The Wall Stands Only a Few Feet Tall. But What It Stands for is Significant.
For more than 50 years, “the wall” at Berkeley has been a place where Black students gather. Now it’s getting recognition.
By Ande Richards
WALLS HOLD A MYTHICAL PLACE IN OUR SOCIAL ORDER. Pilgrims push slips of paper with wishes and prayers into the many cracks of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The Great Wall of China is a spectacle of ancient defensive architecture and a symbol of strength. The Berlin Wall evolved from a barbed wire and cinder block line of demarcation into a series of 15-foot-high concrete walls separating East and West Germany. It was a Cold War monument to their conflicting ideologies.
African American Initiative expands support, aims to better campus climate
Maya Valluru/Staff
The African American Initiative at UC Berkeley is aiming to continue working to increase Black recruitment and retention rates. The initiative was created in 2015.
Last Updated February 4, 2021
Despite budget cuts faced by UC Berkeley, the African American Initiative, or AAI, hopes to continue its efforts to increase Black recruitment and retention rates, bolster support systems and cultivate a better campus climate.
In order for Black students to have a better UC Berkeley experience, campus needs to focus on equity and justice, according to Takiyah Jackson, AAI committee chair and the African American Student Development director. In fall 2020, the AAI hired its first academic counselor and four students to provide support services for scholar recipients, Jackson added.