CSU Young Males of Color Conference

The California State University System has maintained a long-standing commitment to student success and the Graduation Initiative. In an effort to support males of color in higher education, the Young Males of Color Consortium was established in 2017 to advance the goals of the CSU, while bringing together delegates from each of the 23 CSU campuses to implement, improve, and enhance service delivery mechanisms and strategies for increasing retention and graduation. Led by Dr. William Franklin, the Vice President of Student Affairs at CSU Dominguez Hills and Dr. Matthew Smith, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at CSU Dominguez Hills, the consortium has served in a pivotal role in leveraging best practices and has been a signature leader in training and development.

To support the YMOC’s Consortium efforts, Sacramento State served as the proud host of the CSU Young Men of Color Conference on April 5-7th, 2022 embodying the overall theme of “Beyond the Rhetoric: Eradicating Equity and Opportunity Gaps.” The event kicked off with a networking reception with key stakeholders across the CSU System with a theme of “Networking for Success.” According to Dr. Marcellene Watson-Derbigny, Associate Vice President for Student Retention and Academic Success at CSU Sacramento, “The conference was electrifying and enabled campuses from throughout the CSU system to unite around male student success.” "The multi-day convening amplified the great work of the CSU while imparting strategies for success and student excellence," said Dr. Mills, Vice President of Student Affairs of CSU Sacramento.

On the second day of the convening, proceedings on April 6th featured a collective panel of student leaders from throughout the CSU on their journeys as young men of color in higher education. In addition, the keynote address featured Dr. James L. Moore, the III. Dr. Moore is the Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at the Ohio State University while serving as the first executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male. Additionally, Dr. Moore is the inaugural Education and Human Ecology (EHE) Distinguished Professor of Urban Education. From 2015 to 2017, he served as a program director for Broadening Participation in Engineering in the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, and, from 2011 to 2015; he was an Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at The Ohio State University, where he managed numerous programs and units. His research agenda focuses on school counseling, gifted education, urban education, higher education, multicultural education/counseling, and STEM education. Dr. Moore is internationally recognized for his work on African American males. He has also published over 100 publications; obtained over $16 million in grants, contracts, and gifts; and given over 200 scholarly presentations and lectures throughout the United States and other parts of the world (e.g., Brazil, Bermuda, Jamaica, Canada, England, Spain, China, India, Indonesia, and France).

In addition to the opening student panel and afternoon keynote address on April 6th, attendees had the opportunity to attend breakout segments and participate in critical conversations and extended think tank sessions. The session topics focused on an exploration of issues such as men and masculinity, leadership development, wellness, URM student support, mentoring, the art of healing, and helping young men of color to achieve success in higher education.

On April 7th, the conference featured keynote speaker Dr. J. Luke Wood, Sacramento State alum and Vice President of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity at San Diego State. Dr. Wood brings local, state, and national expertise in his work to support young males of color and as a leader of student service provision in the CSU. Dr. Wood also serves as a Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Education at San Diego State University. Given his wealth of research knowledge, Wood is also the Co-Director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL), a national research and practice center that partners with community colleges to support their capacity in advancing outcomes for underserved students of color.

Dr. Wood is widely known for his nationally led talks and exemplary record of publication. Wood’s research focuses on factors affecting the success of boys and men of color education, with a specific focus on early childhood education and community colleges. In particular, his research examines contributors (e.g., social, psychological, academic, environmental, institutional) to positive outcomes. Dr. Wood has delivered over 1,000 scholarly professional and conference presentations. His research has been featured by NBC, New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, Huffington Post, Fortune Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, C-SPAN, and National Press Club. Dr. Wood has authored over 160 publications, including more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and 15 books.

With two power-packed keynotes, breakout workshops, and plenary sessions, the CSU Young Males of Color Conference activated and ignited attendees to elevate services and student success initiatives for our male student populations across the CSU. In the words of Dr. Franklin, “Beyond the Rhetoric is a conference truly characterized by a clear call to collective action." The educational experiences most notably of African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American males are complicated by an array of issues rarely faced by their counterparts. Whether presented on a national or regional platform, the access, retention, and graduation rates for males of color are something we need to work to further enhance. "The bottom line is that we must explore the unique challenges that males of color face as they move through the CSU, as well as develop effective approaches to better support them. It’s through conferences such as this one just held that change is made and a path forward is shaped to better the lives of students," as stated by Andrew Yang, former conference attendee, and program scholar.

For more information, about the CSU Young Males of Color Consortium and the 2022 Conference recently hosted by Sacramento on the 5th Anniversary of YMOC, please visit the consortium website at http://www.csuymoc.org.