‘Celebrating Black Excellence: Leading and Shaping Our Future’ theme of 10th Annual Pioneer Breakfast

The Black Faculty, Staff and Student Association (BFSSA) at Cal State San Bernardino will host the 10th annual Pioneer Breakfast on Friday, Feb. 24, celebrating the accomplishments of individuals who have made an impact at CSUSB.

“Celebrating Black Excellence: Leading and Shaping Our Future,” will be from 9-11 a.m., in the Santos Manuel Student Union North Conference Center and is part of CSUSB’s month-long celebration of Black History Month.

Tickets are $40 for faculty, staff, and community members. Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit future scholarships for CSUSB students. Tickets are available at the Pioneer Breakfast ticket page.

“The Pioneer Breakfast honors those individuals who exemplify the best of CSUSB, exhibiting professionalism, a passion for helping students, and showing a positive attitude toward colleagues and the surrounding university community,” said Anthony Roberson, president of the BFSSA executive board and associate director of Santos Manuel Student Union Operations.

This year the Pioneer Breakfast will celebrate these individuals with the Pioneer honor:

·       Aaron Burgess: Pioneer Honoree

·       Twillea-Evans Carthen: Pioneer Honoree

·       Kathryn Ervin: Pioneer Honoree

·       Cindy Blackturner Wyatt: Pioneer Honoree

·       Robie Madrigal: Lorraine Frost Ally Awardee

·       Prince Ogdepkie: Emerging Leader Awardee

The Pioneer Breakfast will celebrate these individuals with the Village Award:

·       Terrance Stone

·       Kim Carter

·       Kiana Webb

·       Social Lites

·       Westside Action Group

·       Damon Alexander

·       Kimberly Calvin

·       Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers

The Pioneer Breakfast serves as a fundraiser for the following scholarships benefitting current CSUSB students: J. Milton Clark, Mildred Henry, Terrylin Monette, John Overton, Jean Peacock & Walter Hawkins and the Belva Holder scholarships. This year the BFSSA has added the John Futch and Felix Family scholarships. In the past nine years, the BFSSA has awarded more than 300 scholarships to students, Roberson said.

Proceeds also support the annual Black Graduation recognition ceremony. 

The annual event will also feature an essay competition for students based on the theme. To bridge the past with the present and develop that connection with prominent pioneers, students have the opportunity to research the honorees and their accomplishments. 

Do you have historic photos of family, friends, organizations, and the Black community in the Inland Empire? Bring them to the Pioneer Breakfast and have them scanned and preserved for future generations. The Bridges That Carried Us Over Project is partnering with the Black Faculty, Staff, and Student Association and will have a table with scanners near the entrance to the Pioneer Breakfast. Community members are encouraged to bring any and all images that show local black history: civil rights organizations and protests, churches, businesses, social organizations, and photos of historic neighborhoods (like Mead Valley, eastside Riverside, westside San Bernardino, Stuart Street in Redlands, etc.). The images will be scanned right away and returned to their owner. For more info, contact archives@csusb.edu; (909) 537-5112, https://www.csusb.edu/special-collections/projects/bridges-carried-us-over-project. 

For more information, visit the Black History Month 2023 events/calendar website.