The UCLA Black Male Institute (BMI) was founded in 2009 to address concerns around equity and access for Black males in education by conducting reliable research, making practical interventions, and creating effective programs that enrich the educational experiences and life chances of Black males in the United States. Since its inception, BMI has conducted research, held campus/community forums, and hosted workshops focused on preparing young Black males for college, and has hosted hundreds of educators and community members at its annual Think Tank. Recent police murders of Black citizens and racial inequities surfaced by the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the need for scholarship focused on Black achievement and well-being. In light of these events revealing persistent deep-rooted racism and anti-Blackness both inside and outside of schools, BMI’s work is more critical now than ever before.
In 2020, BMI founder and Director Dr. Tyrone Howard was named Faculty Director for UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools, and their mission naturally aligns with our goals of achieving equity and racial justice in schools. This synergy of missions between the two centers and changes in leadership have created a promising opportunity for a new framework. We are excited to announce that we are joining forces with the Black Male Institute to form a collaborative partnership. BMI will continue to maintain its focus on equity and access for Black males, and other males of color. This framework will create new pathways for BMI to access additional support and resources and facilitate collaboration opportunities for scholars from both centers. Our Center is excited about the knowledge, experience and expertise that BMI brings to the table.
We remain committed to our mission: partnering with the education ecosystem to bring about systems change with key stakeholders in order to support equitable educational outcomes for historically underserved students. It is an honor and a privilege for us to align with the Black Male Institute, and together we look forward to continuing the challenging and meaningful work of fighting for racial justice in schools through research, policy and practice.