Alumna creates campus event series dedicated to uplifting Black voices

Growing up in Richmond, California, Sha’Nice Robinson (B.A. ’15; M.A. ’18; M.Ed. ’19) was silent on issues of social and racial injustice. “I would see things happening in the community and I wouldn’t say anything because I just wasn’t knowledgeable,” she said. But that ended when she came to San Francisco State University in 2011 as an undergraduate. She transformed into an “agent for change” after majoring in Africana Studies, she says. “I finally learned about myself,” she said. This awakening inspired her to ignite that spark in others as an event organizer, a teacher and a future leader.

Last fall, with the help of fellow alumni and faculty from the Graduate College of Education, Robinson co-founded the Soul of San Francisco State, a series of virtual events celebrating the Black community. The timing was key, given the onslaught of news about police violence against the Black community. There was a need for positive programming, she says. The Soul of SF State events have included a Black History Month celebration featuring San Francisco Mayor London Breed and city Supervisor Shamann Walton (MPA, ’10) as speakers; the Black Excellence Awards honoring Black students, staff and faculty; and an April 24 event featuring Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza (M.A., ’17).

Read the full article on SF State News.