From the Nominator

The UCLA Alumni Scholars Club (ASC) is a student organization supported by the UCLA Alumni Association, and comprised of UCLA Alumni Scholarship recipients. The current membership is approximately 550 students. A 12-person student Executive Board leads the organization, developing and implementing programming for ASC members. Each board member is responsible for offering a specific type of programming. Specifically, the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche director focuses on building community and servicing our under-represented community of scholars. With the prolific displays of racism, social inequality, and loss of life across the nation in 2020, these topics needed to be acknowledged and addressed within the ASC community. The organization wanted to do more than just make a statement of “Black Lives Matter”; they wanted to further educate members. Under the leadership of the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche director, a team of student leaders produced “World Through The Lens of Race,” a three-part discussion series designed to educate students on inequality, show the impact that racism can have on one’s life experience, and provide the tools necessary to make a difference. The program garnered interest from students and community members far beyond ASC, which is historic, since most ASC programming is only for its members. These events offered space for attendees to hear from a variety of speakers and leaders, and interact via the Zoom Q&A and chat functions. Questions ranged from how to secure additional resources to how to have these conversations with close family members who lack an inclusive understanding.

From the Judges

“The World Through the Lens of Race” was a series of high quality virtual discussions that engaged students with various experts and university thought leaders. Each session's unique focus laid the foundation to equip students with the knowledge and empathy to be an active participant in conversations of racism and inequity, and ultimately embolden students to serve as agents of change in their communities. By partnering with the Provost's Office and UCLA Alumni Association, students created an evergreen series of videos that can be shared with future students.