Sacramento City College’s Transfer Center recently hosted the CCC to HBCU Fall Caravan at City Cafe, an event introducing students to the unique opportunities, historical legacy and academic advantages of attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The event underscored the importance of considering HBCUs alongside the more commonly pursued University of California and California State University systems, particularly for students seeking pathways tailored to support diverse and marginalized communities.
With music, discussions and 20 representatives from HBCUs, the event created a vibrant space for students to explore new academic pathways beyond California’s universities, inspiring attendees to consider options that align with their aspirations.
Ten members from the chancellor’s office that head the California Community College to HBCU were also in attendance to build relationships and establish transfer agreements. City College President Albert Garcia opened the event with words of encouragement for students.
“I’m in the presence of important educational history in this country, the history of opportunity for our Black citizens in higher education — that’s not supposed to be taken lightly,” Garcia said. “These are such rich and good opportunities for our students. I want them to know about these opportunities for our students and am thankful for the caravan being here today to make that possible.”
Simultaneously, students had an HBCU experience workshop led by City College faculty and staff who had attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Prior to the event, the attendees were encouraged to bring their transcripts to the event for the HBCU representatives to discuss with them transferability.
The Fall Caravan event focused on these core goals to promote academic excellence: raising awareness of HBCUs as viable transfer options, and educating attendees on the rich history and cultural significance of the HBCUs. Patricia Morgan-Mejia, City College student transfer specialist, was the main event organizer and highlighted these goals in a pre-event briefing, noting the importance of expanding transfer conversations beyond UCs and CSUs.
The event is important to City College’s student success because the staff at the transfer center and the HBCU representatives want to ensure students succeed beyond the application process, according to Morgan-Mejia. There is a misconception that the event is exclusive to students of African American or Black identities. However, these events are open to everyone to come and get information about revered educational institutions that guarantee a place that focuses on nurturing the success of students that they may not experience in other colleges and universities.
“They’re like, ‘We want to prepare you for the world out there because it’s not going to be perfect, but we still aspire for excellence in spite of all the racism and the hatred.’ You’ve gotta aspire to that, and they just … have that sense of community,” Morgan-Mejia said.
She further pushes that most people go to a school and feel lost, but this is not the case with HBCUs. They are checking on their students and making sure they are doing well to help them succeed.
Attendees found the event insightful, with student Gaby, a biochemistry major, noting, “It definitely makes the graduation and admission process a lot easier. I know where to go, who to call and what to look for.”
Keen, a first-year in kinesiology, echoed this sentiment, adding that the event was an “eye-opener” that broadened his transfer possibilities.
“It keeps my options open… now I have a few more options of where I could go, a place that piques my interest,” Keen said.
