Our Crowdfunding Groups
Clark Scholars, mentors, and program staff at the 2023 National Council for Black Studies conference.
The VèVè A. Clark Institute for Engaged Scholars of African American Studies is named in honor of Professor VèVè Amasasa Clark, UC Berkeley faculty from 1991 until her death in 2007. Dr. Clark's influence reflected her passionate commitment to the field of African American and African Diaspora Studies, a discipline that she in no uncertain terms both fashioned and elevated. Fluent in French, Spanish, and Creole, and conversant in Wolof, with training in literary studies and anthropology, Clark embodied interdisciplinarity well in advance of its present popularity; her work was at the vanguard of our most consequential scholarly currents. The Clark Scholars are students who follow Dr. Clark’s challenge to dig deeper, reach higher, and move deliberately in understanding the diasporic trajectory of the Black experience.
Clark Scholars and program staff during a trip to Los Angeles, California to study Black art.
The Clark Scholars program provides essential mentorship opportunities to students in African American Studies through monthly meetings with departmental scholars, engagement with colloquium speakers and alumni, and research support. These experiences develop a strong sense of community for students along with preparing them for their future careers. Clark Scholars have gone on to become tenured faculty at top-tier institutions, superior court judges and litigators, and accomplished researchers and archivists.
The Clark Institute developed “research ride alongs” early in the program to expose undergraduates to graduate level research in the field. Our research ride alongs turned into field trips in California, which in turn led to the creation of a five-day Summer in the South Experience every two years. The transformational impact of the first experience, a 2022 trip to Montgomery, Alabama, led to the development of a second trip in Charleston, South Carolina, for Summer 2024.
The Charleston trip, "Immersed in Gullah," will explore Gullah Geechee history, culture, arts, foodways, language, and landscape in the region. Students will visit heritage sites, interact with local craftsmen, and learn about the histories and culture of the region. This unique learning experience will give participants the opportunity to deepen their research and study of African American history through engaged travel and cultural experiences.
Clark Scholar program participants visiting Montgomery Alabama in 2022 during the first Summer in the South Experience.
The Clark Scholars program is made possible by generous support from our donors. With your help, we hope to raise $10,000 to fund our next Summer in the South experience for the Clark Scholars.
Funds raised will subsidize travel costs of the student cohort, including but not limited to airfare, hotels, food, and other program-related costs. Should the goal not be reached, any money raised will go to support the activities of the Clark Institute for Engaged Scholars of African American Studies. Any money raised above and beyond our goal in this campaign will be allocated likewise.
All donors will receive a hand-written thank you card from one of our student participants.
With your support, programming is FREE for all participants. We are accepting donations between now and June 30th. No gift is too small, and your support will ensure that we are able to provide the best experience possible for UC Berkeley’s motivated changemakers!
For more information, visit our website.
will fund program supplies for one Clark Scholar during the Summer in the South experience. You will receive a hand-written thank you note from a student in our program.
will fund meals for one Clark Scholar during the Summer in the South experience. You will receive a hand-written thank you note from a student in our program.
will fund group t-shirts for the entire Clark Scholars program in the Summer in the South Experience. You will receive a hand-written thank you note from a student in our program.
will fund roundtrip airfare for one Clark Scholar in the Summer in the South Experience. You will receive a hand-written thank you note from a student in our program.
will fund all travel expenses - airfare and hotel - for one Clark Scholar in the Summer in the South Experience. You will receive a hand-written thank you note from a student in our program.
