USC celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Students, faculty, staff and community members come together to recognize the life and legacy of the civil rights leader.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. during a moment of racial reckoning
USC experts examine the civil rights leader’s life and legacy amid protests for racial justice and riots aimed at disrupting democracy.
COVID-19 reduced U.S. life expectancy, especially among Black and Latino populations
Americans’ life expectancy at birth is projected to shorten by 1.13 years, the largest single-year decline in at least four decades, according to USC researchers.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Moments and Mission in Los Angeles
The civil rights leader visited USC and its surrounding neighborhoods throughout the late ’50s and ’60s in his quest to improve the lives of Black Americans.
🎧 ‘Black Lives Matter’: How USC student-athletes jumped into action after George Floyd’s death
Floyd’s death forced the issue of racial inequality to the forefront — and sparked a new student-athlete activism organization at USC. Listen as Trojans including athletic standouts Anna Cockrell and Amon-Ra St. Brown share their stories.
🎧 Latinx, Latino/a or Chicano: Students share what they call themselves and why
USC students talk about which labels they prefer, the stories behind them and the significance of self-identifying the way they do.
Connecting African Americans and the national parks: USC Gould alumna uses law to do it
Noemi Perez uses her USC Gould law education to link predominantly African American sorority Zeta Phi Beta and the National Parks Service.
Law student and alum team up to push for equal access to the arts
ARTS Justice, co-founded by USC Gould student Sophie Sylla and recent grad Erika Ingram, looks to support local Black and Latinx students by distributing free art kits.
L.A. communities of color rely on police yet are stopped and arrested at higher rates
A new USC report found evidence of overpolicing along with a steady increase in 911 calls by community members to law enforcement agencies over much of the past decade.
How even a casual brush with the law can permanently mar a young man’s life – especially if he’s Black
A USC public policy expert shares his research on what employers can do to help overcome the barriers associated with arrests and the stigma of incarceration.
USC Annenberg faculty, students and alumni are giving voice to those facing trauma and injustice
Trojan communication pros are using an expanding repertoire of tools and media platforms to bear witness to those experiences and push for positive change.
🎧 How two Black engineers helped shape academia and business
Listen in as Wanda Austin — Carol L. Folt’s predecessor in USC’s top job — and John Slaughter, former leader of Occidental College and the University of Maryland, share their experiences and thoughts about what’s ahead.
How social justice protests could affect the 2020 election
As marches against police brutality and systemic racism continue across the United States, USC experts predict what the responses from Donald Trump and Joe Biden will mean in November.
🎧 How two kids from the Midwest became USC Viterbi’s first Black tenured professors
Listen in as Professors Stacey Finley and Timothy Pinkston describe their groundbreaking journeys.
USC alum chronicles the history of — and threats to — affirmative action
Former Mellon Mays scholar Amaka Okechukwu reflects on poetry, social justice and the uncertain future for diversity in higher education.
Cannabis stores tend to target California’s minority populations
Licensed and unlicensed cannabis retailers often set up shop in neighborhoods with higher proportions of Hispanic and Black residents, a new USC study finds.
New Trojan wants to inspire more Native American students to attend college
Even though her USC journey has just begun, Natalie Battiest already understands the value of embracing her heritage.
USC experts reflect on 100 years of women’s suffrage
With the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification approaching, USC professors share their thoughts on the state of voting rights in 2020.
Illuminating what home means for a global community of Filipinos
USC Dornsife historian and poet Adrian De Leon traces the histories of the Filipino diaspora across continents all the while exploring the meaning of home.
Three clients freed from California prisons thanks to USC’s Post-Conviction Justice Project
Allen, Celia and Charles all received life sentences for crimes they committed as teens and spent 84 years combined in prison. Through their dedication and the project’s advocacy, they are now free.
COVID-19 pandemic may delay college graduation for students of color
According to USC’s ongoing coronavirus study, the pandemic has increased the perceived value of a college education among students of color while also likely reducing their course loads.
USC’s Jody Armour champions the rise of the ‘progressive prosecutor’ movement
The law professor makes a forceful case for change with regard to mass incarceration and systemic racism.
USC engineering society raises thousands of dollars for Black Lives Matter
In two weeks, the USC Viterbi engineering society Theta Tau raised more than $12,000 to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
Zach Banner uses social media to fight anti-Semitism
The USC alum and NFL offensive tackle spoke out in support of the Jewish community in a video on Twitter that has been viewed more than 700,000 times.