Description: Join us for a panel discussion on how we can increase civic engagement in immigrant communities to promote voting, activism and more. This discussion will also address the importance of immigrants in our society and political processes.

Speaker Information: Mateo Maya, ASI Chief Government Relations Officer
Sumaiyah Hossain, ASI Senator-at-Large
Dr. Alfredo Carlos, Department of Political Science
Jamilet Ochoa, Community Organizer Director for Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition
Isaac Alferos, Executive Director of Coalition for Civic Education

Meeting ID: 876 8538 2392

Password: Vote

Department: ASI Student Government

Description: This workshop will dive deeper into "intersectionality," a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw. We aim to empower students through critical self-reflection in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of our diverse backgrounds and intersecting identities.
Joanna Limas - Student Development Fellow, Dr. James Sauceda - Office of Multicultural Affairs

Meeting ID: 848 3737 8975

Password: oma

Zoom Link

Department: Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)

Speaker Information

Presenter James Manseau Sauceda, Ph.D.
Dr. Manseau Sauceda is the Director of Multicultural Affairs and the founding Director of the Multicultural Center at California State University, Long Beach. The MCC is an educational and Professional Diversity Training resource center which is currently in its 27th year of serving students, faculty and staff.

Dr. Sauceda is also a co-founder of the California Council of the Cultural Centers in Higher Education (CaCCCHE). CaCCCHE a statewide organization representing Cultural Centers throughout the CSU, UC, Private, Religious, and Community College systems.

Dr. Manseau Sauceda is a nationally recognized trainer in cross-cultural communication and international education. Finally, Dr. Manseau Sauceda is in demand nationally as a speaker. He has been Keynote and Plenary speaker for the statewide Cultural Competency Conference, the Annual Latino Social Work Network of California Conference, the United Nations Association, the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) to name but a few.

Presenter: Joanna Limas
Hometown: West Covina, CA
Major: M.S. in Counseling, option in Student Development in Higher Education
Joanna Limas is a graduate student in the College of Education at CSULB. She is pursuing her M.S. in counseling with an option in student development in higher education. She began her educational journey at Mt. San Antonio College before transferring to UCLA. She graduated from UCLA with her B.A. in sociology, minor in education studies with college honors, departmental honors, and Latin honors summa cum laude. Her experiences as a first-generation Latina scholar have inspired her future aspirations to work in higher education and support student success. She brings her experiences in academic affairs, student affairs and a passion for empowering others.

Description: This panel of students and faculty will share their experiences navigating LBSU as members of underrepresented and marginalized groups. Attendees will be given the opportunity to engage in the exploration of how systemic barriers impact the speakers and their own lived experiences.

Meeting ID: 872 2529 0237

Password: ASI2020

Zoom Link

Department: ASI Student Government

Speaker Information

Panelist Dr. Danielle Kohfeldt, Psychology Department
Dr. Kohfeldt is a critical community psychologist whose academic pursuits seek to disrupt psychology’s pathologization of difference while working to promote liberation and well-being. She identifies as a white, chronically pained/disabled, cis woman with working class roots but is now precariously middle class. She is also a proud first-generation college student.

Panelist Dr. Laura Gonzalez, Department of Finance
Laura Gonzalez is an associate professor of finance in the College of Business. She is a trained UndocuAlly and is certified in mental health first aid. She is a GenExcel first-generation mentor and a Beach mentor in training. As a graduate international student, she held numerous positions on campus, including janitor and orientation assistant coordinator. She is the mother of three biracial children, and before finance, she earned degrees in literature, music and engineering.

Her main research interests are financial literacy and inclusion. She has mentored students toward innovation and research competitions in and out of CSULB, including UROP students. Since March 2020, she has collaborated with media in English and Spanish more than 30 times. As part of the President's Commission for Equity and Change network, she is particularly interested in the financial aspects of accessibility.

Panelist Irene Sotelo, student
Although she began her time at CSULB with no direction, Irene ended up co-founding Rising Scholars in Fall 2017, a student organization for formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students in higher education. As president of Rising Scholars, she continues to deliver on the organization’s mission statement.

She is currently pursuing a master's degree in social work. She now has a clear idea of what to do with her degree - help those released from prison pursue an education. Her involvement with Rising Scholars has allowed her to meet other formerly incarcerated students from various college campuses in California. Together, they have travelled across state lines to attend conferences and speak about their education lab and efforts to help others transition from prison to college. She is proud to contribute to Rising Scholars’ goal of helping others who find themselves in the same position she was once in.

