‘Still I Rise’: 29 Stories of Excellence & Achievement

The accomplishments of African American students, faculty, alumni and staff of the CSU are too numerous to mention, let alone do justice.

Still, on the occasion of Black History Month, we pause to acknowledge 29 exceptional people who have helped to make the California State University what it is today: a place of academic rigor, exceptional achievement and pioneering inclusiveness.

Meet the 29

Dr. Ramona Tascoe

Alumna, San Francisco State & Activist

For a lifetime of demanding change and justice

Marvin Reed

Alumnus, Sacramento State & Teacher, Berkeley Unified School District

For becoming the teacher he needed as a young student

Dr. Vincent Matthews

Alumnus, San Francisco State & Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District

For tireless work in narrowing the achievement gap and raising students’ academic performance

Thomas Johnson III

Alumnus, CSUN & Teacher, Larchmont Charter School

For instilling in his students a joy for math and science

Dr. Yvonne Cagle

Alumna, San Francisco State & NASA Management Astronaut

For helping to blaze a trail for African American women in space

Gabriel Smith

Alumnus, Cal Poly Pomona & Political Associate, California Democratic Party

For working to give more Californians access to education and health care

Alicia Garza

Alumna, San Francisco State & Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter

For living the credo that “none of us are free until all of us are free”

Demontea Thompson

Alumnus, CSUN, Resident Director, Cal State LA & Co-Founder, Twinspire

For working toward a world in which all underrepresented young adults succeed

Dr. Herbert L. Carter

Trustee Emeritus, California State University

For serving as the CSU’s first systemwide director of affirmative action

Dr. Joseph White

Alumnus, San Francisco State, Founder, Educational Opportunity Program & Former Professor, Cal State Long Beach

For opening the door to higher education to thousands of California students

Josh Kelly

Student, Cal State Fullerton & Member, Male Success Initiative

For paying it forward to other young male students of color

Caitlin Dickerson

Alumna, Cal State Long Beach & National Immigration Reporter, The New York Times

For continuing to break news about one of the defining topics of our times

Jonathan Henderson

Alumnus & Staff, CSU Dominguez Hills & Regional Coordinator, Umoja Community Education Foundation

For working to make African American student success a priority in higher education

Dr. Claudia Hampton

Trustee Emerita, California State University

For serving as the first African American trustee of the California State University

Phillip Boutté Jr.

Alumnus, Cal State Long Beach & Concept Costume Artist

For costumes that transport moviegoers into new worlds

Dr. Blenda Wilson

President Emerita, CSUN

For being the first African American woman to lead a U.S. campus with 25,000 or more students

Elliott Powell

Alumnus, CSU San Marcos & First African American Director of the White House Situation Room

For dedicating his second act to educating middle-schoolers

Judy Belk

Alumna, Cal State East Bay & President & CEO, The California Wellness Foundation

For a career devoted to improving the health of the traditionally underserved

Honorable Willie Brown

Alumnus, San Francisco State & Former Mayor, City and County of San Francisco & Former Speaker, California State Assembly

For serving as the first African American mayor of San Francisco & first African American Speaker of the California State Assembly

Sandra Jackson-Dumont

Alumna, Sonoma State & Director & CEO, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

For making museums more relevant and inspiring

Raynor Carroll

Alumnus, Cal State LA, & Former Co-Principal Percussionist/Timpanist, Los Angeles Philharmonic

For decades of making beautiful music

Violet Palmer

Alumna, Cal Poly Pomona & Former NBA Referee

For leading the way for female referees in the NBA

Ryan Coogler

Alumnus, Sacramento State & Filmmaker of “Black Panther” and “Fruitvale Station”

For storytelling that’s reshaping how we see the world

Dr. Marvalene Hughes

President Emerita, Stanislaus State

For becoming the first female and first African American president of Stanislaus State

Victor Glover

Alumnus, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo & NASA Astronaut

For dreaming of the stars, and working hard to get there

Dr. Krishna Foster

Faculty, Cal State LA

For making science accessible to more students and students of color

Dr. Soraya Coley

President, Cal Poly Pomona

For always believing she could

Dr. Harry Edwards

Alumnus, San José State & Professor, Author & Activist

For an unparalleled legacy of courageous activism in sport and well beyond

Dr. Rashida Crutchfield

Faculty, Cal State Long Beach

For quantifying at last the problems of housing and food insecurity for college students

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Do you know a CSU student, alumni, faculty or staff member you think should be recognized during Black History Month? We’d love to hear from you!

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Check back throughout the month to meet more exceptional African Americans of the CSU.