One of the hallmarks of scholarship is accepting and embracing the notion that the more knowledge and experience one acquires, the more there is to learn and understand. As dean, I’m especially grateful for Anderson’s Black community — students, alumni, faculty, staff and donors — for their guidance, for contributing to our ongoing conversations regarding equity, diversity and inclusion, and for their leadership as we channel conversation into actions. Of equal importance is how, amid tumultuous national and global events, the community inspired and welcomed allies in the essential work of achieving social justice. Progress comes only when we all work together as partners.
— Tony Bernardo,
Dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management
When choosing a business school, I wanted a program that would help me build my strengths while diminishing my limitations. What I didn’t expect to find was a community so devoted to change, collaboration and liberation that it would be a catalyst to my growth. Being Black at UCLA Anderson means to embrace experiences that make us unique while acknowledging the values that make us whole. Black people are multifaceted, yet we’re often told that we must fit into a box. At Anderson there isn’t a box, it’s a community in which you have the freedom to propel your voice and craft your own journey.
— Ashley Johnson (’22),
Co-President, UCLA Anderson Black Business Students Association
I chose to enroll at UCLA Anderson specifically because of its Black community. When I visited, a member of the Black Business Students Association made it a point to seek me out and invite me to a BBSA event, and that was the turning point. Spending time with Black MBAs, I found I could relax and be my authentic self. I realized after my first year at Anderson I understood how true to our values we are. After spending time with MBAs from other schools during my internship, it was clear that while many schools talk about “collaboration” they don’t necessarily stand behind that. Whereas when someone from Anderson says we “share success” — they mean it.
— Kelsey Paul Emory (’22),
Co-President, UCLA Anderson Black Business Students Association
UCLA Bunche Center Resources
Black Policy Project
Institute of American Cultures Predoctoral Fellowships and Grants
The College Access Project for African Americans
Why UCLA Anderson FEMBA Is Right for Us
Many Black FEMBA students choose UCLA Anderson for its supportive community, where they enjoy the same close camaraderie as their full-time classmates. With unfiltered honesty, they share why the program is right for them as working professionals who come from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
The Voice of FEMBA series aims to provide a glimpse into the Anderson community by hearing from the people who are shaping it. All speakers in this series were faculty-nominated.

UCLA Anderson believes strongly that business schools and the wider business world must become more diverse. To that end, we have created the Pathway Guidance Program, a pipeline development program aimed at supporting future business leaders from diverse backgrounds. We believe that Anderson is well-positioned to lead in this effort and that there is boundless value created when we bring people together across identities, experiences, worldviews and values. The goal of this pilot program: To make progress toward a truly inclusive and equitable business landscape by building a more diverse pool of business school applicants, providing greater opportunity and genuinely sharing success.
Other Resources
BBRC cultivates and inspires the Black and African diaspora community on campus.
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management in reduces significant underrepresentation in business education and leadership.

Easterseals CEO Champions Disability Equity

Easterseals CEO Champions Disability Equity

The Value of Authenticity in Global Business with Aaron Walton

The Value of Authenticity in Global Business with Aaron Walton

Easterseals CEO Champions Disability Equity

The Value of Authenticity in Global Business with Aaron Walton
— Connie Knight (’98)

Connie Knight (’98)
Head of Multicultural Content Partnerships, YouTube
— Segun Aluko ('19)

Segun Aluko ('19)
Business Affairs Executive, William Morris Endeavor

Gene Alston (MBA/J.D. ’97)
VP of Marketing Partnerships, Facebook
— Gene Alston (MBA/J.D. ’97)

Tazia Middleton ('18)
Certified Financial Planner
— Tazia Middleton ('18)

What lessons have you learned from being a person of color in the business world today?
Be yourself unapologetically; people respect authenticity. Someone before you created an opportunity for you; therefore, you are indebted to help provide a ladder that creates an opportunity for another.
— Jason Cole ('19)
— Landon Medlock ('18)

Landon Medlock ('18)
Senior Product Manager
— Jason Cole ('19)
Black History Month Events

From Black History to Black Futures: Challenges in Health Care

Black Entrepreneurship in Cannabis

Anderson’s Who’s Got Next Business Challenge
Black entrepreneurs put their industry knowledge to the test in a game show format

With an Anderson MBA, NFL Pro Derek Cox (’21) Pursues Player Relations

I’m Black in Corporate America
