Fresno State has received funding from the Mellon Foundation as part of the California State University Advancing and Expanding Ethnic Studies Grant Program. The university is one of 11 CSU campuses awarded these grants, which aim to deepen engagement with ethnic studies courses, enhance student recruitment and retention, and strengthen community connections.
Faculty from the College of Social Sciences are leading initiatives in both the Africana Studies Program and American Indian Studies Program. Dr. Nkenna Onwuzuruoha, assistant professor, organized activities funded by a $50,000 grant for the Africana Studies Program titled “Placemaking: Expanding Black Queer and Feminist Perspectives in Africana Studies.” This supported a series of campus events including talks by guest speakers such as Dr. Chelsea Frazier, Cornell University assistant professor; Tracey Dunne, local entrepreneur; an open mic read-in event; and a film screening with filmmaker Susanne Rostock about her documentary on activist Harry Belafonte.
“We were excited to create a series of inclusive events and programming that featured researchers, artists, authors and even entrepreneurs,” Onwuzuruoha said. “Being able to understand the background behind their experiences created a meaningful discourse and direction for our students to apply to their own academic paths and lives. It also created opportunities for alumni, current and emeritus professors and members of the broader Fresno community interested in Black feminist and queer issues to reconnect with our campus and program — or to be introduced to them for the first time — and to feel genuinely welcomed.”
The grant also allowed two student assistants to participate in research projects. Marshawn Lee-Castell is studying archives related to Central Valley’s Black community history, while Dana Grisby is working on developing an upper-division course focused on Black queer and feminist thought alongside other faculty members.
An additional $100,000 grant overseen by Dr. Leece Lee-Oliver supports expansion within the American Indian Studies Program. This includes new coursework, research initiatives, dialogues, workshops focusing on Native American Two-Spirit and Indigenous Trans peoples, curriculum development workshops led by experts in these fields, safe-space listening sessions hosted by Central Valley experts together with the Fresno American Indian Health Project, as well as plans for training modules centered on holistic representation.
“These programs have helped faculty, staff, students and community partners engage professionally and academically with tribal history and discussions of sovereignty, decoloniality, activism, health and wellness,” according to information provided by Fresno State.
A critical aspect involves collaboration with local organizations such as Fresno American Indian Health Projects Talking Two-Spirit initiative. These efforts focus on creating supportive spaces where Two Spirit individuals can share insights about culturally informed gender-affirming care practices.
“This grant aims to grow awareness of how tribal sovereignty and citizenship shape the social and political landscapes we all inhabit,” Dr. Leece Lee-Oliver said. “We want to ensure that the voices of Two-Spirit and Native trans peoples are holistically and accurately represented…and that Two-Spirit and Native trans peoples inform curricular representations, gender-affirming care praxes and future-building strategies.”
These grants are part of a national initiative announced in 2024 involving 95 curricular programs across the United States with total funding amounting to $18 million.
