Cal Culture
Blast from the Past: Cal’s Class of 2001
In honor of the Class of 2001’s twenty-year reunion, the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) took a look back at some of the major events that occurred during their time at UC Berkeley.
Where to hike, run, or walk in Berkeley
By Luciné Jamkochian with illustration by Neil G. BallardOur list of recommended Berkeley trails will inspire you to go on that trek you’ve always been meaning to. Check these routes out if you're looking for walking, running, and hiking routes in the East Bay, or relive your college days meandering through campus and enjoying the views Berkeley has to offer.
10 Cal Alumnae You Should Know
From saving marine life to challenging stereotypes through stand-up and ensuring children receive proper school lunches, Cal alumnae truly leave a lasting impact.
How to Rock a Funky Story: Glynn Washington at the Lair
Lair of the Golden Bear campers recently buckled up to attend a virtual campfire talk with master storyteller Glynn Washington, titled “How To Rock a Funky Story.” Washington is the creator, executive producer, and host of Snap Judgement, a radio show and podcast that offers a raw, immersive, and musical take on storytelling. His unique, cinematic style of storytelling draws listeners and grips them until the end of every one of his shows. Washington’s connection to Berkeley runs deep; in addition to being a Lair camper, from 2007 to 2010, he was the director of Young Entrepreneurs at Haas—now known as Boost—a program at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.
Dr. Marvin Poston ’39: UC Berkeley’s First Black Optometrist
Growing up in Canada, Dr. Marvin Poston ’39 says he did not experience much racial discrimination. In his words, “There weren’t many blacks, very few. That may have been one of the reasons why they didn’t have a lot of discrimination, because there were so few blacks.” When Poston’s father, Paul Walker Poston, developed heart […]
Annie Virginia Stephens Coker ’24, J.D. ’29: California’s First African American Woman Attorney
Meet the remarkable alum who became not only the first Black woman to graduate from Berkeley Law, but also the first Black female attorney in California.
Pioneering Black Alumni
From state office to silver screen, here are a few of the Black UC Berkeley alumni who have broken barriers along the way to great heights.
Remembering Shirley Conner ’48, Cal Alumni Association President 1981–1983
We are saddened to announce that Shirley Conner ’48, a changemaker and leader in the Cal community, passed away on October 4, 2019. Conner’s loss is felt deeply by all those who were lucky enough to cross paths with her, as she touched the lives of countless Golden Bears throughout her service to UC Berkeley. […]
LGBTQ+ Living History at Berkeley
In a six-part series, we highlight a few of the moments, movements, and people that made their mark on Cal’s LGBTQ+ history. We move through the decades, beginning in an era of secrecy and continuing through today. The Early Years For much of the 20th century, many people felt they couldn’t admit they were anything […]
Celebrating Our LGBTQ+ Community at the Oakland Pride Parade
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, more than 500 Cal alumni, faculty, students, and friends joined together at the annual Oakland LGBTQ+ Pride Parade and Festival. For the third year in a row, the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) partnered with UC Berkeley’s Gender Equity Resource Center (GenEq) to lead the Cal contingent of marchers and host […]
LGBTQ+ Living History: Gender Studies at UC Berkeley
LGBTQ studies as an academic field found early roots in the 1930s. The development of queer theory, however, found momentum several decades later in the 1970s.
LGBTQ+ Living History: The Turbulent ’50s
In a six-part series, we highlight a few of the moments, movements, and people that made their mark on Cal’s LGBTQ+ history. We move through the decades, beginning in an era of secrecy and continuing through today. The turbulent ’50s and ’60s In the 1950s and most of the 1960s, few organizations existed for LGBT […]
