“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and think critically. Intelligence plus character; that is the goal of a true education.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will join other CSU campuses across California on Feb. 23 for Super Sunday, a day when predominately Black and African American faith-based organizations gather to stress the importance of preparing for college.   

This year’s Super Sunday event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC) at 800 Hobson Way in Oxnard. Super Sunday will include food, activities and entertainment, as well remarks from CSUCI President Richard Yao. Staff members from CSUCI will be available to provide information on the application and admission process for prospective CSUCI students.?  

“Super Sunday in this iteration is designed to bring together community in celebration of the importance of education in our own backyard,” said CSUCI Vice President for Student Affairs Eboni Ford-Turnbow. “I look forward to how this event continues to grow and how community relationships support our students.”  

This is the second year Ventura County’s Super Sunday has been held at the OPAC. The event used to take place at area churches until 2024, when CSUCI adopted a new format to be more inclusive of families who do not attend Black churches, do not attend church on Sunday, or do not attend church at all. The event is intended as an “after-church service.”  

Last year’s event drew representatives from 11 churches and about 150 attendees. This year’s event will include free food and music from Black-owned businesses. Other activities include face-painting, selfie photo booths, crafts for kids, and a performance dance from the 20th Century Onyx Club Debutantes and their escorts.  

This year’s Super Sunday was made possible in part by a collaboration between CSUCI’s office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Community Advocacy Coalition (CAC) of Ventura County.   

CSUCI’s commitment to Black and African American community engagement extends beyond Super Sunday. In addition to community partnerships with the Pinkard Institute, NAACP, and Community Action Coalition of Ventura County, an Africana Studies minor was developed for students interested in studying and understanding the experiences of African and African-descended people. CSUCI opened its Black Cultural Center in 2023, providing a dedicated space with staff committed to supporting the advancement, academic excellence, and degree completion of Black students at the University.  

Since Super Sunday’s launch in 2005, more than a million people have participated in this signature awareness event for CSU's African American communities.