UCSB Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy

Join us TOMORROW for "Get Funded, Stay Grounded: Research That Centers Community" — a workshop on grant-seeking & management for community-engaged research.

📅 Thu, Mar 5 | 3:45–5:00 PM
📍 Girvetz Hall 2320, UCSB

The UCSB Blum Center stands in solidarity with those who exercise their right to protest and join the general strike on Jan 30. Nadie es libre hasta que todxs seamos libres. ✨🕊️✨

Are you working on research that centers equity, community partnership, or cooperative approaches to social change? The UCSB Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, & Democracy is accepting proposals for two funding opportunities: the Central Coast Regional Equity Initiative and the Dr. U.S. Awasthi Initiative in Cooperative Economics. Whether your work focuses on housing, health, climate, political representation, democratic economic models, or other equity or collectively-centered approaches, we welcome proposals from across disciplines.

Apply by February 28th, 2026.

Learn more at: https://blumcenter.ucsb.edu/research

🗳️ It's Election Day in California!
Voting in today's Statewide Special Election? Here's what you need to know:
✓ Didn't register by the Oct 20 deadline? No problem! You can still register and vote TODAY through Same Day Registration at your county elections office or any polling location in your county.
✓ Find your polling place, see what's on your ballot, and get all the voting details at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
Make your voice heard! 🇺🇸

We are thrilled to announce the publication of Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion, co-edited by Blum Center Director Gaye Theresa Johnson along with Rudy Mondragón and David J. Leonard (University of Illinois Press, December 2025).

This groundbreaking collection explores the boxing ring as a powerful site for understanding race, citizenship, gender, power, and dissent in America. Moving beyond the sport's apolitical veneer, the book examines how professional boxers navigate and challenge capitalistic and neoliberal structures while illuminating the cultural politics surrounding Black, Brown, and q***r bodies.

Through essays and interviews by scholars, activists, and artists, Rings of Dissent reveals boxing's central place in communities of color and opens exciting new avenues for studying race, immigration, gender, and capital. With contributions from leading voices including Dave Zirin, José M. Alamillo, and Louis Moore, this multifaceted collection uncovers what the sport tells us about America—its contradictions, its resistance, and its possibilities.

The Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, & Democracy is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson as our new director.

BLUM Center news update! Recent housing activity in Isla Vista regarding the Pilot Rental Inspection Program. Read and check out our website to learn more.

“Santa Barbara County Planning Commission Approves Sueno Road Project In Isla Vista” (Credits: Santa Barbara Independent)



Read the full article, linked at guidetoucsbhousing.org