Staff

 

Sade Johnson, Program Director

In this new position, Sade is excited to serve as a support to centralize efforts in helping Black students thrive at Fresno State. Sade’s goal is to create an affirming space on campus for Black students and strengthen campus and community connections in order to recruit, retain and graduate Black students.

Sade was born and raised by her parents in Madera, California. She has ten siblings and a host of nieces, nephews and family members. Sade is a wife and mother of two children. She received her BA in African American studies with a minor in mathematics from the University of California, Davis; and her Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Leadership (HEAL) at Fresno State. She has received numerous honors, including: DOSAEM Dean's Medalist, Outstanding Thesis for "An Autoethnography: A Black Woman Student Transitioning to Black Married Mamahood While in Higher Education," "Outstanding Graduate Student" for California College Personnel Association, and “HEAL Graduate Student Honoree” for recognition at the Division of Research and Graduate Studies.

Sade said, “I identify as a first-generation, low-income, system-impacted Black student…I am determined to see more Black students graduate along with their peers and use their top-quality education to transform the world.”

 

Dr. De Anna Reese, Faculty Director

Dr. Reese is a Full Professor in History and Africana Studies at Fresno State. She was part of the team led by Dr. Jenelle Pitt-Parker that created the Black Student Success Initiative (BSSI) at Fresno State in 2021. She has more than a decade of student success work experience related to her faculty role with a focus on initiatives and activities aimed at promoting and supprting Black student success on campus. Among her primary duties as the Faculty Director of BSSI are the collection, analysis and assessment of data related to identifying barriers to Black student success and implementing culturally relevent interventions to address them. Dr. Reese's "pearls of wisdom" include encouraging student to be persistent, believe in themselves, and stay open to new opportunities.