Funding for Minority Serving Institutions and Programs

Going to a university like UC Berkeley has been an experience of great privilege and opportunity, but in my time it certainly has not been without its challenges. Being Black at Berkeley has been a unique experience while attending an institution in which Black students only make up less than 2 percent of the population. From dealing with micro-agressions, to seeking support and development on campus, to navigating classes, clubs and organizations in which I am often the only Black person in the room, it definitely is a challenge to be such a minority on your own campus. Through the existing programs at my school serving the Black student population, whether they be student-run clubs or campus programs, like the African American Student Development, Fannie Lou Center, and many more have made me feel more welcomed and accepted at University. These programs give support and structure to students of color as they navigate the institution of UC Berkeley with a unique experience that our peers and professors may not always connect with. Without guidance from mentorship programs supporting Black students and Programming and events that provided me with a sense of community in my first days at Berkeley, my Berkeley experience would have been significantly more difficult. Members of the Black community themselves lift up Black students at UC Berkeley and put so much work into mitigating the effects of being historically and currently underrepresented on campus. 

Still, however, universities should be doing more for these students rather than all the support and work coming from minority communities. There needs to be effort and funding from the institutions themselves, which would be made easier with increased funding for public education. The Trump administration has constantly targeted minority serving institutions and programs like these and will continue to do so with more cuts and threats. Funding for these programs is a vital part of funding for public education as this increases access and equity for all students, whether it be in K-12 schools or universities. Taking these programs away and cutting funding from them will only increase the systematic inequality that is already persistent in our education system.