About the Celebration
When and where will interGeneration400 take place?
interGeneration400 will be hosted from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturday, February 1st, 2020 in UC Berkeley's César E. Chávez Student Center.
The César Chávez Student Center, home to the Student Learning Center, is located on Berkeley campus in Lower Sproul Plaza, opposite Eshleman Hall and adjacent to Zellerbach. It hosts all SLC classrooms and our main atrium, where the majority of the day's events will take place. The atrium is in the far left-hand corner of the building when entering through the main Lower Sproul entrance.
For more information on getting to the building, see "Getting to César Chávez Student Center" below.
If you've never been to campus before or could use a refresher, please click on the image below to access a fully navigable map of campus.
For more details about the day's gatherings, including start times for individual events, please visit our "Program of Events" page.
Who is invited?
Are children welcome?
Yes! Children of all ages are welcome at all event sessions and we will provide a child-friendly space for those wishing to take a break with their young ones.
Will food be provided?
Yes. We will be providing a light breakfast prior to our opening ceremony, a buffet style lunch, and assorted snacks throughout the day. While we cannot accommodate specific dietary requests in advance, we will aim to have something available for everyone.
I can only attend for part of the day. Is that all right?
Do I need to prepare or contribute in any way?
What is the significance of the number "400"?
European records of the forced relocation and enslavement of Africans date back to the 1400s, but the year 1619 marks the first highly documented arrival of a slave ship to an English colony (Virginia) in what would become the United States. As such, the date has taken on particular importance as a way of marking the start of American slavery and, consequently, of African American history. The decision to commemorate the date at the 400-year mark has been shared by numerous entities nationwide—most notably by Congress through the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act and the New York Times through the 1619 Project. In May 2019, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ announced a year-long UC Berkeley initiative in the spirit of the Congress Act, which resulted in the creation of the 400 Years of Resistance to Slavery and Injustice website and event series.
Our use of "400" in our event title acknowledges these many efforts and their reasons for coming into being. For a deeper sense of the significance of commemoration for the staff of the Student Learning Center, we invite you to read our interGeneration400 Mission Statement.
Getting to César Chávez Student Center
What transportation options do you recommend?
As street parking can be scarce on the weekend and our event coincides with a basketball game on campus, we strongly recommend public transportation. Downtown Berkeley BART, the nearest BART station, is about three blocks downhill from the Center. Just be sure to check timed transfer details when traveling northbound toward campus.
If traveling by bus, AC Transit runs several routes through campus with stops at the Durant/Dana and Bancroft/Telegraph intersections. Both stops are within a block of the Center.
For those using a rideshare app or planning to be dropped off, there are white curb drop-off spots on Bancroft Avenue—a large one just above the Telegraph Avenue intersection and a smaller one just after, right at the entrance to Lower Sproul Plaza and Zellerbach Hall. The Center is just a very brief walk into campus from each of these drop-off spots and both allow for wheelchair access heading into Lower Sproul.
I will be driving. Where can I find parking?
If you arrive early in the day, you may be able to find hourly public parking in a campus lot, all of which are marked on the UC Berkeley Visitor Parking Map. As there will be several other events—including a basketball game —occurring throughout the day, however, a number of campus lots will either be full or blocked off.
The following lots—some campus-based, some dedicated public parking—are within shorter walking distance of the Center and most likely to be operable for the duration of our event:
- Telegraph Channing Garage — 2450 Durant Ave ($16 flat)
- Douglas Perry Lot — 2542 Durant Ave ($5 flat; limited spots, reserve in advance)
- UC RSF Garage — Bancroft Way and Ellsworth Street ($2/hr)
- Bancroft Structure — 2580 Bancroft Way ($2/hr)
- Ellsworth Structure — Channing Way and Ellsworth Street ($2/hr)
- Berkeley Oxford Garage — 2165 Kittredge Street ($17 flat)
- Banway Lot — 2111 Bancroft Way ($2/hr)
We recommend using this Parkopedia search to further explore options and, if you're certain of your attendance, reserve a spot in advance!
Which building entrances are wheelchair accessible?
The best accessibility entrance is our southeast main entrance, which opens onto Lower Sproul Plaza. There is ramp access into Lower Sproul from all directions and multiple wheelchair accessible entry points into the building, but the building's main entrance (directly beneath the César Chávez Student Center building name) has automatic doors.
Please click here to view and download a map of preferred campus accessibility routes.
Other Questions
Is there an official event contact to whom I can direct further questions?
Please direct all questions to the interGeneration400 Committee via the official Student Learning Center email address: slc@berkeley.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!