Restoring the Vision and Purpose of the CFA Black Caucus

“I am somebody,” said Tracey Salisbury, CFA Black Caucus tri-chair and CSU Bakersfield professor, as she echoed civil rights activist Jesse Jackson. “I understood I was beautiful, that being Black was beautiful, that I was seen, and most importantly, that I was somebody.” 

Last Thursday’s Black Caucus meeting opened by honoring Jackson, who passed away on February 17. Jackson played a pivotal role in the fight for civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice, and his legacy will continue to guide our anti-racism and social justice work at CFA. 

The Black Caucus is renewing its goal to unify Black faculty members and leaders, and to promote and defend the values of the union. Its members want to champion diversity both in the CSU and within CFA, so that both the institution and organization can be more representative of all faculty.  

This renewal centers around what was expressed by poet and social activist, Langston Hughes, in his poem “I, Too.” The poem depicts how Black Americans are authentically American despite being marginalized and excluded from American society. Despite ongoing racial discrimination and prejudice, they nevertheless endure with dignity and joy. Ultimately, their perseverance not only challenges the structural injustices, but they compel others to recognize the beauty of Black people and their contributions to American society. 

After sharing the poem, Salisbury asserted, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu,” echoing Dr. Cecil Canton, then-chair of CFA’s Council for Affirmative Action and emeritus professor at Sacramento State, and emphasizing the need to ensure that we are actively participating in spaces where decisions are made, otherwise we risk being negatively impacted by the decisions that others make for us. 

Libby Lewis, CFA Black Caucus tri-chair and CSU Los Angeles professor, served as the keynote speaker for the evening. She gave a presentation titled, “Future Focused: The Fight Against Anti-Black Racism and Attempts at Black Erasure.” 

In her presentation, Lewis addressed how images become engrained into the American psyche, and how stereotypes—like Trump’s most recent racist AI video—continue to be a threat to progress. Such racist imagery is indicative that the election of former President Barack Obama does not signal the presence of a post-racial society. 

“Underrepresentation is rampant, and we need to meet the challenges. Together we are great, divided we fall.”

– libby lewis

Lewis explained that, when told in the company of other Black people, racist jokes about Black people can be funny, with the understanding that the stereotype is absurd. In this context, the humor is not directed at the products of the ignorance. Rather, it is directed at the ignorance of long-standing white supremacy itself. 

Consider the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr’s decision to suspend the Jimmy Kimmel Live! late-night talk show over Kimmel’s monologue on President Trump. Lewis explained that this is not an isolated incident, but a product of years in the making. In 2013, Kimmel made himself a target when he exposed the comedy and absurdity of people’s belief that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was better than Obamacare, despite the two being the same law. 

When we view this through the long lens of anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, and other racist tropes and images, we begin to notice where this public perception comes from. Any policy that is believed to come from Obama is regarded as inferior, simply because it is associated with a Black person. 

The takeaway here, Lewis said, is that we must build up our media literacy to protect our minds from the myriad of racist images that try to define who we are and what our purpose is. Instead, we must replace those inhumane images with those that mirror our greatest potential. 

“What can we do as members of the Black Caucus?” asked Lewis, reflecting on the fact that racism is very much alive in the Trump administration’s attempts to erase Black history. Even our own institutions and organizations and not insulated from these concerns. 

“Underrepresentation is rampant, and we need to meet the challenges,” said Lewis. “Together we are great, divided we fall.”  

To learn more about CFA’s Black Caucus or to get involved, please visit the caucus website here.