Our Team

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL AND SPATIAL JUSTICE, UC SAN DIEGO

Caroline Collins is an Assistant Professor of Social and Spatial Justice in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at UC San Diego where she is also affiliated with the Democracy Lab, the Design Lab, the Indigenous Futures Institute, and The Scripps Center for Marine Archeology. She is also the curator of Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, an exhibition highlighting more than 500 years of Black maritime history and the lives of Black mariners who helped shape the Pacific world.

PROFESSOR, COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, UC SAN DIEGO

Affiliate Faculty in Ethnic Studies, Critical Gender Studies & Cinematic Arts

Zeinabu irene Davis is an independent filmmaker and Professor at UC San Diego whose work centers Black history and culture, with a particular focus on uplifting the lives and stories of Black women across the globe. Her connection to Black Like Water is rooted in her love of the ocean and her family’s naval history, bringing together storytelling, memory, and a deep commitment to learning in community.

PROVOST OF MUIR COLLEGE, UC SAN DIEGO

K. Wayne Yang is the Provost of John Muir College at UC San Diego, where he has been instrumental in shaping campus-wide initiatives. He is a co-founder of both the Indigenous Futures Institute and the Black Like Water research collaboratory. Alongside longtime collaborator Eve Tuck, Yang investigates the intersection of land relationships, public policy, and community wellbeing. His current research emphasizes the regeneration of Indigenous land connections for urban populations and communities of color.

PROVOST OF EIGHTH COLLEGE, UC SAN DIEGO

Angela Booker is the inaugural Provost of Eighth College and an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at UC San Diego. Her scholarship explores the intersections of learning, community engagement, social justice, and the work of undoing structural racism. She is also co-director of the Black Studies Project and has led research and community partnerships focused on civic participation, educational access, and social change. Across her teaching, scholarship, and leadership, Booker is committed to creating more equitable and engaged communities.

FOUNDER OF AFROFUTURISM LOUNGE

Lawana Richmond is an Applied Afrofuturist, educator, and community builder whose work connects culture, technology, social justice, and collective imagination. She creates experiential learning opportunities that honor ancestral knowledge while helping communities imagine and build more liberated futures.

ASSISTANT AQUATICS DIRECTOR, UC SAN DIEGO RECREATION

Clayton Claiborne is the Director of UC San Diego Recreation's Aquatic Programs, including Swimming and Surfing Classes. As a co-creator of Black Surf Week, Clayton facilitates collaborative programming and support from the Rec Department to help BLW succeed and thrive.

MFA IN WRITING

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT

NEUROBIOLOGY STUDENT

COGNITIVE SCIENCE WITH SPECIALIZATION IN MACHINE LEARNING AND NEURAL COMPUTATION STUDENT

COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE STUDENT

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS STUDENT