"Under the Super Sunday program, officials collaborate with churches to increase the college readiness and enrollment of African Americans."
Standing before a congregation of thousands at Inglewood's Faithful Central Bible Church on Sunday, a familiar speaker elicited a chorus of "amens" and "hallelujahs" with his message onthe importance of education to the success of black Americans.
"Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, there is no gift that you can give to all of our children that is more important than preparing them to be able to go to college. It is imperative that the African American community of this state and of this nation do that."
The words were delivered not by Faithful Central's senior pastor, Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, although he too is a big education booster -- but by Chancellor Charles B. Reed, head of the 23-campus California State University system.
Reed had traveled from ivory tower to house of worship as part of the university's Super Sunday initiative, a collaboration with black churches begun five years ago to increase the college readiness and enrollment of African American students.
On several Sundays in February, Cal State leaders, including the chancellor, campus presidents, trustees and others, speak at churches and provide information about planning and applying or college. Their appearances are part of the university system's African American Initiative, which also includes summer algebra workshops and education fairs. Other initiatives target Latino, Native
Standing before a congregation of thousands at Inglewood's Faithful Central Bible Church on Sunday, a familiar speaker elicited a chorus of "amens" and "hallelujahs" with his message onthe importance of education to the success of black Americans.
"Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, there is no gift that you can give to all of our children that is more important than preparing them to be able to go to college. It is imperative that the African American community of this state and of this nation do that."
The words were delivered not by Faithful Central's senior pastor, Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, although he too is a big education booster -- but by Chancellor Charles B. Reed, head of the 23-campus California State University system.
Reed had traveled from ivory tower to house of worship as part of the university's Super Sunday initiative, a collaboration with black churches begun five years ago to increase the college readiness and enrollment of African American students.
On several Sundays in February, Cal State leaders, including the chancellor, campus presidents, trustees and others, speak at churches and provide information about planning and applying or college. Their appearances are part of the university system's African American Initiative, which also includes summer algebra workshops and education fairs. Other initiatives target Latino, Native