The Black Student Success Center (BSSC) recently hosted its one year anniversary to celebrate the safe and welcoming community for students that gives them the opportunity to grow in their education and personal wellbeing at Long Beach City College.
The celebration was attended by faculty, students, trustees, and school leaders including LBCC’s Superintendent-President Mike Munoz.
Attendees were in agreement that without the Black Student Success coordinator, Angela Fowlkes, the center and its reach would not be as impactful as it has been.
“The BSSC has created a space for all who visit to feel seen, heard, and understood. Angela Fowlkes has curated the center in a way that makes it feel like home,” said Executive Director of Public Affairs and Marketing Carl Kemp, who was surprised with a Certificate of Recognition by Fowlkes during the event.
Black Student Success Coordinator Angela Fowlkes, bottom, and Executive Director of Public Affairs and Marketing Carl Kemp, top, embrace in an emotional hug during the one year anniversary of the Black Student Success Center. Photo taken at Long Beach City College on Tuesday, April 22, in the Black Student Success Center. (Katherine Elizabeth Jackson)
“On a personal level, as a formerly incarcerated person, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do meaningful work to help our community again. So when I was presented with that beautiful certificate, (it) filled me all the way up,” Kemp said.
A panel titled “When Queen Mothers Speak” was held immediately before the event, featuring Black female leaders at LBCC.
“The center has been in existence for a year, and that was a major accomplishment. In one year, you can see the transformational work that’s taken place in the center. The students feel a sense of belonging, they feel a sense of mattering, they see themselves as they come into the center, it feels like home,” Dean of Academic Success, Inclusion, and Support Services, Erainia Freeman said.
Students talked about their introduction to the center and how both the BSSC and Fowlkes have helped them on their personal and educational journeys.
“As I reflect on my growth in the Black Student Success Center, I believe God has allowed me to become even more impactful and resilient,” Fowlkes said.
Fowlkes shared her gratitude about how the BSSC promoted her purpose, connected her to students and faculty and gained her recognition.
“The dedication and commitment to the work has allowed me to be nominated for the 2025 Black Excellence Educator Award Classified Professional of the Year at the state level and this year’s prestigious 2025 LBCC Viking Impact Award,” Fowlkes added.
Over this past year, the BSSC has elevated both the coordinator and its students, not only by being present, but by addressing the needs of the students prior to its arrival.
“The Black Student Success Center has grown immensely in its first year. The space has evolved into a sanctuary for scholars to grow, heal and achieve,” Fowlkes said.