Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video: Black UCLA Students Highlight Lack Of Diversity On Campus
A video posted on Monday has sparked a discussion on the lack of African-American students on the UCLA campus.
The creator of the video, Sy Stokes, is seen reciting a spoken-word poem that highlights the isolation many black UCLA students have felt while attending the university. The video is full of interesting information, including the falling retention rates for black male UCLA students and the fact that the graduation rate for black males at UCLA is 74 percent, which is the lowest among high-ranking educational institutions.
But one stands out: According to Stokes, UCLA has more national championships (109) than black male freshmen (48) currently enrolled at the university. Indeed, according to statistics, 3.8 percent of the undergraduate student body are African-American.
Support for LAist comes from
Stokes, a third-year Afro-American Studies major, told the Daily Bruin he almost dropped out due to the difficulty of finding people who shared his interests and feeling scrutinized for being black.
"[That feeling] makes [black people] stick to their comfort zones because they want to feel safe - physically and emotionally," Stokes told The Daily Bruin.
Since the video's posting on Monday, it has been viewed over 130,000 times and has sparked a discussion on affirmative action in the state, especially in regards to Proposition 209, which banned universities from using affirmative action practices to bring more minority students onto their campuses.
Stokes has also authored a Change.org petition to try to initiate better diversity practices than the ones currently employed by the university.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist