On Monday, April 20, community colleges across California will kick off the seventh annual Black Student Success Week (BSSW), bringing together students, educators, policymakers, and community partners for a week of programming focused on advancing equity and improving outcomes for students, including, but not limited to, Black learners. This year’s theme, “Revolution: (Re)Defining Black Student Success,” underscores the continued commitment to strengthening support systems, expanding opportunity, and addressing persistent barriers that impact students across higher education.
Launched in 2020, Black Student Success Week has grown into a statewide and national platform for elevating strategies to improve access, completion, transfer, and career outcomes for students, including, but not limited to, Black students. The week features daily webinars, student-centered sessions, and engagement opportunities designed to highlight effective practices and inform policy discussions across the California Community Colleges system.
“Black Student Success Week has always been about action,” said Dr. Keith Curry, chair of Black Student Success Week and president/CEO of Compton College. “A revolution doesn’t only happen in the streets; it happens in boardrooms, classrooms, and the legislature. It happens when we strategically redesign policies, invest in equity, and build systems that finally reflect the talent, aspirations, and lived experiences of students, including but not limited to Black students. This week is a reminder that we must move with urgency and intention.”
Black students constitute a significant share of California Community Colleges’ enrollment, and compared to their peers, disproportionately begin their higher education journey at community colleges, making it imperative that community colleges address their needs. As the system continues to implement the Chancellor’s Office Vision 2030, this year’s Black Student Success Week programming emphasizes the importance of affordability, basic needs support, clear transfer pathways, and culturally responsive practices that help students persist and achieve their goals.
“Revolution requires all of us,” said Cassandra Jennings, CEO of St. HOPE Sacramento and chair of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Black & African American Advisory Panel. “Our students deserve systems that see them, support them, and believe in their futures. When colleges, communities, and state leaders work together, we create environments where Black students can thrive, not by exception, but by design. This week is a celebration of their brilliance and a commitment to the work still ahead.”
Black Student Success Week will feature daily virtual sessions of #TheBlackHour, a webinar series that shares insights and approaches for improving student success; #TheAfterParty, small-group discussions immediately following #TheBlackHour; and #TheStudentHour webinars focused on the needs and resources available to help current and prospective students succeed. The full webinar schedule is listed below:
Monday, April 20, 2026
12 – 1 p.m. #TheBlackHour – From Destination to Declaration: BSIs Lead in California
1 – 2 p.m. #TheAfterParty
6 – 7 p.m. #TheStudentHour – Access Basic Needs & Financial Intelligence
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
12 – 1 p.m. #TheBlackHour – ROI as Economic Liberation: Higher Education’s Moral Obligation
1 – 2 p.m. #TheAfterParty
6 – 7 p.m. #TheStudentHour – Earn a Bachelor’s Degree & Explore Career Education
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
12 – 1 p.m. #TheBlackHour – No More Gatekeeping: Redesigning Math Pathways for Servingness
1 – 2 p.m. #TheAfterParty
6 – 7 p.m. #TheStudentHour – Transfer to a Four-year University
Thursday, April 23, 2026
TheBlackOut Advocacy Day
12 – 1 p.m. #TheBlackHour – Basic Needs Support Institutional Infrastructure, Not Intervention
1 – 2 p.m. #TheAfterParty
6 – 7:30 p.m. #TheStudentHour – Cash for College Workshop
Friday, April 24, 2026
12 – 1 p.m. #TheBlackHour – Black Data is Black Power: Reclaiming the Story of Black Student Success
1 – 2 p.m. #TheAfterParty
Black Student Success Week is supported by a broad coalition of partners, including the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the Community College League of California, A2MEND, Umoja Community, EdTrust West, the RP Group, and many additional organizations committed to advancing equity for Black learners. For the full schedule, registration links, and resources, visit blkstudentsuccess.com