A flyer for the 2022 All-African Diaspora Summit in Ghana

Advocating for equity in higher education

A prestigious higher-education equity advocacy group recently featured San Bernardino Valley College Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Scott W. Thayer, during its weekly Twitter discussion.

Thayer, along with San Diego City College President Dr. Ricky Shabazz and Visiting Executive of Educational Excellence at the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Dr. Abdimalik Buul, was featured by the Equity Avengers, a trio of community college presidents, for its weekly Equity Chat on February 8, 2023. The discussion centered around African American Male Education Network and Development (A2MEND) and the group’s All-African Diaspora Summit held last year in Ghana. Thayer is the past President of A2MEND, Shabazz is a Board Member-at-large and Buul is Vice President.

Equity Chat is a weekly discussion held on Wednesdays at 5
p.m. PT with the Equity Avengers on Twitter. The Equity Avengers are Compton College President Dr. Keith Curry, Evergreen Valley College President Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson, and San Diego Mesa College President Emerita Dr. Pamela Luster. This forum provides a platform for educators and professionals to engage in meaningful conversations about equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education.

During the discussion, Thayer shared his experiences in Ghana and how it relates to the overall mission of community colleges, which strive to create greater accessibility to higher education. He said the summit was “a part of the vision of A2MEND from the first time we all met.”

“It was a homecoming; there was a sense of comfort and calm. I felt like I was attending a family reunion because everything felt so familiar,” Thayer tweeted of his experience in Ghana.

He emphasized the importance of empowering and supporting Black and African American students in higher education and the role that A2MEND plays in addressing the achievement gap. Thayer also discussed cultivating relationships and partnerships across institutions and communities to advance equity and inclusion.

“The education summit was a convening on the continent of educators, advocates and allies to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and serving our Black and African American students,” Thayer tweeted.

As a leading voice in promoting equity and access in higher education, Thayer’s participation in Equity Chat highlights the commitment of SBVC and A2MEND to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.

For more information about Equity Chat, please visit the Equity Avengers Twitter page at @EquityAvengers or their website at www.equityavengers.com. To learn more about A2MEND and their work, please visit their website at www.a2mend.org.