Panelist Lauryn Westbrook, student
Lauryn is a 23-year-old, fourth-year psychology major in her last semester at CSULB. She is a transfer student, having gone to UCSB and LBCC prior to joining us here at the Beach. She is involved on campus through the Black Student Leadership Committee, Sisterfriends and other Black student initiatives. She holds positions on campus as a student assistant in the Women’s & Gender Equity Center and as a peer beach guide for the First-Year Beach Connections program. Her passions include sharing resources with students and working to destigmatize mental health in the Black community and otherwise.

Panelist David Rowe, student
Jewish by ethnicity and choice, David proudly advocates for his fellow Jewish students at CSULB as president of Beach Hillel. He has personally experienced antisemitism in its various forms, ranging from subtle biases against the Jewish people to overt insults, slurs and violence. David hopes education and cross-cultural relationships will curb the dramatic escalation of antisemitism in recent years, and he values all opportunities to discuss the basis of the world’s oldest hatred with allies, adversaries and everyone in between.

Description: Become a Beach IX Ally by participating in an interactive program discussing trauma-informed practices on helping a friend, student or employee regarding a sexual misconduct matter. This interactive program will include case scenarios as well as on- and off-campus resources for anyone who may be a potential survivor of dating/domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or rape which is covered under Title IX policies. Participants will walk away with hands-on, practical skills to engage in a trauma-informed manner when helping themselves or a friend who may need assistance.

Speaker Information: Larisa Hamada - Title IX Coordinator, Equity & Diversity; Jacqueline Urtez - Campus Confidential Advocate, Student Health Center

Meeting ID: 858 6133 6018

Password: OED1949

Zoom Link

Department: Office of Equity & Diversity

Description: This workshop is designed to help participants understand white fragility and unpack examples of white privilege. Through experiential activities, participants will have an opportunity to engage in self-reflection and identify tools for staying engaged in conversations about race. We will be focusing on white experiences to foster unlearning racism, but this workshop is open to all who wish to attend.

Speaker information:Lauren Jensen, Ph.D. (she/her); CAPS Psychologist and Beth Sullivan, Psy.D. (she/her); CAPS Psychologist

Dr. Lauren Jensen (she/her) is a licensed psychologist in the CSULB Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) department. She grew up in Santa Barbara, California, earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of California Berkeley and an M.A. and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She worked at several university counseling centers prior to joining the CSULB CAPS department in 2014. Since her first day she has been truly inspired by the strength and resilience of the students on the CSULB campus.

Dr. Jensen holds a deep commitment to justice and social change. She identifies as a queer, white, cisgender woman and feminist with a learning disability who grew up in the upper-middle class. She is intentional about supporting students’ right to self-determination and cultivating compassionate spaces of inclusion. Much of her advocacy centers on increasing awareness of privilege as a pathway toward authentic connections across differences and the dismantling of systemic oppression.

Meeting ID: 837 3728 1778

Password: 562 985 4001

Zoom Link

Department: Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

Description: ASI Beach Pride Events is proud to host Yusef Salaam, member of the Exonerated Five (also known as the Central Park Five) as the next speaker for this major series. At the age of 15, Yusef and four other teens were wrongfully convicted of the rape of a woman in Central Park. After spending between seven and thirteen years behind bars, all five of the men were released. Since Yusef’s release, he has committed himself to advocating and educating people on the disparities in America’s criminal justice system and will be sharing his life story with Long Beach State students.
To kick off the evening, ASI Beach Pride Events in partnership with Rising Scholars will host a student panel discussing arrests, processing, wrongful convictions and their personal experiences within the criminal justice system. The panel will be followed by a keynote and discussion by Dr. Salaam.
Registration is required for this free event. This event is exclusively for students, staff and faculty of CSULB – space is limited.

Moderator: Mir Aminy, Rising Scholars Vice President;
Panelist: Irene Sotelo, Rising Scholars President;
Panelist: Danny Murillo, Campaign for College Opportunity Program Analyst

Departments: Beach Pride Events. Rising Scholars

Registration is now open. Click here to register

Yusef Salaam:
On April 19, 1989, a young woman in the prime of her life was brutally raped and left for dead in New York City’s Central Park. Five boys—four black and one Latino—were tried and convicted of the crime in a frenzied case that rocked the city. They became known collectively as “The Central Park Five.”

