July 11, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

UCLA Bunche Center for African American Studies Receives $5 Million From State of California

Funds will support UCLA students, policy reports and big-data projects

By Jessica Wolf/UCLA Newsroom

The UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies recently received a very tangible endorsement of its standing as California’s leading research center dedicated to the study of Black life: $5 million in funding from the 2021–22 California state budget.

It’s the largest amount of support the center has received in a single year from the state, said Kelly Lytle Hernandez, the center’s director and a UCLA professor of history. The funds will support a range of initiatives, including stipends for student research, the Black Policy Project and Million Dollar Hoods, an ongoing study of incarceration in Los Angeles.

Some of the funding will be directed to the Bunche Fellows Program, which provides stipends for students to work with leading faculty whose research has a vested interest in improving Black lives. One of the fellowship program’s newest faculty mentors is anthropology professor Justin Dunnavant, co-founder of the Society of Black Archeologists. Dunnavant, who joined the UCLA faculty in July, studies evidence of Danish slavery in the Virgin Islands through archaeological expeditions both on land and in ocean waters.

Among the center’s other new affiliated faculty members for 2021–22 is Michael Stoll, a professor of public policy and urban planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Stoll is the new director of the Black Policy Project, which is housed at the center.

Stoll’s goals for the project include commissioning a report to examine the demographic changes of Black California; generating research on wealth inequity in the state; and supporting California’s new task force on reparations, the first of its kind in the country. Each of those efforts, he said, will involve UCLA students, and each will produce materials meant to be accessible and useful for policymakers and the public at large.

“We want to be a good public ally and create accessible research for the layperson —information that engages in affairs that are of interest to and about Black California,” Stoll said.

Stoll also plans to build on a study he launched nearly 20 years ago: a broad analysis of the state of Black California. He intends to incorporate a new “equality index” that will help illustrate Black residents’ socioeconomic progress, considering several different measures, over the past two decades.

And he foresees events and panel discussions that would bring together members of the campus and Los Angeles communities with elected officials and other California decision-makers.

Funds from the California budget also will support the Bunche Center’s signature big-data project, Million Dollar Hoods, which tracks, neighborhood by neighborhood, how much Los Angeles law enforcement spends to lock up its residents. Million Dollar Hoods, in partnership with the UCLA Institute of American Cultures, recently launched a multiyear spinoff project called Archiving the Age of Mass Incarceration. In January, that effort received a $3.65 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Bunche Center staff have also played an integral role in administering programs outlined in UCLA’s Rising to the Challenge initiative, which was announced by UCLA Chancellor Gene Block in 2020. Staff members have developed infrastructure to support faculty hiring, seed grants, graduate student fellowships and postdoctoral scholarships for scholars whose research serves the study of Black life.

Related Posts

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

California Seizes $476 Million in Illegal Cannabis

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The operation, described as UCETF’s largest to date, involved support from multiple state agencies The state confiscated $476 million worth...

The Reservoir Play Opens at Geffen Playhouse

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The play follows Josh, whose life is unraveling, as he receives unconventional support from his grandparents. Their unsolicited advice, judgments,...

Angelini Grill Opens Limited Run at Peninsula Beverly Hills

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The menu includes tableside Dover Sole, lobster salad, and a signature pasta tasting A new culinary collaboration, Angelini Grill, launched...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

The Bar at Century Plaza to Celebrate National Caviar Day with Exclusive Tastings

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The seven-hour event will feature exclusive caviar tastings and champagne pairings The Bar at Fairmont Century Plaza will host a...

Westwood Village Cooking Class to Showcase Spanish Paella

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The class will guide participants through crafting both seafood and vegetarian versions of the iconic Spanish dish Food enthusiasts will...

Unmasking ICE: Senators Push for Visible IDs After Secretive LA Immigration Raids

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bill Requires Federal Agents to Display Visible Identification During Raids U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on...

Bacio di Latte’s Beverly Hills Gelateria Debut Blends Italian Tradition with California Cool

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Gelateria Features In-House Gelato, Espresso Drinks, and Decadent Signature Flavors Bacio di Latte has officially opened its latest U.S. flagship...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

Brentwood Feels Impact as Feds Slash Office Leases Across Los Angeles

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

New Tracker Reveals Over 70,000 Square Feet Cut in 2025 Alone Los Angeles County’s office market is experiencing a fresh...

Lost Bunny on the Beat: Beverly Hills Police Seek Owner of Wayward Rabbit

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Fluffy Wanderer Found Near City Hall, BHPD Caring for Missing Pet The Beverly Hills police are caring for a domestic...

Interview: The Dinah Creator Mariah Hanson on Legacy, Change, and the Future of Queer Celebration

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

After 34 Groundbreaking Years, Hanson Reflects on Joy, Power, and Her Final Dinah  We spoke with Mariah Hanson, the creator...