In recent years, as the rollback of affirmative action and mounting student debt complicate the path to higher education for Black students, a small but determined coalition in the Bay Area continues to uplift students with financial aid and community support.
They aren’t relying on massive endowments or corporate sponsors. Instead, the Afro-American Cultural & Historical Society (AACHS) has relied on the generosity of everyday members to award $260,000 in scholarships to more than 250 students over the last 50 years.
“Our goal is to provide scholarships to Black students in the Tri-City Area because it is so hard for them,” said Darlene Green, head of the AACHS scholarship committee. “We want to be their village, mentor them, and we want them to give back to the community.”
As inequities remain pervasive in the educational landscape, every dollar counts. A 2025 analysis by the Education Data Initiative found that four years post-graduation, Black students owe nearly double the student loan debt of their white peers.
The 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action has also accelerated a shift in higher education from race-conscious scholarships to “race-neutral” financial aid, making grassroots community financial support ever more precious.
Recently, as the AACHS gathered at Newark Public Library at a “Never Give Up” themed event to honor its seven scholarship recipients of 2026, the atmosphere was celebratory and intimate. The gathering began with an opening prayer and included a group sing-along to “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” commonly referred to as the Black National Anthem.
Scholarship prizes range from $1,000 to $2,500 and are awarded to Black students who are residents of Fremont, Union City, Newark and Hayward. The application process is designed to be inclusive, with a minimum GPA threshold of 2.5 and serious consideration given to “anyone who takes the time to fill out applications… and do the leg-work involved,” said Ric Ricard, the organization’s treasurer.
Among this year’s cohort are Washington High School’s Aamir McDonald, who plans to study architecture at UC San Francisco, and Kiomi Neal of Fremont, who is heading to Santa Barbara City College with dreams of becoming an organizational psychologist.
A new award this year, endowed by psychotherapist Clara Adams, was established in honor of Adams’ late mother and husband. “My education became stronger when my mom died and I had to raise my three siblings,” Adams said. “I love the theme ‘Don’t quit.’ Because if you don’t quit, you will succeed.”
The theme of perseverance is also a reminder of the enduring legacy of AACHS’ 95-year-old founder, Jean Ficklin. The first African American teacher in the Newark Unified School District, Ficklin moved from Mississippi to Newark in 1963, a year before the Civil Rights Act passed.
“When I started this organization, there were so few of us here,” Ficklin recalled, noting the group’s need to attract younger members.
Half a century later, the emphasis on genuine connection remains at the heart of the society’s mission. Past and present leadership stressed that the scholarship is about far more than writing checks. “We love you guys. We may not know you well, but you are loved by us. We want to keep up with what you’re doing,” president Sandra Smith told this year’s class of awardees.
Echoing that sentiment, 2023 award recipient LaNia Hayes returned to advise the fresh graduates to seek help when needed. “There are people who see the potential in us, so we don’t have to see all the potential in ourselves,” Hayes said.
As these young people prepare to leave their hometowns and experience the challenges of higher education and beyond, Newark Library staff member Amy Holloway captured the community’s collective pride: “We celebrate and honor you, and lift you up always.”