Their convictions were vacated in 2002 after spending between seven (7) and thirteen (13) years of their lives behind bars. The unidentified DNA in the Central Park Jogger Case, unlinked to any of the five, had finally met its owner, a convicted murderer and serial rapist who confessed. The convictions of the boys, now men, were overturned and they were exonerated. One of those boys, Yusef Salaam, was just 15 years old when his life was upended and changed forever.
Since his release, Yusef has committed himself to advocating and educating people on the issues of false confessions, police brutality and misconduct, press ethics and bias, race and law, and the disparities in America’s criminal justice system. In 2013, documentarians Ken and Sarah Burns released the documentary “The Central Park Five,” which told of this travesty from the perspective of Yusef and his cohorts. In 2014, The Central Park Five received a multi-million dollar settlement from the city of New York for its grievous injustice against them. Yusef was awarded an Honorary Doctorate that same year and received the President's Life Time Achievement Award in 2016 from President Barack Obama.

He was appointed to the board of the Innocence Project in 2018, and has released a Netflix Feature limited series called “When They See Us” based on the true story of the “Central Park Five” with Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey and Robert De Niro, in May of 2019.

Description: EQUITY & THE GAME (ETG) features students and athletes of color optimizing mental and physical performance through health and wellness in the age of equity appropriation.
On 22 West Radio, streaming at www.22westmedia.com

Speaker Information

Co-host Spencer Holmes
Spencer Holmes is a recent graduate of CSULB with a B.A. in English education. His sports merits include four years of track & field in high school, two years of high school football and a short stint at Citrus College. In his free time, he enjoys participating in general nerd culture and finding good eats. He hopes that sharing his experiences as a mixed-race athlete can help those that have been in or are going through similar situations!

Co-Host Leslie Ramirez
Leslie Ramirez (aka bambam) graduated with a degree in journalism from Cal State LA in 2020. Leslie played competitive soccer from the age of 4 up through college. Leslie loves working out, going to the beach, slaying in the kitchen and hanging out with her friends. As a journalist, Leslie is excited to illuminate and highlight people of color’s narratives throughout the athletic landscape.

Co-Host Jazmin Smith
Jazmin Smith (aka JThizzle) is a recent graduate and former student athlete with a B.A. in child development from Cal State University Los Angeles. For four years Jazmin played collegiate soccer during her time at CSULA. Jazmin is one of five children and grew up in Rancho Cucamonga. She loves going to the beach, paddle boarding, surfing and teaching! Jazmin hopes to spread the light and her perseverance to other athletes of other cultures, colors and backgrounds.

Co-Host Miyah Coleman
Miyah is currently a student-athlete at California State University, Los Angeles majoring in psychology with a double minor in Pan-African studies and law & society. She enjoys binge-watching shows, shopping and hanging out with her friends. With Equity and The Game, Miyah hopes to bring light, love and laughter to other student-athletes of color who feel different or like no one is listening. We hear you, we see you, we are with you. Reminder: stand in your Black/brown power.

Co-Host Da’rrell Johnson
Da’rrell Johnson (aka DJ) is a graduate of Cal State Northridge and has over 10 years of track and field coaching experience. DJ specialized in the hurdles and jumps with personal bests that include a 13.8 in the 110 high hurdle and a 48.7 in the 400 intermediate hurdles. As a founding member of Cal State Northridge’s “Meet Me at the Well,” DJ mentored minority freshmen in financial literacy, empathy of self and awareness of agency.

Producer Anita Herrera-Hamilton, Ph.D.
Anita Herrera-Hamilton, Ph.D., (aka Dr. Ani) is a board-certified neuropsychologist specializing in brain-behavior relationships and sports-related concussion. As a neuropsychologist and certified yoga instructor, Dr. Ani has worked with athletes across the lifespan, using mindfulness techniques to optimize performance. More recently, she has focused her work on the unique strengths and challenges of the young athlete of color in optimizing performance both on and off the field.

Description: Our goals are to reach previously incarcerated students and system-impacted students on campus and to present Project Rebound to students at large. Our program aims to provide support and resources that help ensure academic success. It is imperative to provide previously incarcerated students with everything they need to graduate from their respective academic programs. In an effort to bring campus awareness, we would like to have a Zoom presentation about “breaking barriers” and how Project Rebound and other programs like Project Rebound have successfully empowered many previously incarcerated students to stay strong in their academic journeys and plans. Our guest speakers will share their stories of how Project Rebound has assisted them in the transition from incarceration to higher education. We believe higher education restores an individual and creates better citizens of the world.

