As the windfall of pandemic funds dries up, school districts across California are confronting deep structural deficits. At the same time, federal immigration crackdowns have sent waves of fear through school communities, forcing educators and local leaders to scramble to protect immigrant students while the media blasts images of five-year old children being detained. Meanwhile, educators themselves are reaching a breaking point — overwhelmed, exhausted, and increasingly walking out in strikes across the state. Ashley Powers Clark draws comparisons between these current crises that have now become a part of our daily operating conditions, and the arduous growing conditions of the California poppy.

In “Black-Serving Is Not New: Carrying a Legacy Forward in California Higher Education,” Dr. Tangela Blakely Reavis, associate professor at Saint Mary’s College of California, and Candace Jones, Vice President, Administrative and Business Services at Long Beach City College, invite us to use Black History Month to reflect not only on the past but on the present. The authors examine the opportunity that California’s expansion of the Black Serving Institution designation offers for meaningfully supporting Black student success, posing the question, “What does it take to effectively serve Black students?” Drawing on the model of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, they offer a compelling vision for how institutions with clarity of purpose can intentionally live into the designation in a way that is meaningful and impactful rather than performative.

AI’s potential for personalization offers a compelling solution. AI-powered tools can analyze student data to identify individual learning gaps, curate culturally relevant resources, and generate personalized learning paths. Imagine an AI tutor providing real-time feedback in a student’s native language, or an AI-powered platform recommending texts and videos that reflect a student’s cultural background, fostering a deeper connection to the learning material. This level of bespoke support moves beyond simply delivering content; it acknowledges and celebrates individual identities, making learning more accessible and resonant.