Black History Month

Spotlighting Black Trailblazers Whose Stories Deserve to be Told

February 12, 2026

Collage of historical Black figures: Lorraine Hansberry, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida Wells, Oscar Michaeux, Granville Woods

Black History Month often honors familiar names, leaders whose courage and determination changed the course of a nation. But many others have made groundbreaking contributions that exposed injustice, advanced civil rights, reshaped American culture and revolutionized technology. Their achievements...

Members of UC Merced's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers are pictures with a plaque.

Black Engineering Society Earns Regional Chapter of the Year

The National Society of Black Engineers, established at UC Merced in 2007, is one of the campus’s oldest and most active student organizations. It provides support, guidance and advocacy for...

UC Merced GEM Fellow Seizes Summer Internship Opportunity

Mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate Justus Nwoke was awarded a competitive fellowship from the National GEM Consortium, giving him the opportunity to intern at Lam Research Corporation this summer...

Top nine Grad Slam finalists with graduate dean and associate graduate dean with R1 prop

Chemistry Ph.D. Student Wins Campus Grad Slam Top Prize, Advances to UC-wide Final

Adekunle “Kunle” Adewole isn’t a stranger to the spotlight, having grown up singing at family functions and performing in theater productions. He also has fervently watched “...

Photo depicts Myles Haynes looking to pass the ball to a teammate during a UC Merced basketball game.

Myles Haynes Wins Big by Creating Human Help Project

This story is part of a series for Black History Month. Read more stories highlighting Black excellence at UC Merced. Men's basketball senior Myles Haynes has encountered expected...

Two female standing in front of a poster

Center Engages Campus, Community with Africa and its Diaspora

This story is part of a series for Black History Month. Read more stories highlighting Black excellence at UC Merced. The brutal deaths of African Americans George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others...

Students celebrate at the annual barbecue, sponsored by Black clubs and organizations, at Lake Yosemite.

Student-driven Center Offers Safe Space for Community, Resources and Programs

This story is part of a series for Black History Month. Read more stories highlighting Black excellence at UC Merced. The Black Scholars Resource Center might be one of UC Merced’s...

Photo depicts mugshots of BASE coordinator Liana Williams and student coordinator Chi Ude.

Program Gives Black Students a Supportive/Solid BASE for Success

Editor's Note: This feature is part of a series of stories commemorating Black History Month. For more stories highlighting Black Excellence at UC Merced, visit news.ucmerced.edu/news/...

UC Merced’s Black Excellence Symposium to Honor Legacy and Inspire Future

"A Legacy of Triumph and a Vision for the Future" is the theme of this year's Black Excellence Symposium at UC Merced. The event, part of the university's Valuing Black Lives...

World-spanning Art for Earth Kicks Off UC Merced Arts Spring Season

An exhibition that collects artistic visions from five continents and weaves them into a compelling plea to protect our planet has found the perfect home for the first few months of 2025. At least...