What is The Voice?
“The Voice” is a series of events created by the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration’s (JHBC) Office of Academic Equity, providing students with a platform to express and share their perspectives on educational needs, basic necessities, mental and emotional well-being, and their sense of belonging and identity. The goal of these discussions is to raise awareness of issues related to inequity and inclusion, with a particular focus on the experiences of African American men.
Find out more about past The Voice events!
The Voice took place on February 26, 2026 at CSUSB in the CGI Building, room 110. The event took place from 5:30PM - 8PM.
The JHBC Office of Academic Equity (OAE) facilitated dialogue focused on supporting African American men throughout their academic journeys and career transitions. This year, the office continued the annual initiative launched in 2018 to amplify the experiences and perspectives of Black men in. The conversation included students, faculty, staff and community members. The Voice continues to provide an important platform for identifying strategies to improve support and success outcomes for African American men.
The Voice 2025 was held on February 27, 2025, in JB 280 as a private event in celebration of Black History Month. The program featured a presentation by Dr. Francisca Beer on the challenges faced by African American men, followed by an engaging discussion with attendees. Staff, students, faculty, and community members participated in the conversation, creating a meaningful space for learning, reflection, and dialogue on important social issues.
The Office of Academic Equity (OAE) at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration (JHBC) successfully hosted its annual event, "The Voice with African American Men," on Feb. 22. This year’s theme, “I’m Graduating! What’s Next?”, brought together students, alumni, professionals, and community members both in person and virtually for an engaging discussion focused on career readiness and workforce success.
The free event provided valuable insights and resources for African American men preparing to transition from college into the workforce. Speakers shared personal experiences, professional advice, and practical strategies for navigating employment opportunities, building professional networks, and overcoming challenges often encountered in the labor market.
A central focus of the discussion was the continued impact of racial disparities in employment and the importance of preparation, resilience, and mentorship in achieving career goals. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from accomplished professionals, ask questions, and engage in meaningful conversations about career development and long-term success. The event reinforced OAE’s commitment to supporting student achievement and creating spaces where African American men can share experiences, access resources, and build pathways to future opportunities.
Through honest dialogue and community engagement, “The Voice” once again served as an important platform for empowering African American men as they prepare for the next chapter of their academic and professional journeys.
I’m Graduating! What’s Next? Was the topic of an event Dr. Francisca Beer organized alongside her team in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration (JHBC) Office of Academic Equity (OAE). On February 24th, 2023 the office hosted its Fifth Annual Voice event, a conversation with African American Men. With over 45 attendees and participants, the event was well-received by California State University of San Bernardino’s (CSUSB) faculty, students, staff, as well as, alumni and community members. The same topic was discussed last academic year. Participants ask to continue the conversation.
Dean Tomas Gomez-Arias who the JHBC college has officially appointed in July of 2022 welcomed participants. After encouraging words from the dean, Dr. Francisca Beer, a Finance Professor, an Associate Dean, and Director of the JHBC Office of Academic Equity at CSUSB made a short presentation comparing unemployment rates between African American men versus others.
Dr. Beer’s research shows that education skills, and work experience played a large part in these rates. Marriage and health were other reasons explaining the lower employment rates. Regrettably, discrimination as well as, social and spatial isolation continue to play an important part. In the spirit that we “learn from each other”, Dr. Beer ended her presentation by introducing this year's speakers.
Our speaker, Robert Watkins emphasized the benefits of planning ahead and stressed the importance of always being ready to learn. While King Adjei-Frimpong, an employee of the Texas Education Agency, encouraged students to “redefine themselves”. Professional success implies being willing to take risks and to step outside of one comfort zone. Duane Cofiled, Business Owner and Marketing Adjunct Professor highlighted the benefits of networking and seeking help. Networking is great for sharing ideas and knowledge. It leads to opportunities and can help increase confidence. Meanwhile, Frederick Jones who works for San Bernardino Valley College joined the conversation and talked about “branding”; a personal brand means standing out of the crowd. By branding themself adequately, students will be able to highlight their personal experiences and their skills. When branding is done correctly it provides a competitive advantage.
Another speaker who joined us at the event was Babatunde Olanipekun, a Certified Life Transformation Coach at Beyond Epic, who reminded participants that time management is critical to achieve goals. Effective time management helps avoid being swamped and helps prioritize. And Rev. Barry Settle, Senior Pastor of Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church joined us on that Friday evening and mentioned that life's not fair. He explained that to better handle unfairness, students should trust the process and sometimes change their perspective.
Closing the 5th Annual Voice with African American Men is Dr. Annika Anderson, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology. She stated, “there are still ways to move forward and that is by tapping into your networks and that is by using the resources that you have available”.
The JHBC Office of Academic Equity is looking forward to holding more events like this in the near future and invites everyone to participate and attend.
The event took place on February 24th, 2022 at 6PM via ZOOM. Check out the full summary via the news article.
Op Ed: Essential Conversations with Black Men: “I’m Graduating! What’s Next?”
On March 22nd, 2021, the JHBC Office of Academic Equity (OAE) held their event, The Voice (formally called Essential Conversations), from 6-8PM via ZOOM. It took place online and the discussion centered around what students felt would support their educational success. Students, staff, faculty and community members were all welcome to attend and participate in dialogue.
Check out the full article. CSUSB: Essential Conversations with African American Men
Attitudes, Beliefs and Perceptions
For more information, please contact Dr. Francisca Beer at fbeer@csusb.edu or visit our resources page linked below.
