programs and resources to engage that demographic in order to foster community and academic success.
As a black student myself, I can understand why the college continues to push Black culture even with a 5% Black student population. Where most people don’t even realize there are so few of us in their classes, these events can help connect this group to their Black peers. The school had a “Welcome Black Week” to begin the semester featuring a “Hot Cocoa Kickback” on Tuesday, Feb. 25, followed by “Wing Wednesday” with guest speaker, New York Times Best-selling Author Nic Stone and movie night the next day.
19-year-old freshman photography major Anyla Blakemore said the college could do better at increasing campus awareness. According to the official Mt. SAC high school outreach instagram on February 19, 2025 the Men Of Color Action Network (MOCAN) used Heritage Hall to host an event, but other than that nothing else has been hosted there recently.
“We do have that building [Heritage Hall], but I feel like we just probably have to push it more,” she said.
Mt. SAC has been doing what they can by sending emails to Black students about Black events that take place throughout the year. Just last month on Feb. 10, the school emailed Black students, asking if they would like to visit any Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). On Feb. 5, the college also sent an email about a Brotherhood gathering for Feb. 19 for all Black and African American men. However, with the vast number of emails students receive daily, emails like these can get overlooked.
Other students praised the school for the resources they have for their black students. Sophomore business management major Dominic Roy, and freshman communications major John Beasley both gave SAC credit for the amount of resources the school offers their students.
“It’s the resources they give us,” Beasley said.
“They got way more resources here than anywhere else I’ve been to school at,” Roy said.
From interviews to events and receiving emails from SAC, as a Black student, it truly feels that our school is venturing out to make sure Black culture and those it represents are seen and heard.
When asked about how the college can make a true difference, Blakemore notes, “I feel like having more events that we can … go to and kind of … just feel welcomed here.”
SAC is doing a great job trying to put on events for its Black and African American students, but having more posters around and doing a little more than just sending out an email might help the Black community feel a bit more welcomed alongside the great resources the school does a great job at providing.
