About Us

On March 21, 2017, The Rose Black Resource Center was established to help turn around a continuous ten-year decline in Black student enrollment and low graduation rates at CSUDH. The idea for a Black Resource Center was originally presented to CSUDH administration as apart of a list of demands drafted by the Black Leadership Council. As the brainchild of four student leaders: Justin Blakely, Grace Iheke, James Harris III, and Sean Cook, the purpose of the Black Resource Center was to provide Black students with an "innovative and engaging campus learning space, that supports student success".

The center’s former name, “The Rose,” was inspired by Tupac Shakur’s poem “The Rose That Grew from Concrete,” and symbolizes the success and resiliency of Black students despite organizational and institutional barriers. “The Rose” was also given an additional meaning by Elaine Brown, former chairwoman of the Black Panther Party, after her visit to The Rose Black Resource Center. “The Rose” pays homage to the poem “Black Mother,” written by the late Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter, another former leader of The Black Panther Party's Los Angeles chapter.

The mission of the Black Resource Center (BRC) is to improve the collegiate experience and educational outcomes of Black students at California State University, Dominguez Hills by providing a network of academic, personal, and professional support services and culturally-relevant programming.

• Collaboration - Engaging in partnerships that promote diversity, equity and inclusion allow for an exchange of ideas and resources that advance the mission of the Rose Black Resource Center. We actively seek new opportunities that will assist us in service for our students, campus, and greater community.
• Collegiate Success - We are dedicated to promoting an educational climate that expects and maintains high educational standards consistent with the needs of the students, and that values creativity, innovation and freedom of intellectual exploration, discovery, thought, and exchange of ideas.
• Civic Engagement - Civic engagement rooted in social justice and community restoration is a fundamental value of our center. We encourage students to serve society through service learning, political participation, scholarship, and leadership. We hope to educate successive generations of leaders, and to pass on to students a renewable set of skills and commitment to social engagement.
• Culture - We thoroughly embrace the rich legacy of African culture by celebrating the diversity of the African Diaspora while also making connections through universal themes. Our activities, programs, and events reflect a kaleidoscope of global Black culture across the generations.
• Community - Finding a "home" on campus and a sense of belonging, is an important part of a student’s college experience. We believe that student success is not meant to be a solitary journey, and a strong community is essential in advancing the academic, personal, and professional excellence of Black students.