Black History Month Celebrations

Food for Thought: Finding Edna Lewis

As part of Black History Month 2026, EJIE co-sponsored Food for Thought: Finding Edna Lewis with Executive Chef Mitchel Vanagten. The event honored the legacy of Edna Lewis, a pioneering African American chef whose work helped preserve and elevate African American culinary traditions. Attendees gathered for a screening of Finding Edna Lewis, followed by a discussion with director and executive producer Deb Freeman exploring food, culture, representation, and storytelling. The evening concluded with a reception featuring recipes inspired by Lewis’s cookbooks, bringing the community together to celebrate her enduring influence through food, history, and shared experiences.

We the People—Education That Creates Opportunities for All to Thrive

In 2025, EJIE co-sponsored 'We the People—Education That Creates Opportunities for All to Thrive,' featuring Dr. Bryan Dewsbury of Florida International University. Centered on inclusive teaching, social belonging, and the transformative potential of higher education, the event invited students, faculty, and community members to reflect on how intentional teaching practices and strong communities can create greater opportunities for all students to thrive. Through his lecture and conversations with the campus community, Dr. Dewsbury explored equity-minded approaches to education, the importance of belonging, and the role of higher education in advancing inclusive excellence. The event was co-sponsored through the HHMI Inclusive Excellence Grant Program, led by Jennifer Manilay, Laura Beaster-Jones, and Marcos Garcia-Ojeda, in partnership with EJIE’s Speaker Series.

Toast to Inclusion: An Entreprenuerial Journey

During Black History Month 2024, EJIE co-sponsored 'Toast to Inclusion: An Entrepreneurial Journey' alongside Executive Chef Mitchel Vanagten. This was an inspiring evening featuring guest speaker Arthur Moye III, who shared his visionary journey behind Full Circle Brewing, the largest Black-owned brewery in the USA. During the event, Moye III provided significant insight to the significance of diversity and inclusion in the craft brewing world and beyond. Images from the event. The first one features UCM Merced chefs along with speaker, Arthur Moye III, the second image shows speaker answering a question and the third pictures attendees at the event listening to speaker.

Black History Month Celebration

On February 30, 2024, the inaugural UCM Phi Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., hosted a Black History Month Celebration in co-sponsorship with EJIE. The event featured singing, a DJ, performances by the Bobcat Band, spoken word poetry, food, games, and words of inspiration from Dr. Rashanda Booker, Fresno State’s first university diversity officer. To learn more about this event, click here.

Images displaying students from various Black Student Organizations, a group image, and the last picture is of some of the student leads for the event.

In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories. All EJIE events and programs are open to people of all identities.