Moderator: Moderator: James M. Binnall, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Law, Criminology, and Criminal Justice & Executive Director, Project Rebound
Panelist: Irene Sotelo, Graduate Student CSULB/President of Rising Scholars CSULB/Project Rebound Scholar
Panelist: Panelist: Robert Ortiz Archila, Graduate Sstudent CSULB/Project Rebound Scholar/U.S. Army Veteran
Panelist: Panelist: Danny Murillo, Graduate Student CSULB/Project Rebound Scholar

Department: Project Rebound Meeting ID: 829 8540 2019

Password: 301291

Zoom Link

Speaker Information

Moderator: James M. Binnall, Ph.D.
Dr. Binnall is an associate professor of law, criminology and criminal Justice at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Binnall is also the faculty advisor for Rising Scholars and the executive director of Project Rebound – organizations that work to ensure the success of formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students on campus.

He is also a practicing attorney and a formerly incarcerated person who spent just over four years in prison for a DUI homicide that claimed the life of his close friend. While incarcerated, Dr. Binnall took his LSAT's and was accepted to law school. Once released, he earned his JD and LL.M. (2007/2008), was admitted to the State Bar of California (2008) and received his Ph.D. in criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine (2014).

In his research, Dr. Binnall explores the statutory exclusion of individuals with a felony conviction from the jury process. Dr. Binnall’s most recent book, “Twenty Million Angry Men: The Case for Including Convicted Felons in Our Jury System” (University of California Press), reveals the flaws inherent in the justifications for felon-juror exclusion, as well as the negative impacts of the practice on jury deliberations and on the reintegration of those who have been convicted of a felony.

Panelist Irene Sotelo
Irene is currently pursuing her master's degree in social work at California State University, Long Beach. In 2017, as an undergraduate student, she helped co-found Rising Scholars — an on-campus student organization that supports formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students. When Irene first came to Long Beach State, she had no direction in her life. Using both her lived experience and the knowledge she has gained in academia, Irene has discovered her calling – to empower those who feel marginalized in society to pursue higher education.

Irene’s involvement with Rising Scholars has allowed her to network and build community with other formerly incarcerated students from college campuses throughout California. She has been able to use her platform to attend various conferences and present on topics that highlight the need to bring Project Rebound, a program that supports formerly incarcerated students, to all 23 California State Universities. Through her commitment and passion over the last three years, she has been instrumental in bringing Project Rebound to California State University, Long Beach.

Panelist Robert Ortiz Archila
Robert Ortiz Archila is originally from Bell, California. He is a previously incarcerated student that found his identity on campus through Project Rebound. Robert served in the military as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. His military deployments include Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the recipient of a Purple Heart. After he was wounded in combat, and as a result of his injuries, Robert was honorably discharged. Upon his return from active duty, Robert found it difficult to adjust to civilian life, at which point he began drinking heavily and soon lost his family, apartment and civilian job. As a homeless person, Robert endured the harsh realities of being lost in addiction and soon found himself behind bars for numerous felony offenses. After his last two-year prison sentence, Robert was exhausted and ready for change. He sought out treatment through the VA hospital in Loma Linda, California. After completing his 18 rehabilitation for veterans program, Robert enrolled at San Bernardino Valley College where he earned an aeronautics degree with honorary distinctions (summa cum laude). Robert transferred to California State University, Fullerton where he earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a minor in Chicanx studies. Recently, Robert began his master’s degree program in higher education at Long Beach State. His vision is to earn a doctoral degree in education. Through his academic achievements, and with the help from Project Rebound, Robert serves as the addition to Project Rebound Cal State LA staff.

His values include equity, diversity, inclusion, social justice and academic grit. His hobbies are off-roading and flying his newly acquired Cessna airplane. Robert currently lives with his wife in Southern California and is eager to begin his doctoral studies.

Panelist Danny Murillo
Danny Murillo graduated from Cerritos College in 2012 and the University of California, Berkeley in 2015. He is a co-founder of the Underground Scholars Initiative at UC Berkeley. He was a media representative for the California Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition and currently serves as an advisory council member for the Vera Institute of Justice Safe Alternatives to Segregation Initiative.

Danny is currently the program analyst at the Campaign for College Opportunity. He supports the campaign’s efforts to increase awareness for the unique challenges facing incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in California’s public higher education system. Additionally, he is pursuing a master's degree in the Social and Cultural Analysis of Education program at The Beach.

Danny is the University of California Berkeley John W. Gardner Fellowship for Public Service; Open Society Foundation Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship; Rockwood Leadership Institute Returning Citizens Fellowship; and Just Leadership USA Leading with Conviction Fellowship. He has appeared in the Decarcerated podcast, GQ Magazine, National Public Radio (NPR), Option B Stories, The Appeal Podcast, The New Yorker Magazine, Univision and 60 Minutes with Oprah Winfrey.